Gillian is responsible for the strategic and artistic leadership of Dance Victoria. Three years ago, she returned to Victoria after living in the U.S. and abroad for almost 15 years. She is delighted to be working with Dance Victoria's amazing team, and raising her family in the city she loves.

Before joining Dance Victoria, Gillian was Associate Executive Director at Edmonds Center for the Arts in Edmonds, WA, where she programmed a multi-disciplinary series of 25 performances. Previously, Gillian was Director of Interpretation at SALT, an arts and cultural institution in Istanbul, Turkey, where she designed multi-disciplinary arts programming for students, educators, and families.

In 2019, Gillian had the opportunity to participate in the Jacob's Pillow National Dance Presenters' Forum in Becket, MA. The Forum invited 20 emerging dance presenters from across the U.S. to spend an unbelievable week seeing world-class dance companies, discussing timely issues in dance presentation, and exploring new models for community engagement. This experience sparked Gillian's excitement to present dance exclusively… and ultimately led her to Dance Victoria!

Gillian enjoys traveling, cooking, walking her sweet pit bull mix Margie, and seeing as much dance as she can. A career highlight was presenting the 2018 premiere of Love Heals All Wounds by Lil Buck & Jon Boogz / Movement Art Is. The piece was opened by youth dancers from Northwest Tap Connection, a race and social justice-oriented tap studio in Seattle. "Seeing the connection between professional artists and young people always inspires me – it was powerful to watch the dancers interact, and to experience the conversation their work sparked for the audience."

Anderson is responsible for the organization's finances and day-to-day operations. He works closely with the team to ensure the organization has the systems and resources it needs to broaden access to world-class dance and deepen community connections.

An accountant by profession, Anderson has worked across diverse industries, including oil and gas, pharmaceutical and consultancy, before discovering his true passion in the arts and culture sector. Originally from Colombia and now proud to call Vancouver Island home, he carries both Indigenous and African ancestry, which has shaped his love of rhythm and his commitment to building community through the arts.

Away from the office, Anderson finds joy in Latin and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. This music makes it impossible for him to stay still. One of his most unforgettable dance moments was joining the crowds at Colombia's Barranquilla Carnival, swept up in the vibrant cumbia and mapalé performances that celebrate the country's Indigenous, African and Spanish roots. For Anderson, dance is both a personal celebration of heritage and a way to bring people together.

Shireen is responsible for cultivating and growing philanthropic support for Dance Victoria, as well as office operations including website, database, and ticketing management. Before joining Dance Victoria, she worked in performing arts touring logistics and as a theatre stage manager for 15 years, mostly in Sydney, Australia, after initially being CAEA stage manager in Toronto. As Development and Operations Manager, she thrives on making connections in our community and sharing the joy of dance: from subscribers to volunteers, sponsors to donors, local artists to visiting dance artists: "They appreciate and value Dance Victoria and frequently tell us so."

About her work she says that "being part of creating, supporting, and sharing art is the best job I can have." In her leisure time, Shireen sings with the Victoria Choral Society, plays tennis with her husband, and enjoys walking among trees on our beautiful west coast. Her favourite dance company is Alonzo King LINES Ballet from San Francisco. "We presented them in 2017 and they were captivating – strong, precise, and elegant."

As marketing director, Anne-Sophie oversees and executes all aspects of Dance Victoria's strategic communications, advertising, digital and print marketing, promotional activities, and media relations. In the summer of 2011, she moved from Quebec City to the breathtaking West Coast of B.C. where she has set firm roots since. She is excited to contribute to Dance Victoria's mission to bring such exceptional dance programming to our humble little city.

Before joining the Dance Victoria team, Anne-Sophie's professional background was diverse, from supporting families as a birth and postpartum doula to supporting independent businesses and non-profit organizations with digital marketing. As an artist, she deeply values strengthening local culture through accessible art venues and programs. For this reason, she works closely with Rockslide Studio & Gallery and the Vancouver Island Visual Arts Society (VIVAS), two organizations committed to protecting critical art spaces for artists and the broader community. She is now excited to extend her commitment to nurturing a vibrant local culture to the alluring world of dance. Anne-Sophie has shown her artwork across Canada and the US and continues to share her passion as a painting and drawing instructor. Her favourite ways to decompress include reading a good book, dancing like nobody is watching, spending time in nature, and sharing a meal in good company.

Holly coordinates all production and logistics elements including lighting, crew, transportation, hotel and backstage hospitality. She works with visiting companies to create successful performances and experiences. Holly has been involved in production and stage management and lighting design for several organizations including: TEDxVictoria; the Royal McPherson Theatre Society; Pacific Opera Victoria; Kaleidoscope Theatre; invert 720 Productions; Victoria Academy of Ballet; Electra Productions; Canadian College of Performing Arts; Raino Dance; Suddenly Dance ROMP! Festival of Dance and more. She values her work colleagues at Dance Victoria whom she treasures as friends. She finds the work interesting and enjoys creating positive, welcoming experiences for the companies Dance Victoria brings to Victoria.

Life has taught her that "there's always time to create a positive experience for someone, even as we are working to achieve something big under tight timeframes." In her leisure time, she likes hiking, cycling, sailing, multi-disciplinary art, swing dance, strategy board games, peaceful nights at home with her husband over dinner, music and a nice glass of red wine.

A favourite dance performance was Ballet Hispanico's Con Brazos Abiertos by Michelle Manzanales, "I loved the vibrancy of the piece, and Ballet Hispanico's warmth and excellence extended in all directions, including backstage, which always adds personally to the positive memory of a production."

Larissa is responsible for community programming, outreach, audience development, and volunteer coordination at Dance Victoria. In the fall of 2022, she moved to Victoria from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is thrilled to live and raise her family in such a beautiful city while being part of the amazing team at Dance Victoria.

Larissa started Ukrainian dance at the age of five and later expanded her training to include ballet, jazz, and hip hop, eventually studying ballet and contemporary at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Her love for movement led to a nearly 15-year career teaching dance and fitness to children and adults, where she shared her knowledge and helped students build confidence and creativity.

Beyond dance, she earned a degree in the Social Sciences with a major in Cultural Anthropology and a minor in Sociology. She has previously worked as a program manager for a non-profit organization that provides physical literacy and movement opportunities for youth and young adults from vulnerable populations. She is passionate about fostering inclusivity, creativity, and positive social change and is committed to making dance accessible to all.

Outside of work, Larissa likes to stay active, whether it's hiking, practising yoga, or chasing after her young daughter. When she does take a break, she enjoys unwinding with a Netflix series and a glass of red wine.

A recent dance highlight for Larissa was last season's performance by Õkāreka Dance Company. Its raw emotional depth and powerful storytelling made a lasting impression on her.

Colette is Principal of Castle Consulting, a consultancy to government, industry and the non-governmental organization (NGO) sector. She is a former critical care nurse at Vancouver General Hospital and an advocate for home educators, lobbying to the Ministry of Education, school boards, and Social Services offices on their behalf. Colette was Founder and President of the Vancouver Island Water Polo Association (2011 to 2013). She also served as Board President for the Vancouver Island School of Art (2014-2018) and currently serves on the board of Victoria Arts Council and Intrepid Theatre. She has volunteered in the annual fundraising for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) Promise Gala, and for the BC Cancer Foundation. She is excited for the opportunity to contribute as a board member for Dance Victoria.

Brendan is an emergency management professional in the public sector who is passionate about leading preparedness and response activities for both natural and human-caused emergencies and disasters. Prior to his more recent roles, Brendan spent over 20 years working as helicopter rappel forest firefighter in British Columbia and was deployed to wildfire events throughout the province, nationally and internationally. Born and raised on the traditional territories of the W’Sanec peoples, Brendan attended UVIC to study English literature and considers himself fortunate to be a lifetime resident of Greater Victoria. Brendan has been attending Dance Victoria performances since the 1990s and loves to see the arts flourish in his hometown.

As a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Sarah combines her financial acumen with a strong commitment to supporting the arts and local community. Currently working at Fort Properties Ltd., she has held a variety of accounting-based and advisory roles throughout her career and is known for her collaborative and strategic perspective. Her past Board experience includes the Canadian Association of Gift Planners and the Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts. As a long-time Victoria resident, Sarah is delighted to bring her enthusiasm for the arts to Dance Victoria’s Board.

Marlon Murr is a dedicated community leader and member of Dance Victoria’s Board of Directors. He brings extensive experience in governance, strategic planning, and organizational leadership, developed over more than a decade working in both the legal and real estate sectors. Marlon approaches Board work with a focus on collaboration, long-term impact, and fostering meaningful connections within the community.

In addition to his service with Dance Victoria, Marlon is a Director of the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) and a member of the Canadian Real Estate Association’s Federal Affairs Committee, where he makes a tangible impact on policy discussions that influence housing and community development across the country. Locally, he is actively involved with the community in Greater Victoria and has held leadership roles as Board Chair for several non-profit organizations.

Marlon is inspired by the ways the arts bring people together and create shared experiences that strengthen communities. He is proud to support Dance Victoria’s vision of delivering exceptional dance experiences, fostering creativity, and enriching the cultural life of Victoria.

Aaron Lukoni is the Risk Manager for Emergency Management in the public service, bringing extensive experience in governance, leadership, and strategic planning. She holds master’s degrees in Business Leadership and Public Administration, along with Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP) and Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designations. A lifelong advocate for community and the arts, she is deeply connected to the dance world through her daughter’s competitive and professional training. Passionate about supporting creative expression and youth development, Aaron is committed to helping Dance Victoria continue to inspire, engage, and elevate the performing arts across the region.

Carrie Smart is an architect and elected Municipal Councillor for the District of Oak Bay. Her work centres around designing public spaces and community-oriented projects. She is passionate about sustainable communities, designing active public spaces for all ages, equity, diversity and active transportation. She has lived in Greater Victoria for 25 years, is a UVic Alumnus, and is an active volunteer in the community. Dance classes have been a nurturing aspect of her daily life from a young age and she continues to dance in her spare time. She is a mother of two school-aged children involved in local dance programs at the Victoria Academy of Ballet and Oak Bay High School. Carrie’s volunteer work has included the role of BC Chapter Chair of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and Chair of the RAIC Victoria Network. Carrie is grateful to have the opportunity to support Dance Victoria on the Board of Directors with her passion for both dance and community.

Emily is a seasoned financial risk and audit specialist holding Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst, and Certified Internal Auditor designations. As a manager in BCI’s Corporate Risk & Audit department, she provides assurance and advice on the organization’s governance, risk management, and control activities. Before joining BCI, Emily spent 5 years in public accounting at KPMG, where she led assurance engagements and provided accounting services to numerous non-profit organizations in British Columbia. From 2018 to 2021, Emily was a dedicated board member for Dance Victoria, and she is enthusiastic about rejoining the board and continuing to contribute her expertise and passion to the organization.

Born in Amsterdam, Joost got in touch with dance at the age of 15, when friends asked him to join a ballet class. It was “love-at-first sight” and after taking amateur ballet classes for a short time, he started his professional dance training at the Rotterdamse Dans Akademie. He danced professionally with Netherlands Dance Theatre, the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Antwerp, and Maurice Bejart’s Ballet of the XXth Century in Brussels. In 1977 he immigrated to Canada with his Canadian-born wife, dancer Marilyn Lewis-Pelt and joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet for four seasons.

After retiring as a full-time dancer, Joost built a career in the arts as a producer, arts administrator and agent, including five seasons as the Dance Programmer at Harbourfront Centre’s Premiere Dance Theatre in Toronto. His final job in the arts was as General Manager of Theatre Passe Muraille. Leaving the arts world, he started a small business from scratch and for the next 30 years built Black Tulip Inc., an administrative services business, providing bookkeeping and payroll administration to small businesses and individuals.

In August 2020, Joost retired from Black Tulip and moved with his wife Marilyn and their Greyhound Libby to Sidney, BC and they have loved every day since, of retirement living on Vancouver Island.

Kemi Craig (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist living and working in the unceded Lekwungen and W͜SÁNÉć territories also known as Victoria, BC. Within her practice, she investigates contingencies of identity through movement and visual media. She has performed for stage and in site-specific work as well as created projects for galleries across BC.

Previously, she was an artist in residence with Dance Victoria for three years as well as an artist in residence for the City of Victoria. Through these residences, she experimented with projection mapping, dancers and trigger response technologies to create performances that offered agency and engagement to all participants whether performing on the stage or in the audience. Both her lived experiences and formal study of images, dance and choreography have informed her artistic creation and expression through playing with performativity, expectations, critical spectatorship and engagement.

Linley (she/her) is a Victoria-based artist and entrepreneur dedicated to elevating the local dance community. She owns Lucent Productions, which operates PoleCoven—a boutique pole and aerial arts school—and Exposure Cabaret, a show featuring local pole and dance performers. As a producer, choreographer, instructor, and performer, she brings diverse artistic expertise to her work.

Since 2015, Linley has worked in people operations consulting on growth projects across private and public sectors. She has served on nonprofit boards, adjudication committees, and community development initiatives since 2012, bringing strategic insight and operational expertise to each role. Committed to building a more vibrant and inclusive community, she has contributed to human rights and gender inclusion initiatives locally and internationally. A proud University of Victoria alumna, Linley completed graduate studies at the School of Public Administration and earned a BA with distinction in social sciences and humanities. After 20 years in Victoria, she remains committed to collaborative initiatives that foster a thriving and inclusive arts community.

Philip is an engineering, technology, and operations professional with 27 years in the field. Formerly the Operations Lead at PBX Engineering, Philip is currently leading the Integrated Systems business unit as a principal with the firm. Other career highlights include 12 years at FLIR Systems Canada as Director of Engineering, eight years as Director of Technology, Communications, and Risk Management for an International Independent School Group, and two years as a software lead for Raytheon Systems Canada on two national Air Traffic Management projects.

Philip grew up in Victoria’s arts community, studying and performing with various musical theatre groups, Victoria Arts Collaborative, Raino Dance, and the Canadian Pacific Ballet. A long-time supporter of local performing arts, Philip has worked with several independent and non-profit organizations, helping with marketing and communications, business development, production assistance and promotional support. He is excited to be working with Dance Victoria and is very much looking forward to contributing to our dance community.