Tanya Vadurova
Founder & Owner of Mission Dance Centre & Company
Artistic Director & Resident Choreographer of Okanagan Ballet Theatre
Tanya Vadurova, founder of Mission Dance Centre in Kelowna, has an international career as a dancer, teacher and choreographer, with training at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto and experience across Europe and Canada.
Her students have gone on to prestigious schools like the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, while her own performances have featured collaborations with renowned musicians and the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. Vadurova’s work fosters not only technical excellence and artistry, but also the value of community and personal growth, earning her two Okanagan Arts Awards.
Tanya Vadurova, as a young girl, received a bursary to train at the National Ballet School in Toronto. After her University studies, she returned to the same prestigious ballet school to train as a teacher and post graduate dance student. Tanya continued her studies in Spain and other European countries to further her training and knowledge in ballet, flamenco and modern dance. She has taught dance in Germany, the Czech Republic, and in major Canadian cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. As a professional dancer and soloist in Europe, Tanya danced a variety of styles, ranging from classical to musical theatre. In 1997, while living back in Toronto, she was featured in the documentary film Fringe Bound that aired on the CBC & CHUM TV/BRAVO!
Now residing in Kelowna, Tanya successfully coaches young and mature dancers at Mission Dance Centre & Company, in hopes of assisting the next generations of dancers to achieve their goals. Since she founded the school in 2003, Tanya has produced a myriad of events, performances and full length productions for the Okanagan and its residents.
Passionate about the magic that dancing to live music can inspire, in 2005 and 2006 Tanya Vadurova was featured as a solo dance artist with internationally renowned performing artists, jazz pianist and Hollywood composer, Stu Goldberg along with violinist and concertmaster Denis Letourneau. The trio toured the Okanagan with performances in Vernon, Penticton and Kelowna. In 2007, Tanya’s dancers joined the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Rosemary Thomson in a concert entitled “Carnival’. Later that year, in the Symphony’s ”Fairytales and Fables”, Tanya danced a solo role of “Scheherazade” in a world premiere of her new choreography to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov. Before coming to Kelowna, Tanya’s choreographic works have been seen at the Montreal Fringe Festival, the Music Hall in Toronto, the Vancouver Kiss Project, the Hamilton Place with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, McMaster University, and at the Mayor’s Gala ’97 at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.
In February of 2008, Tanya received the Okanagan Arts Award for dance and also her company was asked to perform the finale. In 2010, Tanya was once again honoured with the Okanagan Arts Award.
It is because of Tanya Vadurova’s own professional training and experiences that she can teach and encourage others to follow their dream. Her years of hard work and too often, struggling to make a living with becoming a professional dancer has taught her how to lead and help others to overcome their own hurdles on their journey. Tanya Vadurova provides leadership, understanding, compassion, and inspiration to students and professionals alike who seek her out.
Olivia Latendresse
Administrator
Olivia Latendresse is a Principal Dancer with OBT as well as a Dance Instructor, Administrator & Managing Artistic Associate with Mission Dance Company. Olivia grew up in Tsawwassen, BC, and trained for 14 years at Deas Island Dance. She then further continued her training with Tanya Vadurova in the Post Graduate Program of the Vadurova Dance Academy and now holds many positions at Mission Dance Centre & Company. Olivia has performed notable leading roles in many Ballets over the years including The Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Don Quixote, and more. She has also performed professionally in many community events and fundraisers including performing in Disneyland, California. She has attended Summer Intensives at several Ballet Schools across Canada, including Goh Ballet, Alberta Ballet, and l’École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec. Olivia has been trained and coached by several industry professionals including Evelyn Hart (Royal Winnipeg Ballet), Janet Gittens and Celine Gittens (Birmingham Royal Ballet). Olivia has over 10 years of Ballet teaching experience in all levels and ages. Although her primary focus and training is in Ballet, Olivia is well-versed in many other styles of dance, namely Tap, Modern, Flamenco, Jazz & Contemporary. Alongside her career as a professional Ballet dancer, Olivia is a passionate teacher and strives to inspire and elevate her students.
Annette Bakala
Ballet & Pointe Instructor
Annette grew up in Kelowna, B.C. and has trained and performed at Mission Dance Centre for 15 years. She attended the Ballet Jörgen Summer Intensive IV in Toronto in 2018 and Roberto Campanella’s ProArteDanza Summer Intensive in 2019, for which she was awarded a scholarship. Annette has performed leading roles in productions such as: MDC’s “The Nutcracker” 2015-2018 as the Sugar Plum Fairy partnered by the former MDC student who graduated from The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Jera Wolfe. Annette also danced the role of Odette in MDC’s “Swan Lake” in 2016 & 2019, partnering with Jera Wolfe, RWB graduate & National Ballet choreographer, and Ballet Kelowna’s Valentine Chu, graduate of The Paris Opera. She was also the recipient of The Teen Honour in the Arts Award for the Kelowna Civic & Community Awards in 2018. She graduated from MDC’s Pre-Professional Program in 2019 and continued her career in Toronto, Canada where she trained under Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s former Prima Ballerina Evelyn Hart, as well as Alberta Ballet’s former Ballet Mistress Mercedes Bernardez-Carret. Annette then continued her training in Montreal where she attended l’École Supérieure de Ballet du Quebec’s post graduate program. Annette is a passionate teacher and loves to inspire and mentor the younger generation.
Emmeline Chugg
Junior Instructor
Emmeline Chugg is a passionate performer with extensive training in Classical Ballet and many Contemporary dance styles. She is currently in her first season with Okanagan Ballet Theatre, as a Trainee. Emmeline started her training at the Edmonton School of Ballet and is a graduate of the Vimy Ridge Academy Dance Program in Edmonton, Alberta. There, she also trained in the pre-professional company, Edmonton Festival Ballet, until graduation. Emmeline has attended Summer Intensive programs at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and the Alberta Ballet School Professional Divisions with invitations from both to continue training. A graduate of the Ballet Victoria Aspirant program; Emmeline has performed in Ballet Victoria’s productions of the Nutcracker and Swan Lake; and newer works such as Frankenstein and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Emmeline is excited to share her passion for Ballet with the younger generation as she begins her journey as a teacher at Mission Dance Centre.
Clare Bassett
Instructor
Clare studied at Canada’s National Ballet School, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, and the post-secondary dance program at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver. Professionally she has danced with Ballet Kelowna, Rondos Dance Theatre (Saint John), Who Creations (Toronto), Toronto International Ballet Theatre, Ballet Ireland (Dublin), and Conny Janssen Danst (Rotterdam). She choreographs and has performed in productions such as New Opera Lyra’s production of Aleko in Ottawa. Clare is honoured and excited to be dancing with Okanagan Ballet Theatre and teaching at Mission Dance Centre.
Evelyn Hart
Special Guest
Renowned Prima Ballerina
As ballet dancers go, Evelyn Hart started her training late, making her sterling career and accomplishments all the more remarkable.
Born in Toronto in 1956, she began her training at 14, in London, Ont. She attended the National Ballet School in Toronto before moving to Winnipeg at 17 to study at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s professional division. She joined the RWB corps de ballet in 1976, was promoted to soloist in 1978 and to principal dancer in 1979.
In 1980, Hart won a bronze medal at the World Ballet Competition in Japan; later that year, Hart became the first Canadian to win a gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria – considered the Olympics of ballet – for the pas de deux Belong, choreographed by Norbert Vesak.
Besides her spectacular artistic accomplishments, Hart is recognized for her contribution to the development of the RWB and the art form of dance as a whole. Many of the classics of the company’s repertoire (including Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty) were brought in specifically to showcase her talents.
Her biography, Evelyn Hart: An Intimate Portrait, by celebrated Vancouver dance critic Max Wyman, was published in 1991; Moment of Light: The Dance of Evelyn Hart, a 50-minute film by Winnipeg filmmaker Gordon Reeve, debuted on national television in 1992.
In 2005, Hart left the RWB to dance as a freelance artist. On Aug. 23, 2006, she danced her swan song at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario. She also danced as a guest artist with Toronto’s ProArteDanza, ending a 31-year career.
Hart’s awards and honours include: the Officer of the Order of Canada (1983), elevated to Companion in 1994; Jean A. Chalmers Award (2000); inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in Toronto (2000); named a “Friend” by Vancouver’s “Friends for Life” for her lifetime contribution to the organization (2000); Lifetime Artistic Achievement (Dance) Governor Generals Performing Arts Award (2001); two ACTRA Awards for best variety performer; YM-YWCA Woman of the Year (1987); Laureate of Excellence, University of Manitoba Health Science Centre Foundation; honorary doctorates from the University of Manitoba and McMaster University (Hamilton); Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2006); Member of the Order of Manitoba (2006).
(Biography source: The Nellie McClung Foundation).
Lesley Telford
Special Guest
Contemporary Repertoire
Lesley Telford is a choreographer, educator and the Artistic Director of Inverso Productions based in Vancouver on Coast Salish Territory. She began her career with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, worked with Nacho Duato at Compañia Nacional de Danza in Spain and spent over a decade dancing and creating at Nederlands Dans Theatre 1, where she worked with choreographers such as Jiri Kylian, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Johan Inger, Crystal Pite and others.
As a choreographer, she has created works for Les Grands Ballets Candiens, Ballet BC, Netherlands Dans Theater 1, Zfin Malta, Hubbard Street Dance Company, Compañia Nacional de Danza, Ballet Vorpommern, Butler Ballet, International Project for Dance in Rome (DAF), University of Utah and Arts Umbrella Dance Company. Through Inverso, Lesley choreographed and produced 4 full evening works which have been presented throughout Europe and Western Canada. In her work, Lesley explores the physicality and spatial structures of emotional states at the intersection of dance, the visual arts, text and film. Her work has been described as having “a profound way of tapping into deep recesses of our emotional and intellectual landscapes”.
Lesley teaches workshops internationally in many companies and schools. Locally, she has a long-standing commitment in support of emerging dance artists and has developed outreach and professional platforms to provide valuable opportunities and experience. She has a Master of Arts in Cultural Production from the University of Salzburg.
lesleytelford.com
inverso.ca
Fiona Malena
Special Guest
Flamenco
An International performing artist based in Berlin, Germany, Fiona Malena has toured extensively with her ensemble and as a guest artist worldwide; including to countries such as Ecuador, Canada, Spain, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Born in Calgary, Canada, Fiona moved to southern Spain where she received her training under the mentorship of Farruquito and Concha Vargas, among others and soon went on to build a successful career performing to sold out audiences in Seville and beyond. Since 2014, Fiona has made Berlin her home. This past May, her new ensemble “FUGAZ” made its debut in Germany, accompanied by guitarist Josel Ratsch. Another recent highlight is the culmination of a collaboration with Calgary visual artist Paul Van Ginkel, which led her to Venice this year, where she gathered material for the staging of her new work “Barcarolle.”
(Photo credit: Marco Rigatti)
