Kirsten Wicklund
dance artist.
choreographer.
leader & educator.
w
k
Kirsten Wicklund (she/her) was born in British Columbia, Canada and trained at Pacific Dance Arts, Danzmode Productions, Goh Ballet Academy, Modus Operandi Contemporary Training Program, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, The Banff Centre for the Performing Arts, and received scholarships to train at American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet & Pacific Northwest Ballet.
As a Dance Artist, Kirsten has danced with The Washington Ballet Company, Ballet BC and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. Between 2014 - 2021 Kirsten worked exclusively for creation-based company Ballet BC (Canada) under the direction of Emily Molnar, CM and more recently under Medhi Walerski. During this time, she danced and created original works by Lesley Telford, Medhi Walerski, William Forsythe, Emmanuel Gat, Wen Wei Wang, Cayetano Soto, Adi Salant, Aszure Barton, Company 605, Johan Inger, Serge Bennathan, Jorma Elo, Jacopo Godani, Walter Mateini, Emily Molnar, Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal and many more.
Kirsten danced at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Antwerp, Belgium (from 2021-2024) where she performed existing works by Pina Bausch, Sharon Eyal, Crystal Pite, William Forsythe, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan and orignial new creations with Jan Martens, Richard Siegal & Ella Rothschild.
As an independent maker, Kirsten has choreographed works for Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, The Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company & New Moves Program, The New York Choreographic Institute at New York City Ballet, Ballet BC’s “Take Form”, Ballet Kelowna, Joshua Beamish’s MOVE: the company, The UBC Choir, Dancing on the Edge Festival, Dances for a Small Stage, The Dance Deck Series, Arts Umbrella, Goh Ballet & Lamon Dance.
Kirsten served as the Artistic Director of Ballet Edmonton from 2024-2026. During this time, some highlights include receiving the Chrystal Dance Prize, expanding Ballet Edmonton’s digital presence alongside Digital Creative Director Peter Smida, securing major federal support through Prairies Economic Development Canada in collaboration with the former Executive Director, touring the company across Alberta and British Columbia, launching the Emerging Choreographic Platform, and welcoming world-class choreographers to Edmonton.
Kirsten continues her work as an international choreographer, educator and leader with world premieres in 2026 scheduled with Staatstheater Nürnberg (Germany) and The Nationale Opera & Ballet (Holland).
PRESS
New Appointment:
Artistic Director Ballet Edmonton
"I am honoured to be entrusted with the remarkable opportunity to guide Ballet Edmonton towards a future marked by growth and commitment to artistic innovation. Reflecting on Wen Wei Wang’s invaluable contributions to Ballet Edmonton, I hope to build upon his vision by fostering a culture of dance excellence, exploration, and dedication to amplifying diverse voices across Canada and internationally. I look forward to getting to know the Alberta arts community and the people who are integral to its thriving ecosystem!"