About me
Kelsey McMahon-Stoker grew up studying Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary and Modern Dance at Ballet North School and Performing Company and West Edmonton Ballet Academy in Edmonton Alberta. Upon graduation she had the opportunity to dance with “Orchesis”, and “Opera Nuova”. Notable roles include; member of the corps in “Les Sylphides”, “Pas de Quatre”, “Appalachian Spring”, “Enfant”, and “Hansel and Gretel”. She holds a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Education Degree from the University of Calgary with a research focus on the intersection of Jazz Dance Pedagogy and Social Justice Education. She has taught dance for the Calgary Board of Education for the past seventeen years, and has built one of the largest dance programs within the Calgary Board of Education. She is the co-creator of the Intensive Dance Development Program at Forest Lawn High School and the current Learning Leader of their Fine Arts Department. She has also completed certification in primary and recreational ballet syllabus through the Edmonton School of Ballet. She has been invited to speak at the Canadian National Academy for Dance Education’s Western Canada Conference, as well as the Alberta Teacher’s Association Beginner’s Teacher’s Conference, and the Calgary City Teachers’ Convention. She has also been an adjudicator for the Wild Rose Dance Arts Association. She is one of the founding members of the East Side Dance Festival Society (the current Co-Chair) and was recently awarded “The Most Outstanding Choreography” Awards at both Dance Evolutions, Dance Invasions and Shy Ann Dance Festival. She was also the recipient of the “Hemstreet Coach of the Year Award” for the 2017-2018 season. As a choreographer Kelsey has created numerous dance competition pieces, worked on musical theatre productions and has created several original full length ballets. Kelsey is passionate about the arts and their power to create community and empower young people. She believes that high quality fi ne arts programming should be accessible to all students in all schools.
