Between Shadow and Light

Choreographer

Mya Kresnyak

Mya hails from Vancouver, BC and received her dance training from the Vancouver Junior Professional Division, the Harid Conservatory in Florida, and Master Ballet Academy in Arizona.

As a student, she had the opportunity to train under Vaganova based teachers as well as attend several prestigious ballet competitions such as the Youth America Grand Prix and the USA IBC.

Her awards include the Youth Grand Prix at the YAGP Seattle semi finals (2015), the Grand Prix at the YAGP Phoenix semi finals (2017), the Gold Medal at the YAGP Finals for Contemporary Pas de Deux (2017), and the Robert Joffrey Award at the Jackson USA IBC in 2018.

Following her attendance of the USA IBC, Mya joined Atlanta Ballet II where she had the opportunity to perform in Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, Alexander Ekman’s Cacti and Johan Kobborg’s La Sylphide with the main company. In 2020, Mya began her career with Alberta Ballet, dancing many memorable roles as well as working with renowned choreographers such as Jean Grand Maître, Helen Pickett, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Loughlan Prior, Nicolo Fonte and Morgann Runacre-Temple. Whilst with the company, her favourite performances included Klara in Edmund Stripe’s The Nutcracker, the Fairy of Virtue in Christopher Anderson’s Sleeping Beauty, Helen Pickett’s Petal, Nicolo Fonte’s Rite of Spring and the leading role of Red Riding Hood in Morgann Runacre-Temple’s Der Wolf.

Performers

Hunter Rao

(She/Her)

Hunter grew up in Winnipeg, where she trained with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School until her 2013 graduation. She attended summer sessions at Koltun Ballet Boston and The School at Jacob’s Pillow, and has worked with artists including Anna-Marie Holmes, Helen Pickett, Devon Carney, and Mark Godden. From 2014-2018 Hunter taught ballet and pointe classes while completing her Biosystems Engineering degree at the University of Manitoba. Hunter moved to Calgary in 2018 for medical school, and is currently a resident physician in the UofC Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation program with special interests in pediatric musculoskeletal and dance medicine. This is her fourth season with BBYYC!

Abigail Fernandes

(She/Her)

Abigail, from Vancouver, graduated from Tricity Dance Centre in their Industry Program and from Langley Fine Arts School as a dance major. Throughout her training she grew her skills as a choreographer, performer and technician and attended summer intensives such as PeriDance Centre in New York City and Harbour Dance Centre in Vancouver. Recently she performed in the CollabArt Creation showcase in Vancouver and was present in research and danced in a short film under Error404 Dance Works in Calgary. Abigail is currently a second year student at the University of Calgary as a dance BFA. She is working towards a career in professional dance.

Olivia Carmelo

(She/Her)

Olivia Carmelo (she/her) is an emerging dance artist based in Mohkinstis (Calgary), and has recently completed her undergraduate degree in Dance at the University of Calgary School of Creative and Performing Arts. Olivia discovered her passion for movement at a young age, studying various dance styles including ballet, jazz, and hip-hop and mainly focusing on the elements of contemporary. 

Fuelled by curiosity and a desire to push the boundaries of her craft, Olivia is on a journey of artistic exploration, honing her skills under the guidance of her mentors and instructors. Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, Olivia developed a distinctive artistic voice characterized by fluidity and raw authenticity.

In addition to her accomplishments as a performer, Olivia is also a choreographer, crafting pieces that challenge conventional norms and thought-provoking stories. She choreographed the piece “The Aftermath of Something Lethal” at the University of Calgary’s Dance @ Noon 2023, along with choreographing “The Bear’ for Alchemy Festival 2024. Her most recent work of “Losing cents” was featured at Dance @ Night 2025. Through her choreography, Olivia seeks to illuminate the human experience, exploring themes of identity, resilience, and the interconnectedness of humanity. She also finds joy in teaching all ages. As Olivia continues to evolve as an artist, she remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of her art form while staying true to her authentic self.

Amairani Rico

(She/Her)

Amairani Rico shares the passion and enthusiasm of being a human who’s growing as an artist. She was born and grew up in Mexico City and graduated from ‘’Academia de la Danza Mexicana INBAL’’ with BFA in Contemporary Dance. Worked at Mexican companies like APLOMB, Libelula Dance Company, and the choreography directed by Diego Vega Solorza ‘’Templos’’. As a performer at Internacional Dance Day at UNAM, Neo Nutcracker season, NFL halftime show 2016, and as a choreographer assistant of Jasmine Mason for the Dance Fest MX. She moved to Calgary on August 2022 and danced for HealingMOVES directed by Kyra Newton, and In Motion III by Serenella Sol.