Bryce Johnson

Frog in Hand Company Dancer Debut! Other Stage Credits: Bring it On: The Musical (Globe Theatre) Fiddler on the Roof, Peter Pan: The Panto (Drayton Entertainment); Seas the Adventure, Twice Charmed (Disney Cruise Line); Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (TYT Theatre); Fame (RCPA); White Christmas (SaskExpress). Bryce is a graduate from Randolph College for the Performing Arts and hails from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Bryce is so honoured to join the company this summer and create with new minds and in new spaces he’s never explored before. You can find him on Instagram @brycecgjohnson

Denise Igama

Denise Igama (she/her) is a Filipino-Canadian artist, performer, and choreographer based in Toronto. With a foundation in Vaganova classical technique, contemporary, and tap, Denise had expanded her vocabulary to include jazz, partner work, West-African, and Street styles through her training in the Performance Dance program at Toronto Metropolitan University. Denise has performed in TMU’s Rise Dances and SpringWorks, and Fever After Dark, and has worked with a range of choreographers including Pulga Muchochoma, Raoul Pillay, Tyler Angell, Angelica Stiskin, and Michael Waldrop. She continues her practice through interdisciplinary exploration and intensive training, attending Adelheid’s Tune-In Intensive and Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz and Contemporary Pre-Professional program. Expanding her practice beyond performance, she has presented original work in TMU’s Choreographic Works series and ventured into film, highlighting her talents in a notable project, Beyond The Lines by Vania DoDoo-Beals and Carleen Zouboules. Through Denise’s creations, she aims to create works rooted in the lived experiences of artists, developing scores that are idiosyncratic and deeply authentic to each individual. At Frog in Hand, Denise is passionate about collaborating with like-minded creatives, drawing inspiration from the unique perspectives and talents each individual brings to the process.

Derek Souvannavong

Derek Souvannavong is a dance artist based in Tkaronto (Toronto). Souvannavong is a graduate of the BFA Hons. Dance Program at York University, receiving several awards for choreography and performance. He has premiered solo work “this identity: woven” co-created in collaboration with Peggy Baker which received a Dora-nomination for Excellence in Choreography. Souvannavong has performed in various works by Danny Grossman, Frog in Hand, Tracey Norman, and other Toronto based companies/artists. Of Lao heritage, Souvannavong is intrigued by traditional Lao dance forms and wishes to continue exploring relations between Lao dance forms and western contemporary dance, weaving together his Lao heritage into his work.

Julia Mak

​Julia Mak (she/her/they) is a passionate, second-generation Chinese-Canadian performer and multidisciplinary dance artist. Constantly challenging versatility and intention, Julia has a strong technical background in ballet, modern, contemporary, and vernacular jazz movement vocabularies. As an interrogative, contemporary artist, she often works in experimental, immersive, and interdisciplinary mediums that combine film, sound, and visual art. Julia’s artistic inspiration stems from her inquisitive nature, intertwining her personal cultural experiences to colour her creative projects. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance Dance with Distinction from Toronto Metropolitan University, and has had the pleasure of working with prominent choreographers such as Alysa Pires, William Yong, Guillaume Côté, Hanna Kiel, and Gioconda Barbuto. Julia has also performed in works presented by Dance Ontario, Paprika Theatre Festival, Common Grounds Dance Festival, Citadel + Compagnie and Fall for Dance North in recent years. Julia hopes to continue her passion for storytelling through dance and strives to share the art form with the community in an accessible and diverse way.

Miah Lewis

Miah Lewis (she/her) is a contemporary dance artist and stage manager based in Tkaronto (Toronto). She graduated from the Dance Performance Program at George Brown College in 2022 and went on to complete a mentorship with Human Body Expression, where she was guided by Heidi Strauss (Adelheid Dance Projects) and Hanna Kiel. While working with Heidi, Miah deepened her understanding of choreography, improvisation, and stage management. Most recently, she completed an internship with Ottawa Dance Directive (ODD), where she expanded her knowledge in Technical Production and Artistic Direction under the mentorship of Technical Director Laura Wheeler, Artistic Director Yvonne Coutts, and Associate Director Lana Morton. Miah’s dance practice has evolved through collaborations with choreographers such as Hanna Kiel, Eilish Shin-Culhane, Maya Santos O’Keefe and Emmett Bradshaw. She is driven by an openness to lifelong learning, both through independent research and collaboration with others. Miah is looking forward to working with Frog in Hand this summer to create meaningful work that connects with audiences.

Raxel Kempenaar

Raxel Kempenaar is an agender (they/he), neurodivergent contemporary dancer, choreographer, and artist. They graduated from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in 2024, earning their BFA in Contemporary Dance Performance and minoring in psychology. They have worked with and performed works by choreographers such as Aszure Barton, Jennifer Archibald, Heather Stewart, and Tricia Dietrick and have presented multiple of their own choreographic works, including an evening length project. They enjoy the idea of play in their movement and choreographic style, and are also heavily influenced by the six senses, especially sight, sound, and touch. Raxel is incredibly excited to be a part of the Frog In Hand Summer Company as they cannot wait to dive into new artistic works and forge new relationships with other amazing Canadian artists.

Samantha Wan

Samantha is a dedicated dancer who is committed to grow and learn within the field of artistry towards her professional journey. She began her dance training at The Dance Institute studying styles such as ballet, concert jazz, hip hop and contemporary. Samantha has developed a technical foundation through determination and hardwork over her 15 years of learning, while also adding movement and emotional quality. 
She trained under Julia Cratchley, Tori Mehaffey, Johanna Bergfelt, Andrew (Pyro) Chung within her years at TDI performing in competitions, community events and participated in multiple media events. Further into her university training, Samantha trained with Tanya Evidente, Vicki St. Denys, Natasha Poon Woo, Rosemary James and Raoul Wike at Toronto Metropolitan University. She learned more towards her repertoire, improvisation, leadership, and self-choreography. 
Being her first year in a professional company, Samantha is extremely excited to see the creative process from a different lens and to collaborate with an amazing cast. She yearns to learn more from each artist and to be a part of an amazing piece for many to enjoy!

Shelby Nilsen

Shelby Nilsen (she/her) is a multidisciplinary dancer, performer, movement artist, and choreographer. Based in Toronto and born and raised on Vancouver Island, B.C., Shelby’s movement practice is shaped by her passion for the intersection of interpersonal relationships, physical expression, and athletic dedication. Shelby recently earned her BFA from the Performance Dance Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. With a foundation rooted in versatility, Shelby’s training encompasses everything from contemporary and ballet, to vernacular jazz, modern, and improvisation, along with street styles, heels, tap, and West African. She has had the privilege of working with choreographers such as Hanna Kiel, Ryan Lee, Susie Burpee, David Norsworthy, Raoul Pillay/Wilke, Esie Mensah, Francesca Chudnoff, and Jac Valiquette. Shelby has trained across Canada with Modus Operandi (BC), DJD (AB), and RUBBERBAND (QC). She also spent two years performing with the Toronto-based company Kode Red. Shelby’s performance credits include NIGHT/SHIFT at the Citadel Compagnie, Canada’s Walk of Fame 2023, and choreographing, dancing, and acting in OTRA VEZ, the official music video for artist ESCO (ft. BEBEBOY). She is thrilled to be spending her summer working with Frog in Hand and looks forward to moving, exploring, and performing alongside such talented, and inspiring artists.