Guest Artists

Bruce Monk is a former dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) and a graduate of the National Ballet School’s Teacher Training Program. He has choreographed dances performed by both RWB Schools and Company and is pleased to have Ballet Victoria perform his latest work. Bruce is also a gifted photographer; his work has been exhibited worldwide and is included in the permanent collection of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography. He is the recipient of the Hasselblad Award and has had his photography used in films such as Vanilla Sky and Two for the Money.

Sandrine Cassini is currently dancing with Bejar Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland after a working internationally for two decades with several major companies such as the Paris Opera, Monte Carlo Ballet, Zurich Ballet, Manheim Ballet, and in Canada, Ballet BC and Alberta Ballet. She has danced many classical and contemporary lead roles by world-renowned choreographers to rave reviews, and she has taught, coached and choreographed several works at the professional level in Europe and North America. She is thrilled to have created a new work for Ballet Victoria and is looking forward to more collaborations.

Born in Saskatchewan, Shawn began his dance training as a theatre major at the University of Saskatchewan. In 1989 he transitioned into a professional dance career with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company following a three year training period with their professional school. He expanded his artistic development by joining Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal from 1995 until 2003. He furthered his repertoire to include works by other great 20th century choreographers – Kylian, Duato, Limon and Naharin to name a few. In addition to a constant commitment to creating new work, Mr. Hounsell has been involved with teaching and choreographing within many schools and companies in Canada and the U.S.A, as well as presenting commissioned work internationally. In 1997, Shawn was the Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award recipient.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Daniel Jordan studied piano at the Victoria Conservatory of Music under Winifred Scott Wood and is currently a student of Robert Holliston. He also studied piano at York University under Christina Petrowska Quilico. Danny’s experience as an actor and musician led to a focus on opera and ballet. Most recently he was the répétiteur, performance pianist and harpsichordist for Handel’s Giulio Cesare with the Opera Studio in Victoria.

Pablo was Concertmaster of the Victoria Symphony for over 20 years. He has left the post to become Artistic Director and Conductor of the Orchestre Des Concert Diemecke. With the “Orchestre,” Pablo has conducted and performed five Mozart violin concertos and the Sinfonia Concertante, in a series of three concerts, and a Christmas Concert featuring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. His recording of the Carlos Chaves violin concerto with the National Symphony of Mexico was awarded a Gold medal from the Latin Grammy Awards as one of the “Best Classical Albums of the year 2002.” Pablo has toured the Mediterranean, Europe, the British Isles, Iceland, Ireland, Greenland, Norway and Japan, playing a series of concerts with a string quartet in the Grand Princess Cruises’ Princess Theater. Pablo is returning from a short tour with the Artenostra Quartet, having participated in the opening concert of a Mozart Festival in Florida, USA.