Medhi Walerski became Artistic Director of Ballet BC in 2020. Raised in France, Walerski danced at the Paris Opera Ballet and the Ballet du Rhin before joining Nederlands Dans Theater in 2001. For more than a decade he contributed to NDT’s famed innovative style, and was awarded the Dutch dance prize VSCD Zwaan in 2013. Walerski has created with and performed works by Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, Crystal Pite, Emio Greco, and Johan Inger, among others. Since his choreographic debut in 2008, he has created numerous acclaimed works for NDT and Ballet BC including Petite Cérémonie (2011), Chamber (2012), Garden (2016), SOON (2017), Silent Tides (2020), just BEFORE right AFTER (2022), Pieces of tomorrow (2024), Last light (2025) as well as works for Goteborg Ballet, The Norwegian Ballet, StaatsBallett Hannover, Charlotte Ballet, Bern Ballet, K-Ballet Tokyo, Ballet State of Georgia, TheRoyal Swedish Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and more.

Rae Srivastava fostered his interest in dance from an early age, beginning his training in Austin, Texas with Cheryl Copeland. During high school, as his commitment to dance intensified, he found an equivalent devotion to the humanities. By continuing his education at USC Kaufman, he was able to sustain both of these endeavors, weaving these disparate fields into a cohesive curriculum. Due to a generous scholarship, Srivastavawas afforded the opportunity to earn his Master’s in Legal Ethics while concluding his rigorous B.F.A. studies. Upon graduation, he joined Ballet BC in 2020. During his 5 season tenure with the company, he performed works by Medhi Walerski, Crystal Pite, William Forsythe, Marco Goecke, Sharon Eyal, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, Johan Inger, Imre and Marne van Opstal, Felix Landerer, Roy Assaf, Ethan Colangelo, and many others. Simultaneously, Srivastava pursued freelancing and educational opportunities. In 2021 he performed in Alejandro Cerrudo’s It Starts Now at the Joyce Theater in New York City, later helping stage excerpts of the work at George Mason University. More recently, he’s begun to nurture a passion for teaching, serving on the faculty of the Orsolina28 and Ballet BC 44 summer intensives.

Sarah Pippin is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina. She received her BFA in dance from The Juilliard School, where she was the recipient of the Irving B. and Joan W. Harris Endowed Scholarship and the prestigious Martha Hill Prize. Upon graduation, Pippin joined Ballet BC under the direction of Medhi Walerski. During her five-year tenure, she had the privilege of performing works by Medhi Walerski, Crystal Pite, Sharon Eyal, William Forsythe, Marco Goecke, Johan Inger, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, Felix Landerer, Imre and Marne van Opstal, Roy Assaf and many others. Pippin has since been nurturing her passion for teaching, instructing at Medhi Walerski’s Orsolina28 Intensive and Ballet BC’s 44 Intensive. More recently, she has been working as a freelance artist while staging works at universities and pre-professional programs across the US and Canada.

Rupert Tookey is a former dancer with Scapino Ballet Rotterdam and Nederlands Dans Theater, where he worked with some of the world’s leading choreographers, including Jiří Kylián, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Hans van Manen, and Ohad Naharin. After his performing career, he became Artistic Producer and Curator at NDT and has since staged works internationally by Medhi Walerski, Marco Goecke, Sol León, and Paul Lightfoot.
Holding a Master’s degree in Arts and Cultural Management, Tookey has gone on to shape the international dance landscape through senior artistic and leadership roles, including Interim Managing Director and Director of Artistic Operations at Ballet BC. In his teaching, Tookey brings together his experience as both artist and producer focusing on the connection between movement, creativity, and professionalism, and encouraging dancers to explore their individuality within a collaborative context.