“Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction” - Rumi

Biography

Jill Henis is an international dance artist, creator, rehearsal director, dramaturge, educator, and mentor originally from Vancouver, Canada (Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations), currently based in Edmonton on Treaty 6 Territory, where she is actively immersing herself in the local arts community. Her career spans over three decades across classical ballet, contemporary dance, theatre, and interdisciplinary creation.

Training
Jill received her early training at The San Francisco Ballet School, L’École Supérieure de Danse du Québec, The Boston Ballet School, The Banff School of Fine Arts, Ballet BC’s inaugural apprentice program (Barry Ingham, Director), and The Dance Gallery under Grant Strate and Earl Kraul.

 Performance & Collaboration

Her performance career spans work with Ballet Nacional de Cuba, San Francisco Ballet, Evergreen City Ballet (USA), Chrissie Parrott Dance Company (Australia), and Big Soul Productions for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. She has toured throughout Southeast Asia with choreographer Robert Gulliam and has had the honour of sharing the stage with extraordinary artists such as Margie Gillis, Emily Molnar, and Crystal Pite. 

 Choreography & Direction
In 2009, Jill founded mixOLOGYdanceMine, a not-for-profit contemporary company based in Saskatoon and later Calgary, AB. As Director and Lead Choreographer, she developed original work, directed rehearsals, mentored artists, and oversaw company operations. The company partnered with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks and choreographed for the 2010 Winter Olympic Torch Ceremony.

Following mixOLOGYdanceMine, she founded Project 404, a creative hub for multidisciplinary and international collaboration. Projects include How I Wish to Tell You and The Presence Project 0.1, developed in residencies across Canada, Europe, and the USA.

Her choreography has been presented at BC Buds, MovEnt’s Dances for a Small Stage, the Alberta Dance Festival, the Broadway Theatre, Dance on the Saskatchewan/Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, Vancouver’s 12 Minutes Max, Persephone Theatre’s Little Women (Dir. Johnna Wright), The Grand Theatre, Springboard Performance’s Fluid Festival and Front Lawn Dances, and Telus Spark’s Junkyard Symphony.

Teaching & Mentorship

Jill has taught and shared her practice internationally. She has served on the faculty of Harbour Dance Centre (Vancouver) and as an Adjunct Professor of Contemporary Dance at Point Park University (Pittsburgh, USA), and has been invited as a guest teacher with a wide range of companies and institutions. These include Rambert Company (London,UK), Ballet Edmonton, Tanzcompagnie Mainfranken (Germany), Ballet BC, Henny Jurriëns Studio (Amsterdam), Belle Spirale Dance Projects (Vancouver), Contemporary Dance Wyoming (Jackson Hole, USA), STAYCEE PEARL dance projects and Soy Sos (Pittsburg, USA), Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (Calgary), and Good Woman Dance Collective (Edmonton, Canada), among others.

 Philosophy & Practice
Guided by curiosity and a commitment to growth through experience, Jill engages deeply with new communities and cultures—embracing their challenges, uncertainties, and beauty. Her work reflects a multifaceted study of the body, combining traditional methodologies with instinctive and holistic practices that balance rigour, intuition, and transformation.

Current Work 

Since relocating to Edmonton, Jill has worked with the artists of Ballet Edmonton as a guest rehearsal director and Community Dance Facilitator, while continuing to immerse herself in the city’s broader dance and movement landscape. Her recent engagements include guest teaching both locally and internationally, including work with the Alberta Ballet School—contributing to the Affiliates Program and Adult Community classes—as well as a return to the UK as a guest teacher with Rambert.

Alongside these roles, Jill has independently hosted classes and workshops at local institutions such as Mile Zero Dance and Good Women Dance Collective. She also co-facilitates We Move, an open, series-based training initiative designed to complement and support Edmonton-based professional dance artists.

Guided by a deep care for connection, Jill is committed to building meaningful relationships wherever she works—contributing to both the vitality of the art form and the people it serves.