Born in Montreal, Zao Dinel grew up in a family of six that valued sports as well as art. He was home schooled, allowing him to practice men’s artistic gymnastics, swimming and sailing at a competitive level, while studying violin at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal until he was introduced to dance. In 2012, he began his professional training at the École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec and fell in love with dance. Zao is curious, observant and very social. He is full of energy, great enthusiasm and always ready for a challenge, whether it is a new dance style or repertoire he has never experienced. He is driven by three important passions – music, dance and film – and has a strong sense of collaboration. Thus, he finds pleasure in surrounding himself with artists from various disciplines for improvisations or creations. It was during the 2022 edition of Springboard Danse Montréal that Zao was exposed to the repertoire of RUBBERBAND, which he joined in 2022.

Sierra Kellman started her dance training at a local studio in Markham, ON. She continued her pursuit of dance with Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre in Toronto, dancing the works of numerous renowned choreographers such as Ryan Lee, Jennifer Archibald, Hana Kiel, Roderick George, David Earle, Colin Connor and Sylvie Bouchard, on stages across Ontario. Sierra graduated in the Spring of 2022 from the Performance Dance program at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) and has danced in Tkaronto and the surrounding areas for many years. Through her studies, she has had the opportunity to be a part of many performances and dance films by prominent choreographers including Angela Blumberg, Alyssa Martin, Natasha Powell, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber. Sierra has taken part in dance festivals in Toronto including The National Ballet of Canada sharing the stage with Rockbottom Movement (2022) and Fall For Dance North with HOLLA JAZZ (2021). She blends all of her performance, teaching and artistic experiences curating ideas and creating choreography that she hopes to conceptualize as an emerging artist. At the core of Sierra’s artistic practice, she believes it is important to express personal experiences and emotions as a way of showcasing individual identity through contemporary movement.

Wyeth Walker grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he began his training under Denise Wall. This led him to attend the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, where he was able to study with and perform work by Peter Chu, Barak Marshall, Jermaine Spivey, and William Forsythe, among others. After graduating in 2022, Wyeth attended Springboard Danse Montreal. He joined RUBBERBAND in 2022.

Cindy Mateus, from Montreal, trained in rhythmic gymnastics, hip-hop, and contemporary dance, deciding on a dance career after her meeting with choreographer Amy Gardner. She specialized in classical ballet and contemporary dance at L’Académie du Ballet Métropolitain from 2012 to 2018. She stood out in several competitions, winning a first prize in the Youth America Grand Prix (2019), and for two years, was invited to attend the Junior Training Program of the Broadway Dance Center in New York, concentrating on jazz and classical ballet. She then danced for several choreographers at different venues. Among her television appearances, she won the third second season of the Quebec TV dance program, “Révolution”. Cindy teaches dance and has choreographed works for numerous studios and events. She discovered RUBBERBAND during the intensive workshop at Domaine Forget and joined the company in 2021.

Emma-Lynn Mackay-Ronacher resides from small town Kemptville, Ontario, where she started dancing at a local studio before moving to Montreal at the age of 14, to continue her training at L’École supérieure de ballet du Québec. She graduated at the age of 19, after five years in the professional program where she trained in classical and contemporary dance. Upon graduation, Emma began freelancing for renowned choreographers and companies, such as Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, Anne Plamondon Productions, Gioconda Barbuto and Veronique Giasson, among others. Emma-Lynn joined RUBBERBAND in 2021.

Jovick Pavajeau-Orostegui was born in Miami, Florida, and began his formal dance training in Bogotá, Colombia, at the age of 15 under the direction of Jaime Otálora. Later, he attended George Mason University where he received the Kidd/Stearns Dance Talent Scholarship and graduated with a BFA in Dance in 2020. He has attended workshops with RUBBERBAND, VIM VIGOR, David Dorfman Dance and Springboard Danse Montreal under the direction of Alexandra Wells – where he performed work by Lior Lazarof and Johannes Wieland. After graduating in 2020, Jovick moved to New York City where he was an apprentice with David Dorfman Dance. In his time in NYC, he also performed with VIM VIGOR and collaborated with other New York based artists such as Jordan Demetrius Lloyd, Robert Rubama, and Cameron McKinney of Kizuna Dance. Jovick relocated to Montreal in 2021 to join RUBBERBAND.