Mikaela Wangsgaard

Mikaela Wangsgaard is the current Company Director of Ballet Wichita, where she dedicates herself to making significant strides in advancing the company’s artistic vision and community impact. In 2024, she helped establish the first Professional and Pre-Professional Ensemble for Ballet Wichita, a pivotal initiative that reflects her commitment to nurturing emerging talent in the ballet community. Most recently, she choreographed Ballet Wichita’s 2024 production for Ballet in the Park, titled “Once Upon a Time,” showcasing her innovative approach to storytelling through dance.

Previously, Mikaela served as the Interim Artistic Director for the Gold Canyon School of Ballet in 2022, where she played a key role in developing their programming and fostering artistic growth among students. Her creativity and leadership were further showcased through her role as Director of Choreography and Film for the full-length evening production of “An Angel Beside Me” from 2021 to 2022, and as Director of Choreography for the dance film “Placement/Dis-placement” in 2020.

Mikaela’s international experience includes directing choreography for media installation projects presented at the prestigious Villa Romana in Italy in 2020, and she was the Director of Ballet Choreography for the U.S. premiere of the Ukrainian Opera Ballet, “The Heart of Oksana,” in 2019. Additionally, she served as the Associate Artistic Director of the Panoramic Celebration Dance Festival in 2019, a festival aimed at providing underprivileged dance groups a platform to showcase their work in Tempe, Arizona.

An advocate for equity in the arts, Mikaela has actively collaborated on several research publications and books addressing dance ethics, with a focus on racism in higher education dance programs and the treatment of dancers within companies. She holds a BFA in Dance Education, underscoring her dedication to both the art form and its educational aspects.

With her extensive experience and innovative approach, Mikaela Wangsgaard continues to inspire both dancers and audiences, solidifying her role as a dynamic leader in the ballet community.