Brenna McLaud-Bichara

Brenna McLaud-Bichara is a professional choreographer, dance educator, adjudicator, and studio owner whose career reflects a dynamic evolution from jazz and musical theatre into modern and contemporary dance, and ultimately into mentorship and leadership within the dance industry. She trained at some of North America’s most respected institutions, including The Ailey School, the New York Institute of Dance and Education, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Giordano Dance Center in Chicago, where she trained on scholarship as the youngest recipient in the company’s history.

Early in her artistic development, she was also the recipient of the Carmen de Lavallade Fellowship Award, presented by NYIDE Director Sean McLeod and Carmen de Lavallade herself. She later earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts, where formative artistic highlights included performing works by Serge Bennathan, Paul-André Fortier, and Emily Molnar.

Brenna began her professional career in jazz and musical theatre with a two-year tour with RCL Productions, performing in Broadway productions including Tommy, Hair, Bob Fosse’s Sweet Charity, and Grease, before expanding into the worlds of modern and contemporary concert dance through work with Wen Wei Dance, dancersdancing, Full Performing Bodies, and MOVE: the company, founded by Joshua Beamish, who now serves as the artistic director of Ballet Vancouver, Vancouver’s first classical ballet company.

A defining thread throughout her career has been her deep commitment to Horton technique. Brenna has taught Horton for more than 20 years, having attended the Horton Pedagogy Program three times under the guidance of Ana Marie Forsythe, and is currently completing The Ailey School’s Ailey Teacher Certification Program: Ailey Horton Technique under the mentorship of Tracy Inman, co-director of The Ailey School and director of the certification program.

As an educator and studio owner, she is known for her ability to challenge dancers with rigor, commitment, and deep care, helping young artists move through blocks, discover resilience, and grow not only as dancers but as people. Through adjudication, master teaching, and her leadership of The Landing Dance Centre, Brenna continues to create a space where excellence and personal growth go hand in hand.