Meet Juanita

Juanita Dawn is a puppet maker and puppeteer who lives and works in Calgary, Alberta—the self-proclaimed puppet capital of Canada. Juanita discovered puppetry later in life and has now lived and breathed this art form for over fifteen years. With an insatiable desire to learn, she has cobbled together a vast and ever-growing arsenal of skills and techniques involved in the creation of puppets and masks.

Professional development includes two editions of the Banff Puppet Intensive, then co-facilitated eight more editions of the Banff Puppet Intensive, along side with Peter Balkwill of The Old Trout Puppet Workshop. Participation in the O’Neill Puppet Conference, (https://www.theoneill.org/pup25 )she studied with “Mech Master” Jim Kroupa and Marionette Master Jim Rose. Juanita has also completed extensive training with Icelandic puppet master Bernd Ogrodnik (https://worldsofpuppets.com/ ) the Academy of the Wooden Puppet and the Academy Mastermind Program, where she developed new techniques and became part of a vibrant global community of makers and performers.

Juanita has worked with many theatres and organizations but her true passion lies in creating her own work. Her latest piece called One For Sorrow, Two For Joy has truly brought her much joy. (See Shows for more information) .

Photo by Sean Dennie