Larissa Josephn

Larissa Joseph is an accomplished Canadian ballerina and contemporary artist from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She joined Complexions Contemporary Ballet in 2015 and has since received critical acclaim for her performances in the works WOKE and LOVE ROCKS during her seven seasons with the company. Currently, Mrs. Joseph serves as an Artist in Residence and an instructor of the Nique technique at Complexions Academy.

Mrs. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Fordham University and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, with additional training from Alonzo King LINES Ballet, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Quintee Ballet School of Canada.

Her work has been featured in renowned publications, including The New York Times, Pointe Magazine, and Dance Spirit Magazine. She is a sponsored ambassador of Gaynor Minden pointe shoes.

Throughout her tenure with Complexions, Mrs. Joseph has contributed to several notable projects. She appears in the poignant dance film Black Is Beautiful, which pays homage to the lessons learned from the global pandemic and the BLM social movement, premiering on YouTube in 2021. Additionally, she participated in the off-Broadway collaboration Mozart: Her Story, directed by Stephanie Klemons and written by Tegan Summer, which debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2023 and premiered in London's West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2024. She also performed as a guest artist during The Arpino Centennial Celebration, where she danced Gerald Arpino’s Valentine alongside Fabrice Calmels of the Joffrey Ballet and Charles Paul, principal bassist of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Mrs. Joseph is a passionate educator and mentor, having conducted lectures and master classes across the United States, in the Bahamas, and Canada. As an ambassador of Complexions' Nique, she is honored to teach and stage company repertoire during Complexions Academy’s annual summer and winter intensives. She has also led pre-professional residency programs at esteemed institutions, including American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, Humboldt State University, Penn State University, University of Southern California, and Howard University, where she currently serves as the Coordinator of the Dance Program.

In her role at Howard University, Mrs. Joseph has helped to integrate Complexions Academy’s unique approach to dance education, including the re-staging of Black Is Beautiful for the university’s dance program. The ballet has since been performed at prestigious venues such as The Joyce Theater, International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference, and the John F. Kennedy Center For the Performing Arts.

Through her extensive career as a dance artist and educator, Mrs. Joseph continues to dedicate her life’s work to bringing a modern relevance to the art of ballet.

@larissa.i.joseph