Tightrope Founders

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Ali Froggatt is proud to be the founding Artistic Director of Tightrope Impro Theatre as well as a faculty member in the Department of Theatre at Capilano University. As an Alumni of the Loose Moose Theatre Company, founded by Keith Johnstone, Ali has been fortunate to perform and teach on numerous stages across Canada, Norway, Holland, Germany, Czech Republic and the United Arab Emirates. She co-founded and ran the Canmore International Improv Festival from 2016-2018 and has recently joined the Vancouver Improv Festival's organizing team. Ali is lucky to have worked with Rebecca Northan's Spontaneous Theatre on various productions, most notably in the role of Mimi in Blind Date at The Arts Club, The Canada Hub at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and The Globe Theatre.

 Quinn is an alumnus of Loose Moose Theatre in Calgary, has been a member of Rapid Fire Theatre in Edmonton since 2014, and is the Co-Artistic Director of the Canmore International Improv Festival. A year spent working in every department at Alberta Theatre Projects in 2011 instilled in him a keen interest in the organizational side of theatres, and he went on to earn a degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Alberta. He is an actor, writer, and co-founder of Marv n’ Berry - Sketch Comedy, cast member of Off Book The Improvised Musical, and has emceed the dog show at the Calgary Stampede for four years. Since 2015, he has been teaching improv for youth classes at the Citadel’s Foote Theatre School, has been a faculty member of the Rapid Fire Theatre Academy since 2018, and spent two years coaching the University of Alberta improv group. Teaching and performing has brought Quinn from coast to coast in Canada and the United States, around Europe twice, and as far as Dubai. He has created and co-created numerous new shows and formats that have been seen at festivals including: Den Andre Teaterfestivalen (Norway), Wurzburg Impro Fest (Germany), Improvaganza (Edmonton), Vancouver International Improv Festival, Bonfire (Edmonton), San Francisco Sketchfest, Seattle Sketchfest, Edmonton International Fringe Festival, Grindstone Comedy Festival (Edmonton), Montreal Skecthfest, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival (Texas), Philly Sketchfest, Floodwater Comedy Festival (Iowa), Hell Yes! Comedy Festival (New Orleans), SAC Comedy Festival (Sacramento), and Charm City Comedy Festival (Baltimore). He is beyond thrilled in this new position of Executive Director for Tightrope Impro Theatre as the dream of starting a theatre company close to the mountains is beginning to come true.

Aamir Khan's journey on stage started in 1994 when he was at college and explored his creative side with his college troupe Mission Improvable (UMASS, Amherst).  After creating his alter ego(s) Six-Packy and Pakastallion, he took a hiatus from the stage to focus on being an adult (selling towels - YES towels).  In 2010 he joined Canada's Premier Queer Improv Troupe (now QueerProv) and the rest is queerstory. He has honed his Impro skills training with VTS, Instant Theatre IO Chicago,  Musical Improv Elements, and co-created Kiki and Category Is (QueerProv's Festival Signature Formats). Besides being an ensemble member of QueerProv and Dirty Little Secrets, Aamir also is a part of QueerProv Faculty, Vancouver Queer Improv Society Board, and a Professional Actor (TV/FILM).  He is Super Excited to be a part of the next wave of Impro Theatre in Vancouver : TIGHTROPE - as Director of Community Outreach.  He is also a Jedi!

Dan is thrilled to lead Tightrope’s offerings for the Workplace and for Health & Wellness. His passion is to bring learners into the moment together, where co-creation can happen. A graduate of Queen's University Drama (B.A.H) and Artist in Community Education (B.Ed), Dan has been performing and teaching theatre and improv for over twenty years. Using his background as a high school teacher and corporate trainer, Dan loves to apply the concepts of improv to the way teams work together.  Dan has been training professionals in applied improv for the workplace since 2014. As a facilitator with Improv for Business, he has led successful and impactful training for teams from VanCity, Telus, PCL, ReThink, Microsoft, YVR, BC Children’s Hospital, Amazon, and many more organizations in BC and across North America. Dan trained and went on to perform as a mainstage ensemble player at Vancouver Theatresports for seven years and taught improv on the faculty of the Improv Comedy Institute. In 2015, Dan moved to New York City with his husband Jonathan and studied improv with UCB and Annoyance Theatre. There he founded the Dirty Little Secrets Improv show, which still runs monthly in the East Village of Manhattan. Returning to Vancouver, Dan co-founded Momentous Comedy and continues to produce improv shows across the city. Dan serves as the President of the Queer Improv Society of Vancouver where he builds community through improv, guiding the non profit board, directors, and a troupe of over 40 members.  Dan is also a Leadership Communications Consultant with The Humphrey Group and continues to deliver leadership training and executive coaching across the globe to Fortune 500 companies, governments, professional associations, first nations councils, and with Universities including UBC Sauder Executive Education programs. Dan brings the joy he finds in collaborative performance to every training he facilitates. After resisting for a long time, Dan finally created an instagram account for his dog, Kai. @kaidangerfloof 

Sarah Ferguson is a Vancouver based actor, improvisor, and theatre-maker. Her work can be seen in film, television and on stage. She holds a diploma in Theatre Performance from Mount Royal University, and a BFA in Theatre from Simon Fraser University. She was the Volunteer Coordinator and Social Media Manager for the Canmore International Improv Festival, and a founding member of Sour Dog Theatre. Sarah is dedicated to developing exciting programming for Tightrope’s Youth & Teens, as well as working alongside the Improv for Wellness faculty to bring joy and laughter to folks living with compromised brain health. She is inspired by projects that represent her experiences as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and strives to use humour & vulnerability as tools for healing. 

Jeff is a multi-faceted actor, director and teacher with extensive training in improvisation, theatre & film. Born and raised in Treaty 7 land (Calgary) he holds a BFA in Drama from U of C, and was a member of the Loose Moose Theatre Company where he first met and trained with Keith Johnstone. Now living on the Unceded Coast Salish Territories (Vancouver), Jeff is the artistic director of the International Theatresports Institute, and a company member and lead teaching artist with Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival where he has developed curriculum for children, seniors and professional actors. He recently launched a new international online impro project called The Naked Improvisors that was part of the National Arts Centre Canada Performs series. His recent work with Vancouver Opera, The Kettle Society, Vancouver Parks Board and the Carnegie Centre with artists living with mental illness and homelessness has had a huge impact on his teaching practise, leading with empathy and care, and creating a space that is as inclusive and safe as possible. Performance highlights include the feature film Kingsway (TIFF 2018, Leo nomination for Best Supporting Actor), four seasons at Bard on the Beach including the hit productions As You Like It, and Alls Well That Ends Well, and Blanche (New York Musical Theatre Festival, Huffington Post top shows of 2011)