Desiree Manning

Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Desirée Manning began her training at the age of three. From the offset she displayed both strength and an incredible work ethic, which she has since carried into her professional career.

Growing up, Desirée studied Jazz, Modern, Cecchetti Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Tap. She has trained throughout Canada, London, Australia, and the United States. Desirée expanded her training to aerial and ground acrobatics at Surrey’s Circus Lab. She joined their intensive program and instantly fell in love with both the trapeze and tumbling.

At eighteen years old, Desirée was hired for her first contract with Disney Cruise Lines. She has now completed four contracts with Disney Cruise Lines, performing in Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin on both a dancer track and as the tumbling Magic Carpet. Desirée was also selected as bounty hunter Zam Wessel for Star Wars day at sea, and for the lead in Jesse Robb’s Special, An American in Paris, in which she played Lise Bouvier.

Most recently, Desirée worked on the television series Grease: Rise of the pink Ladies (Paramount+) in a recurring dancer role. A career highlight was for Oriental Land Company in Tokyo, Japan, where she performed as Ariel in the King Triton Concert, flying over 700 audience members in a 360 degree theatre. In addition to being Ariel, Desirée lent dance and motion capture to a Barbie animated feature, and worked in a music video for Bleed the Future as a stunt performer. Other credits include: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix) and Descendants (Disney), directed by Kenny Ortega.

Desirée is also a Triple Threat Dance Convention tour assistant, working closely with the founders Kelly Konno, Dorie Lazaroff, and Carolina Lancaster. She has also worked with Tara Jean Popowich, Christina Woodard, Christie Lee Manning, and Joceyln Peden.

Despite Desirée’s extensive dance background, she is more than a dancer. She has performed in various disciplines such as trapeze in Jazz House Theatre’s Welcome to the Grand in London, U.K, as a silk artist with Blink Acro in the Chilliwack Symphony Orchestra’s, and Singing Christmas Tree on Tissu. Desirée has blended acrobatics into dance, and dance into aerial work, creating her own unique style of performance.

Like a chef seeking new ingredients, Desirée is currently expanding her horizon by taking acting, singing, and martial arts classes in Vancouver B.C.