Grande Prairie native Justice Walker. Photo courtesy Instagram @_justicewalker_

By Erika Rolling

Entertainment

Grande Prairie dancer to grace Juno Awards stage Sunday

Mar 28, 2025 | 12:27 PM

Justice Walker, a Grande Prairie native, will be one of many talented performers broadcasted live from the 2025 Juno Awards being held in Vancouver on March 30.

Walker is of Indigenous descent and was born and raised in the Swan City. She has been dancing since a young age, starting under the guidance of Omarla Cooke as a butterfly dancer at the ripe age of two.

She began dancing competitively when she was seven and seriously considered pursuing it after years of professional lessons.

“In high school I started dancing at The Academy, and that was really where I started to realize dance could be something I could do and be part of my career.”

She auditioned for the Harbour Dance Centre’s Intensive Training Program and made the cut, and moved to Vancouver to attend the school in 2018 as a freshly graduated adult.

Walker is now 24, and is Assistant Director and dancer with the Quill Collective, through the Harbour Dance Centre.

She says the opportunity to dance on the Junos stage came through connections in the industry and a very good friend.

“[My friend] submitted me with the choreographer and from there, gave headshots to them, and here we are!”

Walker says she’s only known she will be on stage for the biggest awards night in Canadian music for less then a month.

She says it doesn’t take much time for professionals to learn the choreography flawlessly, with less than a week of rehearsal time in this case.

Walker will be in the combined performance with the Snotty Nosed Rez Kids and Tia Wood.

“I mean performing at something like the Junos, regardless is so incredible, it’s definitely the biggest project I’ve been a part of to date. Also to be able to perform with two Indigenous artists and be apart of an Indigenous cast… just that aspect of it is very, very cool as well.”

Walker notes aspiring dancers from smaller places like Grande Prairie, should not let it hinder their big dreams, as she says her level of confidence came from the people in her time dancing and training here.

“Don’t discredit your abilities or underestimate yourself and what you can do.”

The awards show will be on television on March 30, 2025, airing from 6:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. Alberta time.