A pair of twin teen dancers are back home in Edmonton after their award show debut and are sharing their Hollywood experience with local talent. Edmonton dancers and choreographers Ethan and Ayden Valdriz are just 19 years old but have already found success as professional dancers in Los Angeles, Calif. The pair most recently performed in an ensemble with Swedish Rapper Yung Lean at the 2026 Video Music Awards (VMAs), where they met Madonna and Charlie XCX. A video of the performance racked up more than eight million views in eight days. The brothers called the opportunity a dream come true. “I couldn’t imagine my life without dance, and so to be able to do a big award show like that and make it a career is really exciting,” Ethan said. “I literally messaged my mom right away. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! Like my biggest dream came true,’” said Ayden. “It’s our first big job,” he added. “Being able to do it together, we get to share the experience and make our family proud.” The brothers were in different lines on stage, each with their own choreography that needed to be completely in sync to create the on-stage illusion. “They really have to count on us to make the vision come to life,” Ethan said. “And there was a lot of pressure because the main intention was to prove to the world that we don’t need AI (artificial intelligence) as artists to make such a broad and amazing number.” While the VMAs were the biggest opportunity the pair has landed so far, they have been travelling to work in L.A. since they were 10 years old. “When we started dancing [in L.A.], it sparked something in us,” Ethan said. “Seeing dancers pursue their dreams within dance, we knew that that’s what we wanted to do as well.” “It really has never been about competition for us. It’s more about the love and passion for it.” Five years ago, they started F.I. Company at Kore Dance Studio in Edmonton, where they have been sharing their passion and experience with their troupe. “We actually started at 14, which inspires a lot of the younger dancers to start creating and achieving their own art, ” Ayden said. “To go to L.A. and get these opportunities, and then come back here, it inspires a lot of them.” “When we come back to our company, we feel at home,” Ethan said. “It’s really nice for our students, too, because we learn things in L.A. and we take classes because as much as we are choreographers, we’re still students and dancers, and we want to bring that back to home.” In July, the twins and F.I. Company were awarded top place in the junior division at the Release Dance Competition. The brothers will premier the company’s sixth season with a Halloween Monster High performance at Orange Hub Theatres on Oct. 26. Tickets are available on Showpass. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti
