Ashley Donahue

Ashley has a unique background that combines social justice advocacy and the performing arts. She is a dancer, choreographer, actor, and producer who has dedicated her life to the studio and stage. In addition to graduating from the University of British Columbia, she has over a decade of experience in social work and victim services, with a focus on Indigenous communities.

While at UBC, Ashley honed her choreography skills by working on musicals such as The Boyfriend, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Crazy For You, Sweet Charity, and Into The Woods. After graduation, she transitioned into solo performance art and created the award-winning burlesque persona Ruthe Ordare. As “Ruthe,” Ashley headlined festivals across North America and co-founded Virago Nation, an all-Indigenous burlesque collective. From 2016 to 2022, she served as the Artistic Director for the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival, advocating for diversity and representation on the burlesque stage.

Ashley’s work as an Intimacy Coordinator and Intimacy Director with Principal Intimacy Professionals has been a significant focus of her career. Ashley has been recognized as Canada’s first Indigenous Wellness Coordinator; through this role she offers culturally based care to all cast and crew, focusing on emotional safety planning and tangible backstage resources. Ashley believes that it is possible to perform challenging cultural content while ensuring storytellers and performers are wrapped in safety.

A proud member of the Mohawk Nation of Six Nations, ON, Ashley currently resides on the traditional lands of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations (also known as Vancouver) with her wife Trish and a sassy little Betta fish named Levi.