Derek Wippel
Apprentice
Joined KCB in 2025
Derek Wippel is a native of Pickerington, Ohio, and began his formal ballet training at the BalletMet Academy. In 2022, he moved to Houston to join the Houston Ballet professional training division, under the direction of Claudio Muñoz. In 2023, Wippel relocated to Chicago to join the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company for two years, working under the guidance of Ogulcan Borova and Raul Casasola. Wippel has had the opportunity to perform in various ballets, including Stanton Welch’s Bruiser, Liam Scarlett’s Frankenstein, Gerald Arpino’s Kettantanz and Reflections, and was a part of the American premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Wippel is incredibly excited for his first season with Kansas City Ballet.
