{"id":1722,"date":"2024-01-17T23:31:22","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T23:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canyonmovementcompany.org\/cmc\/?page_id=1722"},"modified":"2025-07-25T20:02:36","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T20:02:36","slug":"the-dancers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/canyonmovementcompany.org\/cmc\/the-dancers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dancers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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2025 Season<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The Dancers<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Canyon Movement Company<\/h1>\n\n\n
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Current Company Dancer Biographies<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Breanna Lengyel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Assistant Artistic Director, Choreographer, and Dancer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breanna Lengyel <\/strong>is a health and wellness coach, specializing in mindfulness meditation and yoga. She has managed a variety of yoga programs at studios & other venues around Flagstaff, and provides private and small group coaching sessions in different styles of yoga<\/em> & meditation, as well as beginning level dance & acro yoga. She has taught yoga at large-scale events including yoga at Michael Franti concerts. Originally from California, Breanna received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego and enjoys helping others process their feelings and\/or trauma through movement. Breanna has been dancing a variety of styles off-and-on since she was fifteen years old<\/em>, including ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop, but fell in love with contemporary-modern as an adult dancer, for its freedom of expression. <\/em> <\/em>In addition to managing the company, Breanna is also the Vice President on the Board of Directors for Canyon Movement Company. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Natalie Jones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Choreographer & Dancer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natalie Jones <\/strong>is currently a PhD student and graduate research assistant in the department of Astronomy and Planetary Science at Northern Arizona University. She grew up in Gainesville, FL and received her BA in Geology at the University of Pennsylvania. She started dancing at age 3 and trained primarily in ballet and jazz until college, where she fell in love with modern dance.  She first joined Canyon Movement Company in 2017. In addition to acting as the President of the Board, she also dances and choreographs with CMC.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Kelsie King<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Choreographer & Dancer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelsie King <\/strong>began dancing and choreographing in high school. Her formal training has primarily been in ballet, but she joined CMC in Spring 2024 to experience and learn different styles of dance to incorporate into her choreography. She loves expressing her creative side through dance. Outside of the dance world, she is a researcher in Psychology at NAU and in her free time, she also enjoys painting, skiing, and plant husbandry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Moriah Heberer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Choreographer & Dancer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moriah Hebere<\/strong>r started dancing at age three in her hometown of Post Falls, Idaho. She danced at Expressions School of Performing Arts through age 18, and was a member of their competitive team for 11 years. Throughout her first years of college she performed in the dance ensemble for a handful of theatre shows, and then finished out college at Boise State University where she earned a Bachelors in Media Production and a Minor in Dance. After college, Moriah returned to her home studio as a coach and a choreographer, teaching multiple styles including Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Contemporary, and Hip Hop. During her time coaching, she also got the opportunity to choreograph for a Radio City Rockettes inspired Christmas show. She then moved to Flagstaff in August 2024 where she joined Canyon Movement Company. Moriah is so grateful to be a part of CMC and have an outlet to continue dancing and creating!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Madeline Tilley<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Choreographer & Dancer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Madeline Tilley<\/strong> was born and raised in North Carolina. She has been dancing since the age of three and has never stopped moving. She attended the North Carolina School of the Arts (now UNCSA), where she studied contemporary dance throughout high school.
She continued to perform with the dance department at Appalachian State University were she graduated with her BS in Nursing and BA in Spanish. 
Her husband and she landed in Flagstaff, AZ on a travel nurse assignment & fell in love with Northern AZ! Her journey in healthcare continued at Grand Canyon University, where she received her Master of Science in Nursing. Today, she is proud to serve as a family nurse practitioner in Primary Care in Flagstaff, Arizona.
She has performed in guest pieces in 2 other CMC shows in the past and is excited to officially be a member of the company this year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Rachael Kamma<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Choreographer & Dancer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rachael Kamma <\/strong>has been expressing herself through movement for as long as she can remember. From choreographing dances in high school to performing as a cheerleader, movement has always been her favorite language. Her passion evolved into a deeper mind-body connection through yoga, leading her to become a certified Vinyasa Flow instructor and yoga retreat leader. Drawing from her background in dance, cheer, and spiritual wellness, she blends fluidity, strength, and emotion into each performance and class. Whether on the mat or the stage, Rachael aims to inspire others to move with authenticity, joy, and presence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Mandy Valadez<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dancer <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mandy Valadez <\/strong>was born and raised in Texas. A cowgirl at heart, Mandy has been dancing and moving since she was a child\u2014long before she ever knew how healing and powerful it could truly be. Movement has always been a source of confidence, self-expression, and self-love in her life. With a strong background in holistic healing and energy work, Mandy brings a heart full of purpose and a deep respect for movement as medicine. Mandy is honored to be part of CMC, which she considers to be an incredible dance company whose mission aligns so closely with her own: to uplift, empower, and create safe spaces for all. Above all, She is a proud mama to two beautiful children who continue to inspire her journey with love, purpose, and joy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Lauren Ellsworth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dancer <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lauren Ellsworth<\/strong> began her formal dance training in Arizona under the Royal Academy of Dance. She went on to study dance at The University of Utah. There, she worked alongside Repertory Dance Theatre and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. After college, Lauren moved to Chicago, Illinois where she was a trainee at Visceral Dance under the direction of Cait Cucchiara. She is excited to join CMC and become connected to the Northern Arizona dance community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Jennifer Dorn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dancer <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jennifer Dorn <\/strong>more info <\/strong>coming soon…<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Founders & Emeritus <\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Founding & Emeritus Dancer Biographies<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Gina Darlington<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Founder & Executive Director<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gina has traveled to Ireland, Italy, Cuba, and throughout the southwestern United States, where she and the company have performed and taught. She has performed in multiple dance companies in Utah, Missouri, Nebraska, and Arizona. Gina was an Artist-in-Residence for the state of Arizona for several years & was the Director of Canyon Dance Academy in Flagstaff, AZ for twenty years. She was on faculty at Coconino Community College for twenty-three years and was also a guest teacher at the American College Dance Festival. Gina choreographed for Northern Arizona University Theater. She received her dance degree from Brigham Young University. Gina is also on the board of the Arizona Dance Coalition.  She served on the Arizona Department of Education (DOE) Committee to re-write the Arts Standards, and the Arizona DOE National Content Review Committee for Arts Assessments.  Gina keeps busy with her family including her fifteen beautiful grand-kids.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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 Jayne Lee<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Founding Co-Director<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jayne Lee has choreographed more than 100 dances for companies worldwide. Classically trained as a dancer in London at The Place and at Juilliard in NYC, Jayne also danced and choreographed for London Contemporary Dance Theatre for 10 years and toured internationally. Jayne co-founded and co-directs both Human Nature Dance Theatre, a collaborative, interdisciplinary performance collective, and Canyon Movement Company. Jayne was an associate faculty member at Coconino Community College and she choreographs regularly for Northern Arizona University’s theatre department. She has been an Artist-in-Residence for Arizona Commission on the Arts and is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner\u00ae<\/em>, with a private practice, and assists in the official London Feldenkrais training. Outside of the dance world, Jayne serves on the Board of Grand Canyon River Guides & still works on the river in the summers. Bringing her two worlds together, Jayne produced and directed the film DanceDownRiver, a tribute to wildness and water, filmed on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Kristen McBride<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Founding Co-Director, Emeritus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kristen McBride is a founding member of Canyon Movement Company. She has danced with several modern dance companies & choreographers, including Funhouse Movement Theatre, Semaphore ZUZI! Move IT!, and with Liz Casebolt & Carly Condor. She was a guest choreographer for “Poetry in Motion” in Wexford, Ireland in 1997. Kristen received a Masters in Range Science and Management from the University of Arizona in 2001 and now works with her husband Scotty, for the US National Forest Service in Bend, Oregon. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Amanda Kapp<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Video Dance Creator<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amanda Kapp <\/strong>danced with Canyon Movement Company for several years before developing an interest in creating video dance.  Her recent piece \u201cSequential\u201d won Audience Choice for the Northern Arizona Film Festival and has been shown in film and dance festivals across Arizona as well as at the International Dance Film Festival in Burgundy, France.  She is extremely appreciative of all the support and creative nurturing from CMC across the years.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2025 Season Canyon Movement Company Current Company Dancer Biographies Breanna Lengyel Assistant Artistic Director, Choreographer, and Dancer Breanna Lengyel is a health and wellness coach, specializing in mindfulness meditation and yoga. She has managed a variety of yoga programs at studios & other venues around Flagstaff, and provides private and small group coaching sessions in different … <\/p>\n

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