Modern and Choreography

Rebecca Whitehurst has worked around the globe as a theater artist—equity actor, dance maker, teacher, writer and director. Currently, she is the Assistant Professor of Practice in Acting, Voice & Movement at NAU.  Beginning her career with Diavolo Dance Theatre, Rebecca Whitehurst worked for over a decade in LA & NYC as a dancer, choreographer and Equity actor. She recently moved from Austin, TX where she taught Modern Dance & Composition at St. Edward's University.

She received a BA in Philosophy (Stanford), MFA Acting (A.R.T. Harvard), and is a CalArts Choreography Alum. While on a Fulbright scholarship to Russia, Rebecca spent a year doing research, guest teaching and choreographing for actors at the Moscow art theatre school.

Curating from her multidisciplinary education and professional experience, Rebecca has created a movement approach to voice & speech for performers called soma esthetic voice. Her research focuses on Russian movement training for the actor, Tanztheater, philosophy & dance, and interdisciplinary collaboration & creation.

Contemporary

Danae Edwards was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She has been dancing for the last eight years, and has been actively choreographing for the last five years. After starting in a church dance group, Danae has been trained in many styles, including ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, Latin, and more. After moving to Flagstaff in 2016, she joined an all girl hip hop dance crew called U.N.I.T.Y., which performs in a yearly Hip Hop convention in Yuma, and headlines in NAU Ethnic Studies Program's Hip Hop Week. With a Group Fitness Certification, she teaches Hip Hop classes for the Academy and NAU Campus Recreation.