Professional Division- core of company

Omaya Ahmad, Rehearsal Director, Principal Dancer, Choreographer in Training - Scottsdale, Arizona - an Arizona native, began dancing at the age of three. Since then, she has had the opportunity to train at several different studios and become skilled in a variety of dance types. She became a company member of AZ Dance Group after performing in a Desert Foothills production with Kenda Newbury and has appeared in every one of the company's shows since its inaugural year, 2004. She is a full time chemical engineer undergrad at Arizona State University and attends under a full scholarship.


Andrea Lasley, Principal Dancer - Desert Hills, Arizona - Phoenix, Arizona - was born and raised in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Andrea joined AZ Dance Group late last season having only recently moved to Phoenix. She received her early dance training from Heidi’s Dance Center until she attended Missouri Western State University. Andrea and was honored to have the opportunity to dance with the university dance company and studied under the artistic direction of Paul Chambers. After college, she danced briefly at the Performing Arts Academy, Legacy School of the Arts, The Legacy School of the Arts Dance Company and with the traditional Greek Company The Glendi Dancers. She is excited and honored to performing with AZDance Group for her second full season.
Hillary Hunter, Pre-Professional / Junior Dancer- Surprise, Arizona - is joining AZDance Group for her second season. Hillary has trained at Take Five and now Glendale Community College. Last spring she was invited to perform with the Liz Lehrman Residency program at ASU and is currently pursuing a college after GCC in which to continue her dance education. She looks forward to another artistically fulfilled season with AZDance Group.

Deserae McCall, Pre-Professional / Junior Dancer, Children's Christmas Company Rehearsal Assistant - Desert Hills, Arizona - Deserae McCall is 19 years old and has been studying dance since the age of two. She has taken ballet, jazz, lyrical, Pointe, tap, hip-hop and modern. She is now teaching at Dynamic Motion Dance Academy and loves it. She has been living in Desert Hills all her life and is currently studying at Paradise Valley Community College for dance. Some of the performances that she has been involved in was the Symphony Hall Nutcracker, The Redlands Annual Liturgical Showcase, Tap West, NAU Madrigal Festival, The 3rd Annual "Step Off" Talent Show, The National Minority Jr. Golf Scholarship Association, and many more performances with AZDance Group. Deserae loves to dance and plans on going to an out of state college majoring in dance

Kenda Newbury, Principal Dancer, Director / Manager, Owner / Founder - Scottsdale, Arizona - was born and raised in Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, Arizona. Trained by Kelly Brown (ABT) of Phoenix School of Ballet, Ms. Newbury danced with Ballet West at the age of 12 and 13. At age 16 she began her own company, using professional and advanced dancers of Phoenix School of Ballet, thanks to Dr. Timona Pittman and the various instructors of the school. Performing in Arizona with her company, Phoenix Ballet and Arizona Metropolitan as well as other studio companies, she also performed and trained at Hubbard Street, Gus Giordano and Chicago Lyric in Illinois, Luigi, Frank Hatchet and Madame Darvash in New York City, Glenda Folk in Arizona, Stanley Holden in California and Jurgen Schneider, Janina Cunova and Audre Deckman Mendal at the Russion Student's & Teacher's Vaganova Seminars in Michigan, amongst other greats. For further details click HERE.
Linda Ramseyer, Principal Dancer, Costume Assistant - Glendale, Arizona - a native Phoenician, started her love of dancing at the age of 6 with Arnora’s Studio. She soon turned her sights to gymnastics and competed 9 years with the Arizona Sunrays and the University of Arizona. Linda holds a BS degree in Civil Engineering and a MBA from Arizona State University. She works at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. Linda took a sabbatical from dance, to raise her family of two children and returned 9 years ago dancing at Dynamic Motion Dance Academy. Dance has always been her first love and she is still going strong. This is her fifth season with AZDance Group.

Nicole Rennell, Principal Dancer, Choreographer in Training, Co-Creator of premiere Domestic Violence - Phoenix, Arizona - began dancing at age three in Phoenix, Arizona and began dancing with AZ Dance Group at age eighteen. The greatest portion of Nicole’s performance experience occurred with the Arizona Sunrays Dance Company, performing at recitals, concerts, sports events, competitions, fairs, and charity functions. Currently, Nicole is a senior at Arizona State University (ASU) and is studying dance as a part of her degree at ASU. During the last year, Nicole studied abroad in South Africa, continuing ballet training, ballroom dancing, and focusing on African dance. While in South Africa, Nicole also taught various age groups in a community program. Nicole would like to thank God, her family, her friends, and Chris (whom she is marrying in March, 2009) for all their love and support.

Samantha Scotto, Principal Dancer - Phoenix, Arizona - With a love for dance and a passion for the stage, Samantha started her dance education at the age of three in Florida with John Mullen Performing Arts Center in Wellington, FL while attending Alexander Dreyfoos School of the Arts, a conservatory for dance and academics. Samantha has studied jazz, ballet, modern, lyrical, tap and acrobatics for over 20 years and was a member of the Boca Ballet Theatre Company. She trained under Dan Guin and Jane Tyree as well as Christopher Fleming, Demetrius Klein, Barbara Riggins, David Morrow and Jeff Satinoff. She danced various corps and lead roles alongside principal dancers, such as Angel Correla from American Ballet Theatre and Heather Sanders from Southern Ballet Theatre in Les Slyphides, The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, Raymunda, Coppeila, Romeo and Juliet, Frankie and Johnny, Giselle, Con Amore, Sleeping Beauty, Serenade and Swan Lake. Samantha attended the University of Dayton, OH as a performing member and choreographer of the Dance Ensemble. She had been teaching at a Scottsdale studio, where her love for children, a passion to teach and need to pass the flame of dance inspired her to open her own studio, Arizona Dance Addiction, in Deer Valley, AZ. Samantha is a qualified member of Dance Educators of America in Ballet and Jazz styles of dance

Stacy Shane, Principal Dancer, Guest Choreographer - Avondale, Arizona - earned her BA in English and Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania and her Masters in Dance Education from SUNY Brockport in New York. Before moving to Arizona, she attended various institutions such as Laban Center for Movement, American Dance Festival, and EastWest Somatics; and she performed for three years with Hallmark Danceworks. This is Stacy’s fifth year teaching Dance at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem, Arizona. She currently enjoys performing with Movement Source Dance Company as well as performing with and choreographing for AZDance Group.

Guest Artists*as of September 15, 2008

Sara Knight, Guest Dancer - Manhattan, New York and Greenwich, Connecticut - was born in England and studied at the Royal Ballet School in London. From there she was invited to study at the famous Kirov Ballet School in St. Petersburg, Russian & was the first English girl to graduate from the Academy. Sara remained in Russia working with the Boris Eifman Company and the Leningrad State Ballet Theatre where she was promoted to soloist. Currently she teaches in NYC & CT and has been guest artist with numerous companies including Boston Ballet, Rebecca Rice Dance, Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, Margot Parsons Dance Company, Northern Ballet Theatre and AZDance Group both in Phoenix and in New York City.

Katherine McDonnell, Guest Dancer & Choreographer, MEM Instructor, Associate Production Manager Assistant - Surprise, Arizona - is originally from Virginia where she studied at Virginia Ballet Company and School. At age 13, she accepted a scholarship to train at the School of American Ballet. Katherine danced with Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, and Ballet Tucson before joining AZDance Group. She performed ballets by renowned choreographers George Balanchine, John Clifford, Vassili Sulich, and Ian Horvath, in addition to works by Peter Martins, and production shows by Emmy Award-winner Michael Darrin. Katherine toured extensively throughout the United States, in Japan, and spent a year in France dancing at the Lido de Paris. She has taught at schools and universities throughout the western United States. This is her fifth year with AZDance Group, this season will be the first time not dancing full-time as principal dancer with the company.

Patty Madden, Guest Dancer - Las Vegas, Nevada - Patty started dancing at a young age, training at various Phoenix studios and colleges, including Scottsdale Community College. She performed with Kenda Newbury as well as several other valley-wide companies and taught dance in Scottsdale and Phoenix. The past 10 years she has been performing in Las Vegas including the Siegrfried and Roy show. Patty is married to Mike Waites

Jeffrey Polston, Guest Dancer & Choreographer - Boston, Massachusetts - born and raised in North Caroline, Jeffrey began his dance training at North Carolina School of the Arts. Upon graduation he joined the Boston-based Impulse Dance Company where he worked with noted choreographers including Donald Byrd and Dwight Rhoden and performed in works by Warren Spears, Rael Lamb, Clovers Mathis, Consuelo Atlas and Fred Benjamin. Mr. Polston was a first company member of Philadanco where he performed works by Milton Myers and Tally Beatty among others. He was a soloist with the New Royal Ballet of York, affectionately known as “The New Boys, a company of men on pointe.” Mr. Polston is an original member of Complexions, a NYC based contemporary dance company directed by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson.

Jennifer Weinberg Seabrooke, Guest Dancer - Dallas, Texas -Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, Jennifer received her early dance training at The Ballet Academy at age six under the direction of Nancy Sulik. Jennifer furthered her dance training and artistic journey by earning a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance, Magna Cum Laude at the University of Arizona , and performed as a member of the U of A Dance Ensemble. Jennifer’s professional experience includes Center Dance Ensemble, Arizona Dance Group, K-Lynn Productions, Sony, and Holland America Cruise Lines. Mrs. Seabrooke resides in Fort Worth, Texas where she is the Jazz Program Director at The Dance Company.

Rebekah Shoaf, Guest Dancer - Colorado - began dancing at the age of 3 ½ at Catherine’s School of Dance in San Angelo, TX, continuing her studies at the Colorado School of Ballet in Denver. She received her pre-professional training at the International Ballet School under Mark and Sandra Carlson and Valentina and German Zamuel and also at Shelly True Dance Academy under Shelly Trujillo, both in Denver. Miss Shoaf has attended various summer intensives including the Vail International Dance Festival Workshop, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, River North Chicago, the International Ballet School and Ballet Magnificat, where she and Ms. Newbury first met. Beka has received various awards at the regional and national level, including second at the Denver Ballet Guild in 2004. Rebekah, a recent dance graduate of the University of Arizona dance program, presently is performing with the Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet in Boulder, Colorado. She also is teaching dance classes in Highlands Ranch. Most recently, Beka married Steven in September 2008 !

Chelsea Speer, Guest Dancer - Kalispell, Montana - Chelsea joined AZ dance group in the Fall of 2005 where she not only danced but helped work with the company’s Movement E-Motion (MEM) group as an instructor as well. Chelsea was raised in Flagstaff, Arizona. She was trained under the Royal Academy of Dancing Method (RAD) since she was three and completed exams through the intermediate level. She attended a performing arts high school where she studied ballet, Pointe, modern, jazz and tap. She has performed in various ballets including The Snow Queen and the Nutcracker. She has her BA in Elementary and Special Education and has taught in Arizona and now Montana to children ages 3 to 18 years of age. She recently joined a modern dance company in Montana called Azure Vision.

Astrit Zejnati – Principal Dancer of Ballet Arizona, Guest Artist Winter 2008 – born Delvine, Albania - Phoenix, Arizona - Mr. Zejnati received his training from the National School of Albania and the University of Oklahoma. He was a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Albania, Miami City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Mr. Zejnati's awards include the gold medal in the 1994 Eastern European Ballet Competition in Kazanluk, Bulgaria and first prize in the 1995 National Ballet Competition in Albania, and in 1998 he was a finalist in the Paris International Ballet Competition. Mr. Zejanti's repertoire includes some of his favorite ballets: Swan Lake, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Esmeralda, Cinderella, Lambarena, Nacho Duato's Rassemblement, and George Balanchine's Agon, Apollo and Theme and Variations. Since joining Ballet Arizona in 2003 Mr. Zejnati has originated principal roles in Ib Andersen's Go With It!, Coppélia, Mosaik, and Play; and danced principal roles in La Sylphide; Ib Andersen's Romeo and Juliet and The Nutcracker, Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Suite, and Dwight Rhoden's Ave Maria. Mr. Zejnati has appeared internationally with National Ballet of Croatia and Jorgen Ballet of Canada.

Apprentice Dancers *as of July 23, 2008
The Junior/Trainee Company/Apprentice Program is for trained dancers that are serious in taking their dancing and dance education further. This is an audition-only position and various responsibilities are expected of each member. Each J/T company member gains exposure to the arts in a unique, positive and challenging environment all while increasing the education, exposure and technical training of the dancer. For serious dancers only, no age requirement but exceptional dance training a necessity. Most J/T members are 13 to 21 years of age. Must have at least 4 years of ballet.

Katherine Gwynn – Pre-Trainee / Trainee
Christopher Hunt - Trainee / Junior
Chelsea Neiss - Junior
Ashley Troxel - Trainee
Erin Miley - Pre-trainee/Children's Co. Member
Maxine Taubman - Pre-trainee/Children's Co. Member

Children's Christmas Company

The Children's Christmas Company (CCC) is an important dance division of the AZDance Group. Children, age 5 and up, with at least one year of dance training, receive exceptional performing experiences and additional dance training in a challenging and professional environment. A company based in ballet, they gain further dance training in all styles by learning and performing ballet and jazz routines. The Children's Christmas Company performs with the company in the large-scale production of the Christmas Dance Concert. Other performances include festivals, parades, galas, nursing homes, seniors centers and other events.

Audrey Caldwell *

Alexia Caldwell

Jordan Jennings

Erin Miley

Shaeleigh O'Brien *

Maxine Taubman

Anjali Wilson

Paige Wilson *

* honorary members

Movement E-Motion (MEM) Program

Movement E-Motion (MEM) is a dance program for individuals with different abilities which provides artistic physical activity, movement, expression and dance. We cater to young adults age 13 and up to seniors with Down Syndrome, Autism and those with physical challenges. Exceptional opportunities await registered participants. Registration is mandatory. Click the above link for details on the program.

The MEM program is partially supported by:

- The Rotary Club of Anthem

- Friends of AZDance Group and Kenda Newbury

- The Arizona Dance Addiction dance studio in Phoenix, Arizona

- The MEM program has been primarily supported by the Molly Lawson Foundation and the Arizona Community Foundation since its inception, September 2005.

This program stresses healthy living, exercise and classical AND proper dance technique. The program also provides each individual an outstanding arena for integration and socialization where self-pride and self-worth is evident. Classes are taught by dance professionals of AZDance Group and directed by Kenda Newbury.

Fall 2008 Semester I MEM Participants include

**as of September 14, 2008

Katie Carroll

Tham Carroll

Michael Cholodewitsch

Dana Dumaplin

Christina Glenn

Annie Perry

Jeffrey Reed

Justin Shaddy

Movement E-Motion Instructors / Past and Present

Kenda Newbury - MEM Creator/Director, Lead Instructor, Instructor/Demonstrator Trainer

Janelle Fritz - MEM Instructor, Director of Desert Foothills Dance (Cave Creek, Arizona)

Katherine McDonnell - MEM Instructor

Jennifer Seabrooke - MEM Instructor

Chelsea Speer - MEM Instructor

Current Assistants / Stage Helpers

Hiroko Perry - Classroom and Stage Helper, Mother of Annie

Christopher Hunt - Classroom Assistant, Stage Helper

Ashley Troxel - MEM Performance Manager Assistant, Stage Helper

Chelsea Neiss - MEM Stage Helper

Community Performers*as of July 23, 2008

Individuals interested in performing but have no prior dance training - bringing the community into the dance world and introducing an additional educational component to the communities at large
Troy Hamblin - Glendale, Arizona
Rod Lasley - Tramonto, Arizona
Tylor McCall – Desert Hills, Arizona
Paul O’Brien – Phoenix, Arizona
Chris Person – Tempe, Arizona

AZDance Group's Educational Programs are:

Professional Division- core of company

Guest Artists*as of September 15, 2008

Community Performers*as of July 23, 2008

Community Education Outreach Program (CEOP)

This program is available for enrolled high school dance students. Applications, viewings of students and selections begin October with final decisions come January. Students selected would begin to work with AZDance early Spring.

Contact the Director

All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2002-2008 AZDance Group / Movement E-Motion™© / Kenda Newbury

Photograph credits: Patty Kaufman, ItsUPhoto, Phoenix & Steve Watson, Phoenix