I began my professional dance career as a founding company member of Rochester City Ballet (formerly Draper Dance Theater) under the artistic direction of Timothy Draper. While I had every intention of continuing in this profession, at 19 years old I made the difficult decision to leave dance and pursue other academic and career interests. I completed a BA in Psychology and a Masters in Social Work and began working in the mental health field. Shortly after I began my clinical work, I joined the faculty at the Timothy M. Draper Center for Dance Education. In 2005, after working as a psychotherapist for 10 years, I realized I wanted to focus more on dance and teaching. Through a series of events, I was offered an adjunct lecturer position at The College of Brockport and then everything rapidly changed in my life. I returned to graduate school to pursue an MFA in Performance and Choreography and began to forge my path in dance again. I have had amazing opportunities to perform with Bill Evans Dance Company, Present Tense Dance, Biodance, and Anne Burnidge and Dancers. I also appeared as a guest artist with Heather Roffe and Treeline Dance and through various intensive training programs and residencies, have performed works by Larry Keigwin, Mariah Maloney, Marina Mascarell, Paul Selwyn Norton, Doug Varone, Mark Morris, Heidi Latsky, and José Limón. I have choreographed works for several universities and created KDiehl Danceworks, a project-based company, ultimately presenting at the national and international level. Some of the highlights of my performance/choreography career include opportunities to perform at Jacob's Pillow for two summers as a member of the Bill Evans Dance Company and presenting/performing my work during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017. In March 2019, I was honored to have my piece, Inner Workings, presented during the ACDA Northwest Regional Gala Concert at University of Utah and in June 2019, I received the top award for choreography for Triangulation from the Body Logic Dance Festival in Salt Lake City, UT. I have been teaching in higher education for the past 15 years, in both full and part-time positions. During that time, I completed certifications in Laban Movement Analysis (CLMA), Health/Wellness Coaching, Bil Evans Technique, Yoga, and Mat Pilates. In 2020, I became a Registered Somatic Movement Educator (RSME) and started Soma-Centered Coaching, offering embodiment coaching to individuals and groups. In July 2021, I relocated to Colorado where I continue to expand my scholarship in the areas of somatic dance pedagogy, leadership, and performance/creative practice as an Assistant Professor of Dance and Director of the Dance Program at Colorado Mesa University.
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