Known as “Ms. Kenda” or “Ms. Newbury”, Kenda was formerly trained by Kelly Brown and the Phoenix School of Ballet, holds an MFA from the Boston Conservatory and is Artistic Director of AZDance Group, a professional contemporary ballet, jazz and modern dance company. Ms. Newbury has been dancing and working in the field of dance professionally for over 25 years.

Known to her former students as “Ms. Kenda”, many of her students are performing professionally with Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, Boston Ballet, Ballet Arizona, Pacific Northwest Ballet, American Repertory Theatre, University of Arizona, and Hubbard Street Dance Company, on Broadway, in music videos or on concert tours. She has taught at numerous professional dance training facilities, university dance departments and private dance studios in the U.S. and Europe, including Boston Ballet, Boston College, Phoenix School of Ballet, Ballet Arizona, The Studio in Sydney, and Pineapple Studio in England.

Her performance career is varied; from classical ballet companies (Ballet West, Chicago Ballet, Ballet de Americas) to cruise ships and jazz dance companies to commercials and television. Choreographically she has credits that include Pilgrimage 2000/Jars of Clay concert (audience of 35,000 with over 2 million television viewers), Super Bowl XXX Half Time with Diana Ross and Radio City Productions, Equestrian Events, Synchronized Swim Teams, Winter Guards, musicals (community, college and professional), commercials, industrials, conventions, movies and television shows and concert dance works. She is a dance and equestrian judge, freelance master instructor and an avid painter, photographer and equestrian (dressage, hunter/jumper and cutter).

Kenda Newbury is Performing Arts Chair of Anthem Festival of Fine Art 2006/2007, Performing Artist Coordinator Anthem’s Music in May 2006/2007 Concert Series, Vice President and Board Member of the Arts Council of the North Valley, Regional Director of the Southwest for the International Sacred Dance Guild, Advisory Board Member for Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, Lifetime member of SAI, Member of Arizona Dance Coalition, Boston Dance Alliance, Alliance for Audience, United States Dressage Federation and American Quarter Horse Association and mother to Shaeleigh, her two-year old daughter.

Currently, she coaches young-upcoming dancers back East, choreographs, runs her company AZDance Group, performs, teaches part time at DMDA and teaches and directs her Movement E-Motion dance program, a program for individuals with disability. For further information please visit www.azdance.org or reach her at (480) 215-1916.