Rebecca Arends is originally from the Chicagoland area and began dancing at Denise Sabala Dance Studios in Arlington Heights, IL. She went on to earn a B.A. in History and Afro American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she was a Powers-Knapp Scholar. Following graduation, Rebecca attended The Ailey School under the direction of Denise Jefferson and was awarded the Oprah Winfrey Foundation Fellowship. Ms. Arends has been a member of the Seán Curran Company since 2008 and performs in New York and theaters across the country. Chosen to perform and teach throughout Central Asia as cultural ambassadors of the US State Department, the Company toured Turkmenistan, Kazahkstan and Kyrgyzstan through DanceMotion USA (produced by the Brooklyn Academy of Music). The following year, SCCo embarked upon a U.S. tour of Travel Songs, a collaborative project with British a cappella, Grammy Award winning vocal ensemble, The King's Singers. In 2014, Rebecca founded RAredancework, a non-profit organization, dedicated to the performing arts and her choreography has been presented at Dixon Place and Green Space in New York City. She is also a longstanding member of SAG-AFTRA and continues to work in film and television. Photo Credit: Takao Komaru