Growing up in Rochester, NY, I started dance and music lessons at age 5. After completing my undergraduate studies at Haverford College in 2002 with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Geology, I headed to New York City to follow my passion for dance. There I trained intensely in modern dance at the Limón Institute, studied anatomy independently with Julliard professor Irene Dowd, attended workshops with many modern dance icons, and worked as an administrator for two modern dance companies. I attended multiple dance performances per week. Simply put, I immersed myself in the mecca of the American dance world.

Having enough of New York City, I moved to Ithaca, NY to attend the Finger Lakes School of Massage. I became a licensed massage therapist in 2007 and worked steadily in the field for 5 years while continuing to teach and dance. In 2012, I earned a Permaculture Design Certificate from the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute also in Ithaca. Driven by the desire to deepen my artistry, I traveled west to attend the University of Colorado, Boulder for my MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography, completed in 2014.