Directors

Mary Anne Fernandez-Herding

Mary Anne is the director and founding member of The Movement Source Dance  Company. Her professional background encompasses dance, arts administration, program development, choreography and teaching. She currently chairs the Dance Department at Xavier College Preparatory where she established the program/curriculum in 2002.  She holds a BFA in Dance and Secondary Education from Arizona State University, as well as an MA in Dance/Drama from the University of Arizona, specializing in dance for the deaf community. She recently created and implemented guiDANCE, a mentoring program for serious dance students to connect with touring, professional dance artists. She is a native Arizonan and an active member of the local arts community. Mary Anne enjoys the diversity each season brings, and is grateful to be able to direct and dance with such an amazing, vivacious and authentic group of dancers, in Movement Source!

Susan Pine-Harris

Susan holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona and an MFA in Dance from Arizona State University. Susan has been very fortunate being surrounded by a group of loving Dancers for the past 30 years she has been with the company. There have been many choreographers that she has had the privilege to work and dance with. All of these have helped her continue to learn and grow as a dancer/choreographer/ teacher/ woman.  Ellis Wood, Brad Garner, Fred Darsow, Mary Fitzgerald, Mary Ann Herding, Karen Schupp, Chad Michael Hall, amongst many others. All of these amazing people have come through the door of Movement Source and she is truly grateful for the opportunities she has with her dance family.

DANCERS

Omaya Ahmad

Omaya, an Arizona native, has enjoyed dancing with Movement Source since 2011. She also choreographs and performs with AZDance Group. A proponent of technical studies and fields, dance has always been her artistic outlet. She holds a BSE in chemical engineering, a PhD in Sustainability from Arizona State University and works in State Regulation and Compliance at Arizona Public Service.

Thomas Blee-Carlyle

Originally from San Diego, California, Thomas graduated with a BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona. After an injury, Thomas parted ways from dance to breathe life into his life-long passions of art and painting, following in his mother’s brushstrokes, Barbara Blee Carlyle, an internationally recognized painter. He worked at the Chuck Fischer Studio in New York, one of the top decorative painting studios in the United States. In 2001, Thomas started Blee Studio, a decorative painting company based in Phoenix. With decorative artwork in several states and Mexico, his work was recently showcased in Tucson Lifestyle Home & Garden, January 2008 edition. His latest mural commission can be seen at Doug Vinci’s Restaurant at the Gainey Ranch Shops in Scottsdale.

Jenn Chiarelli

Jenn Chiarelli’s journey began through the art of dance. She joined the Cleveland San Jose Ballet as one of its youngest members in1993. During her career, she danced various soloist and principal roles in works by renowned choreographers including George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Donald McKayle, and Dennis Nahat. She received critical acclaim for her role as the Pioneer Woman in Martha Graham’s Appalachian Spring. Jenn has been teaching Vinyasa Yoga and Meditation for over 20 years. She is the creator of Anahata Soul and leads its Yoga Teacher Training Programs in Costa Rica. She has taught at Wanderlust and Yoga Journal Live! conferences and teaches yoga internationally. Most recently Jenn was initiated in India as an Acharya ( spiritual teacher) in the lineage of Bhagwan Nityananda. She has deep gratitude for her teacher, Swami Khecaranatha and for his guidance along her path. As dancer and master yoga teacher, Jenn continues to embrace the art of being a humble student. She is excited to join Movement Source once again after taking a break to have her 2 beautiful children with her husband. 

Kristen Hugins

Having studied and performed a wide variety of dance styles early on, Kristen began her training of contemporary dance under Hilary Harper-Wilcoxen at Principia College in Illinois. After moving to San Diego, she trained and performed with Faith Jensen-Ismay of Mojalet Dance Company. She taught Mojalet’s outreach programs and technique classes, as well as served on their Board of Directors. She also choreographed for and performed with Soulscape Dance Company. While in San Diego, she earned her 1st degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and began an innovative series of classes that integrated contemporary dance and martial arts. In addition to dancing, Kristen is an avid reader, writer and life coach, and graduated with a BA in Philosophy and English from Principia College. A native Arizonan, she is grateful to be back in her home state and is thrilled to be dancing with Movement Source.

Jennifer Kaufman Fourness

Jennifer studied dance and administration at the University of Wisconsin, H.T. Chen and Dancers and Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church. She holds a Bachelor’s in Art Administration, a Master’s in Education and has had the pleasure of training with Li Chiao-Ping, Buff Brennan, Anita Lemon, and Anna Nassif. For the past 18 years, Jennifer has worked as a dancer, teacher and administrator for a variety of dance, theatre, and educational organizations in Arizona. Jennifer is a dedicated arts advocate, realizing her passion through performing, teaching, and grant writing.

Kelly Martell Scovel

Originally from Michigan, Kelly has now been in the valley for 25 years. She received her BFA in Choreography from Arizona State University, along with her certification in Secondary Education. She has a vast dance background which encompasses many styles and has been teaching and performing professionally in Arizona since 2002. Kelly has found an incredible passion for teaching and thoroughly enjoys sharing the art of dance with her students. For the past 20 years, she has taught dance at Xavier College Preparatory and feels very blessed to have the opportunity to do what she loves every day!

Whitney Nelson

Whitney is an Arizona native and grew up dancing at Betty Johnson’s School of Dance (now Bender Performing Arts) from age 3-18 and was a member of their DanceMotion Performing Company. She moved to New York and received her AAS degree in Photography from the Fashion Institute of Technology and continued dancing as a member of the dance team at school. After returning home, she completed her BA in Art Studies from Arizona State University and soon after started working at a performing arts center. While trying to always keep dance in her life, Whitney is excited to embark on this new adventure with Movement Source!

Dorothy Pace

Dorothy spent 12 years of her childhood studying and performing classical ballet with several regional companies in NY, PA and AZ, in roles that included Sleeping Beauty’s Lilac Fairy and the Pas de Quatre from Swan Lake.  After entering Arizona State University, she discovered modern dance, burned her pointe shoes, and never looked back. While pursuing a BA in Dance Dorothy had the privilege of studying under such esteemed teachers as Ann Ludwig, Mel Wong, Cliff Keuter and Moss Cohen, and performed with ASU Dance Repertory Company where she was coached by Sophie Maslow in a reconstruction of her Folksay,  a folk medley based on verses from Carl Sandburg’s The People, Yes. Dorothy joined Movement Source in 1993 and danced with this extraordinary company until 2008, at which time she decided to focus all her energy on her family, raising two lovely daughters with husband, Steven. Ann Ludwig’s E Pluribus Unum in 2018 marked Dorothy’s return to the stage, but arthritis and hip surgery postponed her continuation until last year when she returned to Movement Source once again to indulge her passion for dancing without shoes! 

Jada Randall

Jada has been dancing ballet and modern for as long as she can remember. Her love of dance began in the very same studio which Movement Source rehearses today, Dance Theater West, where she was member of Storybook Ballet Company. She is currently studying psychology and dance at ASU, and hopes to integrate both into her professional career one day. Jada also uses her movement background to help support choreography work for residents at First Place AZ, a supportive housing organization for adults with neurodiversities. In her free time, she loves to cook, watch movies, and craft. Jada is extremely grateful to be dancing with Movement Source and can’t wait for another incredible season!

Nikki "ShaVon" Turner

Nikki Turner is an artist in the expression of movement. Although rooted in styles of African interpretive and hip hop dancing, it did not stop her from embarking on new adventures that challenge and help her to grow as a dancer/choreographer.  Joining Movement Source created space for her to expand in her creativity as a dancer and choreographer.  She now teaches dance at the Mesa Arts Academy while freelancing as a choreographer, teaching after school programs for high schools, community centers and organizations. Teaching for the “Phoenix Day School for the Blind and Deaf” has been one of most rewarding experiences she has had. Her authenticity to her craft provides limitless opportunities and boundaries for her to explore, connect and set the stage on FIYAH!!

Khala Tarrant

Board Members

Baron Gordon

David Hafner

Linda Ramseyer

Dr. Jessica Randolph

Dr. Charlie Smith

Laura VanNess

Kelly Zahoudanis