Bio

Janaea Rose Lyn was born in New York City. A child of the sixties, she came of age in San Francisco of the seventies. Freedom, expression, and community were emblematic of the music she grew up on.  When she found these values embodied in the philosophy and style of modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan, Janaea found her passion for dance.

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After completing her undergraduate degree, she was invited to Paris as the artist in residence at the Akademia Raymond Duncan, continuing Isadora’s legacy.  Janaea returned to the states to further her dance education and immersed herself in the vibrant New York dance scene of the eighties. Her graduate studies centered on her development as a choreographer working with musicians which led to the formation of Convergence - Dancers and Musicians. Based in Philadelphia, the company created collaborative works by company members, guest choreographers, composers, and performed nationally and internationally for a decade.  

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Janaea relocated to Maryland and created Dance Matrix, expanding her choreographic work to include theater artists. She established a performing arts degree program at the local community college with a focus on student driven, faculty mentored interdisciplinary work. After fifteen years, Janaea came to Phoenix where she created a dance degree program, also at a community college. At both schools she was artistic director of audition-free student performing companies. She developed curricula for teaching collaborative dance-making for use in classes and productions, and has also written articles and presented at national conferences on her pedagogy.  Janaea designed and taught career preparation courses at both colleges to help students navigate a life in the performing arts. Her forthcoming book, Choreographing Your Dance Career, is intended as a companion for dance practitioners at every career stage.

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 Janaea’s life has come full spiral. She is active in dance and movement communities as an artist, educator, writer and mentor.