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KIONA DAELYN

(they/them)

founder, artistic director

Kiona Daelyn is the founder and artistic director of Wingbeat. They were born into a family full of artists, activists, and scientists that fueled lifelong passions for social justice, environmentalism, and scientific curiosity; all of which inform Kiona's approach to dance both in content and form and set the foundation for the values of Wingbeat as an organization. 

Kiona began their dancing journey in their hometown of Tucson, AZ where after years of training in various dance studios they began working professionally as a dancer and aerialist with  O-T-O Dance (aka Orts) under the direction of Annie Bunker, and Funhouse Movement Theater under the direction of Lee Anne Hartley. During the years Kiona spent learning, teaching, and performing with Annie Bunker at O-T-O Dance, they fell in love with the freedom and expression of aerial dance, modern dance and improvisation.

In 2009, attending the teacher training at 7 Centers Yoga Arts in Sedona under the direction of Sraddhasagar and Rama Jyoti Vernon,  Kiona became a certified yoga instructor studying meditation, ayurveda, and various forms of yoga. In 2011 Kiona graduated with a B.F.A in Dance Education from University of the Arts in Philadelphia where they performed works by Silvana Cardell, Curt Haworth, and Martha Graham; studied dance pedagogy with Connie Michaels and Donna Faye Burchfield ; and studied modern dance and improvisation with Curt Haworth, Jennifer Binford-Johnson, Brian Sanders, Manfred Fischbeck, Kim Bears-Bailey, and Zane Booker.

From July 2011 to July 2024, Kiona lived and worked in San Diego, performing with several choreographers  including Angel Arambula, Blythe Barton, John Diaz, Jean Isaacs, Regina Klenjoski, Zaquia Mahler-Salinas, John Malashock, Michael Mizerany, Spencer Powell, Khamla Somphanh, Henry Torres, and Jeanne Travers.  Kiona was a company dancer for Malashock Dance Company; a ballet mistress, choreographer, and guest performer for Mounarath Powell Dance and their school; studio manager, performer, choreographer, teacher trainer, and instructor for Aerial Revolution; ballet and modern dance instructor for Scripps Performing Arts Academy, and founding company dancer, aerialist, and choreographer with Astraeus Aerial Dance Theatre. They have worked as an independent choreographer and teacher for a variety of companies and studios across the country. 
In 2023 Kiona founded Wingbeat Movement Arts and now begins the process of growing the company in Tucson, Arizona where they are now a teaching artist for the Opening Minds Through the Arts program.

Kiona spends most of their free time going on adventures with their wife Jenner and two children Jori and Kiva.

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