Paige DeFrees (she/her) is a native from Chester County where she has trained in numerous styles of dance including ballet, modern, jazz, tap, vogue, contemporary and commercial styles. Throughout her dance training she has attended many summer intensives such as Philadelphia Ballet, Boston Ballet, UNCSA and more. DeFrees is a current senior at Shenandoah University, located in Winchester, Virginia, working towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. Since being at Shenandoah she has trained under faculty including Erica Helm, Daniel Padierna, Tiffanie Carson, Maurice Fraga, Lindsay Browning, Rudy Frias, Angela Dice Nguyen, Lisa Startsman, Demetia Hopkins and Shylo Martinez. She has also been in residency, as well as guest works choreographed by Maleek Washington, Doug Varone, Dance Works Chicago, Mike Esperanza, Cat Cogliandro and Zojea Azeke. Within the past two years of school she has performed solo work, group numbers and had the privilege to choreograph a piece for Shenandoah Conservatory’s Wind Ensemble. Most recently, DeFrees has finished her first season with the MA.DE Dance Collective, performing works by Maggie DeFrees at Dancing Beyond and Koresh Artist Showcase. DeFrees is excited to finish out her dance journey at Shenandoah University and continue dancing for the MA.DE Dance Collective.
“I am incredibly honored and grateful to have been selected as a recipient of the Ting-Yu Chen Scholarship for Excellence in Dance. Receiving this scholarship allows me to further invest in my training and continue growing as both an artist and student. With these funds, I am able to enhance my education and fully commit myself to the opportunities that strengthen my technical and artistic development. My time at Shenandoah has been transformative. The mentorship, training and experiences I have received have given me the tools, confidence and discipline necessary to pursue a successful career. Thankful will always be an understatement.”
– Paige DeFrees