Cameron Cunningham - Founder and Executive and Artistic Director
Cameron is originally from Wisconsin but has recently made her self at home in Grand Junction, Colorado. With a Bachelors in kinesiology and as a certified Strength and Conditioning Exercises Specialist she has been teaching fitness since 2015 and dance since 2008. She has taught at Ashland School of Dance, Move to Inspire and Absolute Dance. She has taught master classes and has been a substitute instructor at Dancer’s Edge, Dance Around, Ashland School of Dance and at Colorado Mesa University. Since 2013 Cameron has trained in a variety of styles including, ballet, modern, flamenco, jazz, tap, hip hop and ballroom with Minnesota Conservatory of the Arts, Minnesota Ballet, Estudio Danza (Spain) and Colorado Mesa University. Cameron has performed in the film “Remnants” by Ismael Ortega, the music video “The Plan" by Mount Orchid and in faculty and student dance concerts at Colorado Mesa University. Cameron has choreographed for several student productions at CMU as well as having work presented in the faculty dance concert. Her choreographic work was also featured in the “Our Souls at Night” production as well as in "Mr. Burns," main stage musical, both at Colorado Mesa University. Cameron has been on five medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic and was a part time missionary in Spain for four months. She most recently started a dance program in Uganda Africa with Father to the Fatherless Ministries and began a series of international dance missions. Cameron has experience teaching and working with dancers of all backgrounds, demographics and abilities. Cameron founded Reverent Rhythms in 2018 and continues to train the professional company, choreograph and direct the professional productions and oversee all business and ministry operations of Reverent Rhythms. Cameron recently was awarded the Young Professional of the Quarter award by the Grand Valley's Young Professionals networking group. In support of other non profits, Cameron serves on the board of directors of The Jeremy House as well as The Poiema Collective.
Movement and Teaching Philosophy:
Cameron's movement and teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that we were created to move and movement is essential to our emotional, mental, physical and spiritual development, not only as children but also as adults. Just as healthy movement and training patterns can have an incredibly positive impact on our development, self talk and outlook, poor training patterns can continue to have a severe affect on us emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually for many years. Cameron strive's to promote accurate and scientifically based movement and training patterns in her classes and rehearsals as she is a passionate advocate of working with our bodies, limitations and all, in creating a pattern of sustainable and healthy training routines for each individual. She insists that every body carries with it a unique skill set and ability to create. Often this unique perspective is discovered for the first time when the mirrors are taken away, the fear of comparison and failure is rebuked, and we learn to accept our bodies natural limitations and extraordinary ability to move in space. Cameron provides her students with an accurate historical depiction of where our roots in movement stem from while casting a vision for the future of performing arts.
Cameron's desire is to train up a generation of recreational, pre professional and professional performers and athletes who not only understand their bodies and how to fuel, train and recover properly but also have a deep understanding of who they are as an individual. Each individual is handcrafted and intricately designed to create in some capacity. That capacity will no longer be shackled by fear, shame and guilt. There is deliverance and healing that can occur physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually by God's hand through the art of movement. It is the instructor, director and choreographer's responsibility to provide their team, students, and cast members with the tools and resources to thrive and the environment to have the freedom to do so.
Cameron has found that modern improvisation can be one of the most powerful tools in providing a platform for performers to rediscover their passion for movement, a new ability to create, and a new confidence in themselves. She has witnessed the power improvisation can have on youth, adults, senior citizens, performers and pedestrians. Improvisation is the most prominent tool she uses in creating her works and is often partnered with traditional training structures to create a well rounded program for her performers. While she draws inspration from traditional improvisation exercises she is continiously creating new avenues for improvisation and for the creation of new movemnt and ideas.