Adeena has dedicated her life to teaching dance both in HS and at the University level. Prior to joining Ririe-Woodbury, she taught high school dance for 32 years, directing Dance Company and coaching Drill Team. While at Granger High School she was instrumental in creating The Granite District Dance Concert, The Granite District Choreography Festival, The High School Dance Festival and countless benefit concerts. Adeena received her B.S. in dance from Brigham Young University and M.F.A from the University of Utah. She was awarded 1997 UAPHERD Outstanding Dance Educator, UHSAA Drill Team Coach of the Year three times, Granite District Excel Outstanding Educator in 2005 and the 2018 Sorenson Legacy Award for Excellence as the Outstanding Dance Educator for the State of Utah. Adeena also taught at Utah State, Brigham Young University, Weber State and Salt Lake Community College. Working with Ririe-Woodbury, she loves the opportunity to be involved with “her people” in the Utah dance community. She is most proud of her 3 amazing children and her 6 grandchildren and is grateful for her remarkable and supportive husband.

Rachel Barker is a choreographer, educator, dancer, and pilates instructor from SLC, Utah. For the past two years, her creative pursuit has been raising her first child—navigating motherhood and other life pursuits while loving her baby fiercely. Rachel has served as an Assistant Professor of Dance at Brigham Young University and University of North Carolina Charlotte, in addition to other teaching appointments in higher ed, public schools, dance studios, and community centers. Her dance film work has garnered international acclaim (Dance Camera West Festival, Red Rocks Film Festival, Alfred Lambourne Award, The Utah Review, Mexico City Videodance Festival, and more). Her choreography has been commissioned by Repertory Dance Theater, Bellingham Repertory Dance, Tanner Dance, and presented at the Repertory Dance Theater Regalia, Red Rocks Dance Festival, Breaking Ground Festival (AZ), Dixon Theater (NYC), Seattle International Dance Festival, and various university dance departments. Rachel curated and produced the Superwomen concert at the Rose Wagner Theater in 2022.

Ai began dancing at the age of four in Tokyo, Japan, where she received several national dance awards. After coming to the U.S., she earned a BFA in Modern Dance at the University of Utah. Following graduation, Ai apprenticed for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in New York City, and danced professionally with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company for eight seasons in Salt Lake City between 2000 and 2008. In 2009 she danced her way to New Zealand, where she acquired a Master of Creative and Performing Arts degree. Throughout her career, Ai has enjoyed teaching students of all ages and abilities, both nationally and internationally. In the state of Utah, she has served as Adjunct Faculty at Utah Valley University, taught creative dance for the University of Utah’s Tanner Dance, as well as modern dance technique for the Ballet West Academy. She is thrilled to have returned to Ririe-Woodbury in 2014 as Education Director, and looks forward to an adventurous future with the company.