Nicholas Cendese is a Utah native who grew a beard in 2012 and his life has never been the same.  Before the birth of bearded Nick, he started dancing in 6th Grade with Children’s Dance Theatre – now Tanner Dance.  Years and years of dance training culminated with his graduation from the University of Utah with a BFA in modern dance in 2001 and a job with Repertory Dance Theatre – where he performed professionally for 11 years. In 2012, he retired from the stage and moved into the RDT offices first as Artistic Associate and Administrative Assistant and, in 2018, as Development Director. From 2004-2012 Nick ran his own independent dance company, RawMoves, with Natosha Washington and has taught at Miss Margene’s Creative Classroom for the past 19 years. In 2016, he and Barbara J. Lewis co-founded Music in Motion, a music and movement class for older adults that now holds five weekly classes around the Wasatch Front.  Nick was sole owner and director of South Valley Creative Dance in Sandy, Utah from 2012-2020 and in 2023 he and four amazing women took ownership of the studio and founded the Utah Creative Dance Foundation to promote and further the transformative power of creative and modern dance education. He continues to teach, choreograph, mentor, and guide dancers of all ages around Utah.