Phoenix

Phoenix was born on September 6, 1992 in Gloucester, Virginia. She was raised and unschooled in Hampton Roads, Virginia by her mother, Ceras, who was a natural health practitioner and freelance writer. Phoenix received an unorthodox homeschool education, including Japanese language study at Japanese International School, vaulting lessons (gymnastics on horseback), and a fiber arts mentorship. Phoenix began training in ballet at the age of five, and continued training intensively in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, modern, mime, Argentine tango, Turkish belly dance, theater, voice, and musical theater for eleven years. She performed in community ballet and musical productions from the age of five, and regional theatre productions over the course of seven years in The Nutcracker, The Music Man, and, a starring role in The King and I at the age of eight. She performed with Travis Wall (So You Think You Can Dance) and Adrienne Canterna, Ashley Canterna, Robbie Nicholson (Rock The Ballet). Phoenix began her acting career at the age of eight and worked in television (Nova, Discovery Channel), film (The New World), and theater; performing at age fourteen the iconic role of Pocahontas in the theatre production, Journey of Destiny, for The Jamestown 400th Anniversary Celebration before an audience of 35,000 and a nationwide television audience. Phoenix began a clothing design business at the age of twelve, and sold her bespoke fashions and hand-knitted dance wear to private clients and boutiques. She parlayed her designs into knitting patterns and became the knitting industry's youngest professional designer with patterns published in magazines, books, online sites and e-zines, and her own website. Potter Craft, the craft imprint of Random House, published her book of knitwear designs, It Girl Knits, when she was only fifteen years-old. Phoenix ran her clothing and knitwear design business until she moved to Cotacachi, Ecuador with her family when she was seventeen. Over her almost-seven years in Ecuador, she became fluent in Spanish and opened an English tutoring/translating service. She performed Argentine Tango in live theater and television productions, taught Argentine Tango, ballet, and English in local schools and privately, and worked as a mountain tour guide for Runa Tupari at Lake Cuicocha and Cascada de Peguche. Phoenix lived with her mother and brother in Quechua Indian villages, where they served the members of the indigenous Indian communities as healers and shamans. While in Ecuador, Phoenix trained in a variety of martial arts forms, including Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Aikido, Kung Fu, and bladed weapons. She ran her own martial arts dojo, Phoenix Rising Martial Arts, and later worked at a clinic as a tui na massage therapist, apprentice acupuncturist, and assistant/medical translator for a naturopathic doctor. After returning to the States, she resumed her acting career, and lives in Los Angeles with her family.