BioAMBER STAR MERKENS, originally from Newport, OR, began her dance training with Nancy Mittleman. She received her B.F.A from the Juilliard School and danced with the Limón Dance Company before receiving the Princess Grace Award and joining MMDG in 2001. During her many years dancing with MMDG, she performed in featured and soloist roles, including Dido/the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas. She has presented her own choreography both in New York and abroad, taught workshops and camps at the Mark Morris Dance Center, and worked as a freelance photographer for MMDG, SilkRoad Project, and Brooklyn Rider, among others. After the birth of her second child in 2013, Merkens transitioned into another passion, one of supporting new families, and founded Mother to Mother Postpartum, LLC. Merkens would like to thank her family for their continuous support.