Andrea E. Woods Valdés is the Chair of the Duke University Dance Program and artistic director of Souloworks/Andrea E. Woods & Dancers. A native of Philadelphia, Woods is a former dancer/rehearsal director of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co. and holds an MFA in Dance from The Ohio State University, and a MA in Caribbean Cultural Studies from SUNY Buffalo. She creates dances as contemporary African American folklore. Wood Valdés teaches Afro-contemporary, modern dance and dance/vocal/shekere work. Her creative process is inspired by blues, jazz, folk music, family folklore, and movement reflective of the African diaspora’s social and cultural experience.