Frances Cohen is a teacher, choreographer, administrator and dance graduate from Bennington College in Vermont. She was dance director of the Jewish Community Center in Tucson for 18 years and directed the first touring dance company in Arizona, the Kadimah Dancers.

In 1972, Cohen co-founded the dance program at the University of Arizona. She was the recipient of a National Opera Institute grant to tour regional opera companies as choreographer and assistant director. She was also the director of opera at George Washington University from 1981-1986.

Cohen began Wolf Trap in Arizona, a performance arts and residency field trip program for preschool and Head Start children. She has been the regional director for this program since 1986. Cohen was honored with the Outstanding Artist Award for Choreography from the Maryland State Arts Council. She also created Dance Theater West with partner Susan Silverman, and now directs CDE at the Herberger Theater Center.

Cohen is the proud recipient of the 1994 Arizona Governor's Outstanding Artist Award. She is co-author of "Dance Essential Skills" and "Performing Dance Standards" for the Arizona Department of Education. In 1995, she began teaching creative dance through educational satellite systems reaching classrooms K-2 throughout the country. In 2004, she received the "Women Who Care" award from Phoenix Theater.