Known for bringing a little math and science into the ballroom (don’t worry, just a little), Jen began tap dancing in pre-school and continued learning and later teaching tap through high school. After putting aside dance to focus on chemistry in college, Jen was happy to return to dancing during grad school–this time the swing dance Balboa. During that time, Jen began teaching and promoting, co-running beloved Philly events such as the Saturday Night Fish Fry, Tokio/Jazz Attic/Jazz Attack, Philly Bal Night, and Bal Jam ’08. She now calls New York City home and enjoys teaching locally at You Should Be Dancing! and dancing at White Heat among other favorites.
Jen teaches and competes in Balboa on the international stage, having won the All Balboa Weekend J&J five times. She has also won or placed in strictly competitions at the All Balboa Weekend, California Balboa Classic, Camp Hollywood, and Bal-ast Off and teaches around the world. In addition to competing and teaching, Jen also enjoys performing. (What can you say? She’s an only child.) Jen’s favorites have been smack dab in the middle of the Museum of Natural History right under the giant blue whale and, of course, Lincoln Center.
As a teacher, Jen tries to balance her straight-forward manner and high expectations with lots of love, humor, and support for her students. She’s known for being able to teach truly multi-level classes where everyone is challenged to push their best a little farther. Never forgetting to address both follows and leads, Jen blends a clear, technical presentation with the creativity and improvisational spirit that make swing dancing so enjoyable.