Meet Our Director and Founder
DIRECTOR, HEAD INSTRUCTOR & FOUNDER
Competition Choreographer, Competition Adjudicator and Workshop Faculty Member
Jennifer Prete-Wasfy
Jennifer has been involved in the dance world since she was three years old. Her first dance experiences started in her own hometown of Westerly, Rhode Island. Jennifer's mother, being a former dancer herself, inspired Jennifer to get a jump start in dance. Jennifer loved dance classes from the start and continued taking dance lessons in her hometown's studio for the next 27 years, and in several studios in New England and New York City for additional experience.
Jennifer has had the fantastic opportunities to also take many lessons from great master teachers such as Dianne Walker, Savion Glover, Sarah Reich, Hillary-Marie Michael, Khalid Hill, Jason Janas, Aaron Tolson, Andrew Nemr, Mike Minery, Debbi Dee, Nick Bowman, Josh Hilberman, Barbara Duffy, Frank Hatchet, Jerry Rose, Brian Santora, Mark Goodman, Sean Fielder, Chris Smith, Sarah Jo Fazio, Joey Dowling, Barry Youngblood, Misha Gabriel, Nick Lazzarini, and many more.
Jennifer founded and established her studio in 2001 and has been teaching dance for over almost 30 years! In addition to running the day to day business of her studio, she teaches a great amount of classes along with directing her competitive dance team. Jennifer is also an adjudicator for regional competitions and a convention teacher at regional dance conventions/workshops.
Jennifer and her staff attend professional conventions and workshops every year, and attend regional and national competitions with the JPSD Dance Competition Team.
Jennifer is an active member of the Professional Dance Teachers Association, a member of the Rhode Island Dance Alliance, and holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Jennifer has choreographed and directed large productions, small and large group numbers along with solos, duos and trios that achieved multiple high scoring awards, titles and best choreography awards regionally and nationally.
Jennifer is most proud to say that her biggest achievements are her students who she has “home grown” and mentored in and out of the studio who have continued on their dance journeys to prestigious dance companies, college dance teams and to become dance teachers themselves.
She prides herself on her strong focus of technique across all dance genres starting with her youngest dancers. Her dance curriculum that she has developed is used by her highly educated and qualified dance faculty as well which has built a strong continuity in the various levels of dance education at her studio. Jennifer believes strongly in teaching in a warm, family-like and positive setting. Between Jennifer's multiple years of dance experience and incredible passion for dance and children, she hopes to share her experiences and pass down the dance tradition to all of her students and the South County community for many years to come.
When not dancing or running her dance school business you will find her home cooking, spending time with her family and friends and enjoying her coastal town of Westerly, RI with her husband, Guy and son, Jake.