Jen grew up in Southeast Michigan. She trained in the Cecchetti Ballet Method under Enid Ricardeau, original founding member of the Cecchetti Council of America, assisting Miss Enid for 4 years in high school. In 1999, Jen attended the Cecchetti Council of America summer intensive program on scholarship under Miss Enid’s name. Additionally, Jen trained in competetive jazz, lyrical, and tap, as well as performing in musical theatre productions at her high school and church. She earned her Bachelor’s in Dance Arts from the University of Michigan in 2004, where she co-founded White Void Productions, a student led multi-media production company that was awarded grants from the University. She also performed with Terpsichore’s Kitchen, a modern company based in Ann Arbor Michigan, which performed in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Ediburgh, Scotland, for the summer of 2003.

Upon graduating, Jen moved to the San Francisco area where she nannied while continuing to train with SF dance greats at ODC Dance Commons and Lines Dance Center. She has taught for numerous dance studios and theatre groups through out Michigan and Northern California. She has choreographed and/or directed musicals for children and adult theatre groups, including West Side Story, Annie Jr., Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr., The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and more. Jen owned and directed Grace Dance Academy, a faith-based dance studio in San Jose, CA, from 2008-2014. She was the dance instructor, as well as resident choreographer and co-director for The King’s Academy musical theatre program in Sunnyvale, CA from 2014-2016. In 2016 Jen and her family moved back to her husband’s hometown of Vacaville, CA, where they welcomed their 3rd child. From 2017-2024, Jen taught Ballet, Jazz and competitive Lyrical at Elevate Dance Center, as well as creating and directing their first 2 original productions: “Alice” and “Stories.”

Jen’s teaching style has been described as firm but kind and effective. She has had the privilege and honor of helping to launch students into college theatre and dance programs (on scholarship!) as well as professional careers in the arts world.  She is certified by American Ballet Theatre to teach the ABT National Training Curriculum levels Primary-Level 5. She is also a certified instructor in Alixa Flexibility and Progressing Ballet Technique.