After twenty years of formal ballet training, Jennifer discovered yoga as a way to physically, mentally and emotionally complement her professional dance career. Jennifer began her yoga practice in 1999, and studied exclusively for two and a half years with Debby Green, a New York-based Iyengar teacher. In 2001, she branched out to other styles of yoga and trained at OM Yoga, Laughing Lotus, Yoga Works, Integral Yoga Institute, and with Alison West at Yoga Union. She began teaching yoga in 2002 in New York, and has also completed a Teacher Training program with Max Strom.
Through her practice and teaching, Jennifer has discovered that although yoga is an excellent way to increase strength and flexibility, it also conditions the mind and opens the heart. As such, Jennifer's classes emphasize working with the breath and the challenges the postures present to develop strength and balance in the body as well as to cultivate patience, openness, humility and grace.
Jennifer is a graduate of the The Juilliard School and recently concluded a twelve-year professional performing career predominately spent in New York City and Europe. During this time, Jennifer was a member of Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project, Eliot Feld Ballet, Twyla Tharp Dance Company, Lucinda Childs Dance Company and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. She has worked as a freelance artist with several choreographers including Douglas Dunn and Unterwegs TanzTheater of Heidelberg, Germany. Since 2003, Jennifer worked primarily with choreographer Sarah Michelson as an artistic advisor, rehearsal director, and performer in several pieces, including the Bessie Award winning Shadowman and DOGS.
Jennifer is also a teaching artist with Reach Out And Dance (ROAD), a Kansas City Ballet educational outreach program, helping children explore the process by which movement put to music becomes dance. Through this dance program, children develop discipline, a standard of excellence and a belief in themselves that carries over into all other aspects of their lives.
Jennifer is delighted about her recent move to Kansas City and is grateful to be teaching under Gina's tutelage at Kansas Siddhi Yoga!
