Just Published!

After the longest wait, my very first research article is officially published AND it’s open access! (Y’all the publication journey is no joke.)

In my very first project tutorial, I told my Lucie (my supervisor), “I just want to pass.” The thought of publishing never even felt like an option for someone like me: I’m a dancer who isn’t good at science.

Being a dancer can sometimes feel binary. If you do anything else, you aren’t trying hard enough as a dancer. When you’re hustling from one gig to the next, any other interests you might have tend to take a backseat. You’re constantly reminded your career is short. How could you possibly have time for anything other than dance?

There’s more to every dancer than just being a dancer. I’m a dancer AND I’m a researcher. I won’t lie, I’m still getting used to that tittle, but I think little Jenna would be pretty impressed.

Endless thanks to all my participants and every one who has put up with me throughout this process!

TL;DR: I’m a published dance science researcher now!

Journal of Emerging Dance Scholarship article

The Dance Psychologist Guest Blogger

When I graduated last year, I promised myself I’d start writing about body image in the dance industry. If you know me, you know how much I care about this topic and making research accessible to performers in order to move our industry forward. Plus, what’s the point of doing a Master’s-level research project if you don’t share your findings?

Fast forward to 2020. I don’t know about anyone else, but this year hasn’t quite gone as planned. So this little idea got put on a shelf indefinitely. But then Lucie at The Dance Psychologist reached out and asked me to write a guest blog on body image in dance.

Lucie supervised my research last year, and honestly it still amazes me that she likes my work. She challenged and guided me and most importantly believes in my research. Find yourself a mentor like her.

So here it is. The first (but hopefully not last) blog about my favourite topic featured on one of my favourite websites. Be sure to follow Lucie for more dance psychology!

TL;DR: I wrote a guest blog post. Link below.

Guest Blog Post on The Dance Psychologist

Trinity Laban Conservatoire

After a lot of thought and consideration, I’ve decided to return to school! I will be attending Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance in London, England for a Masters of Science in Dance Science. This one-year programme gives me the opportunity to fully investigate the connections between dance and fitness improving my own practice and allowing me to share this knowledge with other dancers and performers.

Although this is a huge change for me, I am excited for the opportunity to explore Europe and continue my education.

Anything Goes

Today, I travelled to Sharon, Connecticut to begin rehearsals for Anything Goes at Sharon Playhouse! I am very excited to be a part of this production and finally add "Equity Membership Candidate" to my resume.

The production runs June 15th - July 1st and you can purchase tickets here. Please let me know if you see the show so I can be sure to say hi!

I'm Certified!

I recently became an ACE Certified Personal Trainer! After realizing I loved fitness and how it affected my dancing and performance, I decided to become a Certified Personal Trainer. ACE is accredited by NCCA and is recognized by CREP and EuropeActive. The certification is equivalent to a Level 3 Personal Trainer in the UK.

I am so excited to continue my journey in fitness and explore its affects on dance and performance. Be sure to check back for further announcements regarding fitness and dance!