NDEO鈥檚 Guest Blog Series features posts written by our members about their experiences in the fields of dance and dance education. We continue this series with a post by Jen O'Neill, Faculty/Artistic Director.聽 Guest posts reflect the experiences, opinions, and viewpoints of the author and are printed here with their permission. NDEO does not endorse any business, product, or service mentioned in guest blog posts. If you are interested in learning more about the guest blogger program or submitting an article for consideration, please click here.听听听听
The Transformative Power of Community: How Working with Adult Dancers Changes Everything
I recently celebrated my 25th year teaching dance and movement. I am lucky enough (and healthy enough) to continue the work I love and was meant to do. What impacted me the most celebrating this milestone was the community, belonging, and joy I have built with my dancers over these last two+ decades. This will be my legacy and also the gift to myself I didn鈥檛 know I needed.
I run an adult dance program in the Bay Area and have a small in house dance company. My entire program is filled with women and men of different ages, stages, races, sizes, religions, etc. What began as one adult ballet class on a Tuesday night, has grown tenfold. Classes across styles, levels, days, times fill my schedule and have made the studio a true home to so many. A community.
Growing up my dance studio was my home, especially when my actual home wasn鈥檛 where I felt the most 鈥榓t home鈥�. The village of teachers, directors, friends and chosen family within those four walls not only helped raise and mentor me, but taught me about the importance of community; though I wouldn鈥檛 truly understand it until I was on the other side; cultivating a dance community with and for others.
During a time where so many are struggling in this country from wealth disparity, to food insecurity, lack of healthcare and education and abject fear for their safety, finding a place of belonging, support and community is crucial. The depression rates for adult Americans sits at over 18% in 2025, according to most recent Gallup poll. The reports that Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) affects 3.1% of the population, Panic Disorder (PD) affects 2.7%, and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects 7.1%, and these are just the reported statistics. While I know our collective problems are larger than what I can solve in the dance studio, having a community to lean on, learn and grow with, cultivate joy with and dance with can be a lifeline for so many.
Every time I step into the studio, I feel the energy and enthusiasm from my dancers, but I also feel their deep care, concern and holding of one another. Coming to dance or back to dance as an adult, can be intimidating, vulnerable and nerve racking. Venturing into new territory as an adult is overwhelming especially when we are calling on our minds, bodies and emotions to be in the mix. Dance allows and forces us to show our true selves and really see others. This is where the seeds of community are built and can flourish. And now more than ever, we all need somewhere to bloom, share, feel love, and in turn reflect that love back on one another. I see and experience this daily and that privilege is one I don鈥檛 take for granted.
While I feel like the importance of adult dancers is becoming more talked about and revered in the dance community; we can do more. Much more! Adult dancers are important, serious, and strong. Their training matters, their talent matters and their dance journey, whenever it begins deserves to be fostered and honored. Adult dance is not a trend or an afterthought. These dancers are carving out their next chapter and our youth dancers can only learn from these brave, authentic, joyful role models.
Someone asked me if I could have pictured 鈥渁ll of this鈥� 25 years ago. I am still rolling that question over in my head. Could I have imagined this exactly? No, probably not. But did I know what kind of educator I wanted to be, how I wanted to show up for my dancers (youth and adult) and what I wanted the dance studio to be for others? Yes! I know what I was meant to do in this life and that work happens every day with the amazing humans that show up for themselves and others every time they walk into the studio. Not everyone has this, so I am holding on tight to this magic.
Dance is my first love, my longest relationship and has been my home for the majority of my life. I am proud of this work and truly love what I do, and that in itself is a gift. My program is built on two things-quality dance training and community. This community that gives these dancers the feeling of 鈥樷�eing seen, 鈥elcomed, 鈥nderstood, ...supported and loved鈥� no matter how they show up, is the work I am most proud of. It has also given me a new marker for success and an even deeper purpose as an educator. My hopes for the dance world are many and at the root of it all is community and belonging. I hope everyone has the chance to find their 鈥榟ome鈥� and dance through life, together.
Jennifer O鈥橬eill began her dance training in Los Angeles, studying ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, hip hop, and gymnastics, and performed and competed throughout Southern California. She moved to the Bay Area in 2004 to continue her studies and later earned a BA in Dance from Saint Mary鈥檚 College of California, where she served as an adjunct instructor in Jazz and Hip Hop. Over the past twenty five years, she has taught in higher education, public and private schools, arts enrichment programs, and private studios. Jen is currently on faculty at Center for Community Arts, where she has played a key role in developing the youth program and leading the adult program. She is also the Artistic Director of the Community Arts Dance Ensemble, a multi-generational company presenting new works throughout the East Bay. Additionally, Jen teaches at Ace Dance Academy and serves as Program Director for the Ace Leadership Program. Her performance experience includes training and performing with choreographers and companies in Los Angeles, New York, and the Bay Area, including Paufve Dance, Dana Lawton Dances, Davalos Dance Company, and Hart Pulse Dance Company. She is dedicated to sharing her passion for dance with students of all ages and abilities.
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Photo Credits: Featured photo by Teresa Klein, outdoor & stage photo by Karen DeJager, headshot by Justin O'Neill