Jennifer M Kreichman, Steps Academy Director
Jennifer Kreichman is a New York City based dance instructor and administrator with over three decades of experience training professional and pre-professional dancers. For the past 17 years she has held the position of Senior Adjunct Professor in the Department of Dance at Adelphi University. In this role she has mentored aspiring dancers, preparing them to pursue a career in the dance profession. Jennifer played a pivotal role in the launch of the Adelphi University BFA program where she collaborated with the department chair and faculty to review and continually enhance the curriculum. She has been instrumental in the staffing and management of the diverse dance department while serving as a liaison between students, faculty, and the administrative team.
Jennifer’s contributions extend beyond academia. She has served as rehearsal director for the Eglevsky Ballet Company and teaches the pre-professional students of the affiliated school. She holds staff teaching positions at Ballet Arts Center for Dance, American Youth Dance Theater, and Absolutely Pilates. She is a frequent guest instructor for the Gibney Dance Company, Booker T. Washington HSPVA and the University of Cape Town, and she is regularly invited to teach at renowned schools in Lima, Vienna, and London. She has taught on the faculty of the Ohman School of Ballet, Berest Dance Center, American Theater Dance Workshop, Classical School of Ballet, and Pilates in Port. Jennifer is an ABT® National Training Curriculum Certified Teacher; Pre-Primary through Level Seven and Partnering, holds a certification to teach Progressing Ballet Technique, and is a classically certified Pilates instructor through the United States Pilates Association. She holds a BA in Political Science and Sociology from Vanderbilt University.
Jennifer’s dance journey began under the guidance of Virginia and Jacques Cesbron. She went on to train on scholarship at the American Ballet Theater School under the tutelage of Leon Danielian and Patricia Wilde, as a Harkness Ballet trainee under David Howard and Maria Vegh, and at Ballet Hispanico under Tina Ramirez. Since retiring from performing with the Israel Ballet, New York Dance Theatre, and the Eglevsky Ballet, Jennifer has devoted herself to a career as a dance educator and administrator. Her impact can be seen in the success of many of her former students who have gone on to careers in dance companies, Broadway productions, and national touring companies, while others have excelled in the field as stage managers, arts administrators, costume designers, teachers and dance therapists.
Guided by a teaching philosophy that everyone possesses unique talents and abilities, Jennifer believes that it is the responsibility of educators to discover and reveal the gifts in every student. There is nothing so gratifying as helping others to feel successful and reach their potential, and she takes pride in building relationships with students and their families that extend beyond their years at school.