Jess Stafford is a native New Yorker and RYT-500 (Registered Yoga Teacher) with Yoga Alliance. She is a graduate of NYU’s Dance Education Master’s Program and holds a BFA in Dance Performance from UMASS Amherst. After a professional dance career, Jess now teaches nationally & internationally in various dance genres as well as specializing in yoga for dancers. She is also certified in Ayurveda, Restorative and Chair Yoga.
Jess brings with her over 20 years of teaching experience and has been a faculty member at historic studios like Peridance, New Dance Group and 92nd Street Y in NYC. Internationally, she has taught at the Queen's Kampala Ballet & Modern Dance School in Uganda and for the IDS International Dance Teacher Conference at The Royal Ballet in London. She has served as adjunct lecturer to the Rutgers University Dance Department and is an in-house faculty member for Dance Teacher Web. Jess is also the Chief Editor for the DanceTeacherWeb.com Blog.
Jess not only brings her dance experience to the yoga mat, but more so a love of movement, keeping people active and helping them find their inner calm and joy. While she has taught all levels and all ages, she hopes to continue fusing her love of dance and yoga and sharing her passion and contagious enthusiasm with her students.
While Yoga has always been integral to her life, her experience, love and journey was enhanced ten-fold during both her pregnancies. Always integrating somatic and kinesthetic approaches to her teaching, her yoga study has led her to teach from an even more holistic and organic path for dancers and non-dancers alike. Jess approaches all of her classes with a relatable, down to earth, welcoming, “feel good,” mindset and values the mind-heart-body-soul connection as essential for practice and individual growth inside and out. She hopes to see you on the mat!