MEET THE STAFF
Anne Margaret, a native of Philadelphia and graduate of The University of the Arts (BFA in Ballet), will be teaching Dance Combo, Musical Theatre and Jazz. As a Teaching Artist she continues to enjoy a career that spans over 25 years and 2 continents. She was a Soloist with the Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company, resident Choreographer and dancer with the Camerata and Delaware Valley Opera Companies and has performed and Choreographed in Musicals throughout the Delaware Valley and Europe. She has performed in 2 European tours with Ballet des Jeunes and was commissioned to create 3 original Ballets and Jazz concert pieces for their international programs. As a Spanish Flamenco dancer she has been a guest Artist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, an adjunct professor at Eastern University’s Dance Department and has been featured on local and national television programs. Presently she is an Adjunct Professor in Arts integration at Temple University’s College of Human Development and Education, runs her own dance company, Flamenco y Más and performs regularly for educational programs at Olé Tapas Restaurant in Newark, Delaware. When she is not dancing she is enjoying the great outdoors spending a lot of time developing her archery skills.
Stephanie Vasta - Youth Company Director
Joshua Schwartz
Mr. Josh began his teaching journey at JDA in 2020 and is best known for his positive attitude and infectious energy. Joshua J. Schwartz is an AEA Actor from Brooklyn, NY. Mostly known for the sounds he makes with his feet, Josh has toured the country in the National Tour of 42nd Street where he cemented his Tap dancing roots. He has performed the lead role of Jack Kelly from Newsies and recently was the director of Newsies Junior.
Other credits include: Chasing Rainbows (Paper Mill Playhouse), Singin’ In The Rain (Barter Theatre), Gypsy (Engeman Theatre), Crazy For You (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), and much more! Also working on camera, Josh can be seen in HASBRO’s Jenga Tetris Commerical, Netflix’s The OutCasts, and Amazon Primes The Vanishing of Sydney Hall. Aside from performing, Josh is an artist manager for Hip-Hop Emcee A-F-R-O, as well as a choreographer and dance educator. He studied at CAP21 and is represented by ATB Talent Agency.
Stephanie Vasta began teaching at Jenkintown Dance Arts in 2015. She is the Director and Choreographer of JDA’s Youth Company. She has also developed and grown JDA’s Acro Dance Program. Additionally, Stephanie’s co-director of C&S Productions.
Stephanie is a graduate of Penn State Abington. During her four years at Penn State she participated in the University’s dance company as a dancer and student choreographer, and after graduating she moved on to become one of the company’s associate directors. Stephanie has been teaching since 1998 at local dance studios, fitness centers, and community centers, and has had the pleasure of working with dancers ranging from toddlers to senior citizens.
Stephanie began doing gymnastics at 9 months old, and was introduced to dance at the age of five. She has studied ballet, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, contemporary, and hip hop. Her professional career began in 2004 with Contempra Dance Theatre, a modern-jazz company. She has also toured the country with New Vision Cirque and Dance Company, has performed throughout Philadelphia with Vada Dance Collective, Dangerous and Movin’ Dance Company, Underground Dance Works, The Checkmate Experience and enjoys local, site-specific performances with Jenkintown Dance Company.
Julee Mahon
Born and raised in New Jersey, Julee Mahon began her dance journey at the age of two. She trained at the Serova School of Dance in her hometown of Bridgewater before being accepted into the esteemed Gifted and Talented Dance Program at Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School.
Julee earned her BFA in Dance with a minor in History from Temple University, where she studied under Kun-Yang Lin, Dr. Joellen Meglin, Dr. Luke Kahlich, Phillip Grosser, and Merian Soto. Her training also took her abroad to Rome, Italy, where she studied and performed a site-specific work, Inferno, under the direction of Jillian Harris. Julee further expanded her experience by working with renowned residency artists, including Tiffany Mills, LEVYdance, and Leah Stein. She was honored with the Frances Bowden Scholarship for excellence in performance and choreography, as well as the prestigious Who’s Who Award from the Boyer College of Music and Dance.
Her original works have been featured in Kun-Yang Lin’s Inhale Performance Series and the ECT Performance Series. She choreographed Jennifer Hoffmaster’s A Little Play About Betrayal, which was produced and performed at the Walnut Street Theater. As a performer, she has collaborated with Philadelphia-based choreographers including Darcy Lyons, Camille Halsey, Julie Marinucci, Allie Linn, Julie B. Johnson, Beau Hancock, and the Old City Sweethearts. She toured with Megan Mizanty Dance Works, a piece set on Coaction Dance Collective Founder's, entitled Grab Her. She currently performs as “Polly Parfait” with The Gimlet Girls, a vintage-inspired chorus girl troupe celebrated for their high-energy, glamorous performances. Her performance credits span across the tri-state area and internationally.
Julee has been sharing her love of dance with students throughout the Philadelphia community since graduating.
Julee is thrilled to join the JDA Team and looks forward to inspiring the next generation of dancers with her creativity, experience, and love for the art form!
Erica is a Philadelphia based dancer and choreographer. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Erica received her BA in Dance Studies and Integrative Art from Penn State, University Park. She danced with The Chocolate Ballerina company during their 2022-2023 season in The Nutcracker Dipped in Chocolate and Black Swan: A Swan Lake Premier. She has taught at several studios within the PA/NJ area for over 6 years within the genres of contemporary, modern, jazz, hiphop, ballet, and tap. In May Erica graduated from Temple University where she received her MFA in Dance. Currently, Erica dances with contemporary company BF and Artists under the direction of Britt Whitmoyer Fishel. Their most recent work “Aura” premiered in Philly Fringe Arts Festival Fall 2023. Beyond dancing, Erica works as an interdisciplinary artist: acting, modeling, and in 2D design.
Erica Densmore
Syanne Pichon
Syanne Pichon, is a proud graduate of Eastern University’s College of Arts and Humanities achieving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance, as well as her Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration. Syanne has been training in dance for 13 years in multiple genres including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, African, and Modern Dance. Syanne has performed in various concerts during her time at Eastern, produced her own Senior Thesis titled Metanoia, and performed in the 2023 Philly Fringe Concert under the choreographer Neeka Guenther. She has recently performed in Contempra Dance Theatre's infamous Intersect and Crash Course. Syanne has taught dancers of various levels for over three years; in studios such as Motions Dance Studio in Cottonport, LA, and currently at Contempra Dance Studio, The Outcasts Dance Complex, the Upper Main Line YMCA, and now is happy to be introduced and begin her journey at Jenkintown Dance Arts!
Anne Margret O'Malley
Bridget Carlin
Bridget Carlin is a Philadelphia area based artist. She earned a BA in psychology with a minor in dance at West Chester University in 2015, and was a recipient of the Barbara J. Lappano dance scholarship. Bridget danced professionally with Ballet 180 as an apprentice for one year and as a company member for 2 years. She has also performed in pieces for the Fringe Arts festival and with Nova Dance Company. She has presented choreographic work at various festivals and showcases including Koresh Artist Showcase, KYLD InHale Performance Series, and the Ladek Droj International Dance Festival in Poland. She loves teaching creative movement, dance, and yoga to dancers of all ages. Bridget is grateful to be a part of the team at Jenkintown Dance Arts!