About the Director

Ms. Jessica Dandridge’s dance training began early on after being accepted into the magnet  dance program at South Miami Elementary School. She later attended South Miami Middle School Magnet for the Performing and Visual Arts. Between the ages of 9 and 14, Ms. Dandridge studied dance intensively and extensively. While training at SMMS, she studied under the tutelage of Linda Wills Long and Nan Imbesi.
Soon after, Jessica was invited to study and train at The Miami Conservatory, Miami’s oldest dance school. She did so under the direction of Ruth Wiesen, Robert Pike, and Thomas Armour. Ms. Dandridge was then accepted into the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet, where she remained a member until graduating from high school. While a member of the TAYB, Ms. Jessica performed at a multitude of Miami’s inner city schools, helping to bring arts awareness to communities who may not have had access otherwise. It was through these experiences, Ms. Jessica realized the importance of  sharing art and artistic talents within the community in which she lived. During her years at the Miami Conservatory and as a member of TAYB, Ms. Dandridge was given a full scholarship to attend Dance Theatre of Harlem’s summer Intensive Program. She also performed in several ballets such as “The Nutcracker,” “Swan Lake,” and “Peter and the Wolf” while guest performing with Ballet Blue Ridge of North Carolina.
Ms. Dandridge also attended and graduated from the prestigious New World School of the Arts in Miami Florida. In a dance program headed by Daniel Lewis, she studied under teachers with vast amounts of dance expertise. The dance faculty and staff at NWSA danced with illustrious companies such as Martha Graham Dance Company, San Francisco Ballet, José Limón Dance Company and Miami City Ballet. It was with New World School of the Arts,  Ms. Jessica was able to participate in regional and national dance festivals, her alma mater hosting the latter during her senior year in high school.
Ms. Jessica went on to attended Florida A&M University, where she received a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Spanish Language and Culture, as well as Elementary Education.  While at FAMU, she continued to express her love for dance while performing with Essence Dance Theatre and Mahogany Dance Theatre. In addition to dance and foreign languages, Ms. Jessica is also passionate about children and teaching. She has a K-6 teacher certification granted through the Florida Department of Education and has over 10 years of experience teaching and caring for young children. Ms. Dandridge realized she could combine all of her passions and positively contribute to Tallahassee’s growing diverse communities. With this realization, Ms. Dandridge founded Tallahassee Academy of the Dance Arts in June 2017.