Teaching

Jessica Baynes is an experienced dance educator who has taught ages 2-100 in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Baynes holds a Master of Education (MEd) from Harvard University and is the founder of Healing in Motion Dance.

Baynes is a four-time National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) presenter and a selected speaker for the 2023 NDEO Professional Development Workshop. Her research in dance education has been featured by TED, International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), and the Project Zero Institute at Harvard University. She is a shared-recipient of Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) semi-finals Outstanding Teacher Awards in 2022 and 2024.

Jessica holds a 600-hour classical Pilates teaching certification from The New York Pilates Studio and United States Pilates Association. Her recent teaching assignments include Associate Instructor at the University of Utah Department of Ballet and full-time faculty at Ballet West, where she taught daily Modern and Contemporary classes to the Professional Training Division and Ballet West Trainees.

Modern

Baynes holds a BFA in Modern Dance. Baynes' most recent teaching assignment was offering biweekly Modern technique to all Ballet West Trainees.
Baynes also taught Advanced Modern Dance Technique & Improvisation for modern dance company, Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT). She teaches all age groups and levels of:
• modern dance
• contemporary dance
• creative movement
• improvisation
• composition/choreography.
Baynes’ approach to teaching modern dance is based on the eclectic mix of her technical training in the United States, Mexico, Panama, and the UK from practitioners of various technical specialties. Principles from each style studied (i.e. Limón and Continuum) deeply inform the modern classes that Baynes designs for her students, in conjunction with the professional and academic needs of the student population.

Contemporary

Baynes's most recent teaching assignment involved leading all daily Contemporary technique classes offered in Ballet West’s Professional Training Division.
Baynes also served as Rehearsal Director for Ballet West’s Contemporary student company, “Current” Contemporary Performing Group.
She teaches all ages and levels of:
• contemporary dance
• creative movement
• improvisation
• composition/choreography.
Baynes has formally trained in contemporary dance performance at institutions including Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance (MFA Dance Performance), University of Utah School of Dance (BFA Modern Dance), and San Diego School of Creative & Performing Arts (High School Diploma with an emphasis in Dance).

Ballet

Baynes has taught introductory to advanced level classes of ballet technique for a variety of ballet-focused institutions.
She has also taught for “Senior Steps” which was recently mentioned in the New York Times.
In 2022, Baynes began leading administration, teaching assignments, and program design for Ballet West’s Adult Division, and helped increase the division’s revenue by 42.2% within her first year of leadership.
She also created a 5-week introductory adult course at Ballet West that sold out three times within the first month of pre-registration, and increased revenue of the division by over 30% within the first six months.
Baynes also administratively supported, instructed, and facilitated teacher trainings for the adult ballet division at Ballet West.

Flamenco

Jessica has over a decade of training and four years of professional performance experience in Flamenco.
From 2011-2015, Baynes toured with Sabor Andaluz Flamenco and the popular Latin-fusion NovaMenco, in addition to various freelance projects around Southern California.
Baynes was the resident Flamenco technique instructor for Ballet West for four years and has guest taught Flamenco for the Barlow Arts Conservatory Summer Intensive, University of Utah School of Dance, Weber State University Department of Dance, San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, and the National Dance School of Panamá.

Adaptive Dance

Jessica founded Healing in Motion Dance which teaches rehabilitative ballet classes to participants at University of Utah Health with neurological conditions such as stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and traumatic brain injury.
Jessica’s research and field work in adaptive dance have been featured by United Nations Civil Society, National Dance Education Organization, TEDx, and International Association for Dance Medicine & Science.
Jessica was a weekly teacher for Movement Mentor, a program that offers creative movement to children with special needs.
She was also a long-time weekly instructor for Senior Steps, a ballet program for geriatric populations recently mentioned in the New York Times.

Classical Pilates

Baynes is a 3rd-generation Joseph Pilates instructor. She holds a 600-hour Authentic Pilates™ Teacher Certification from the United States Pilates Association and the New York Pilates Studio© which has qualified her to teach on every apparatus available in a classical studio.
In the course of her career, Baynes has developed expertise in designing and instructing contrology courses specifically tailored for the professional needs of adolescent and adult ballet athletes.
Jessica taught classical Pilates mat and reformer to ballet majors while on faculty at the University of Utah Department of Ballet. She also taught classical Pilates mat daily to pre professional students of Ballet West Academy.

Irish Dance

Baynes has almost decade of training in Irish dance. She comes from a traditional Irish family whose culture has strongly influenced her artistic background.
Jessica grew up competitive Irish dancing with Harney Academy of Irish Dance and Malone Academy of Irish Dance, taking home medals from Oireachtas championships between 2006-2009.
Baynes has taught workshops for institutions such as An Dragan Ceilteach Irish Dancers, San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, University of Utah, Weber State University, and Ballet West Summer Intensive.
Guest workshops include: Intro to Ceili Dances, Intro to Irish Step Dancing, Injury Prevention for Irish Dancers, and Classical Pilates and Cross-Training for the Irish Dancer.

Teacher Trainings and Dance/Movement Education

Jessica works closely with educators, dance instructors, and studios on dance/movement pedagogies through teacher training workshops and professional development courses.
Baynes holds a Master of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education where she developed her skills in teacher training, curriculum design, pedagogy, and research for dance education.
Baynes is a four-time National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) conference presenter and a recipient of the NDEO Professional Development Scholarship. Baynes also was a selected speaker for the 2023 NDEO Professional Development Workshop.
Baynes is the co-author of Ballet West Academy’s dance curricula (modern, contemporary, Flamenco, and Pilates), which are currently under review for national accreditation by National Association for Schools of Dance (NASD).
Baynes also co-authored the dance education section of the book “Every Child Is an Artist: 32 Artist-Inspired Activities to Cultivate Your Child’s Creativity” by Dr. Louisa Penfold with Workman Publishing.

Testimonials

“An amazing teacher who has the ability to connect with each of her students as she helps them to progress in their training”

— Directress, Children’s Ballet Theatre

“I have learned more from [her] ballet class than I have learned from any of my doctors. I have found an increased range of motion in both my affected arm and ankle and now I walk with little to no limp!”

— Former adaptive dance student

“Jessica’s classes were not only fun, but they stretched me and my knowledge... I wasn’t working out to work out, I was creating art, moving, doing something beautiful”

— Former adult student

“A phenomenal preschool teacher, and that’s not an easy age to instruct. I’m so glad my daughter got to take her class during COVID. She was a highlight in a tough time.”

— Mother of a former preschool age student

Teaching Philosophy

As a dance educator with a focus in community accessibility, it is my mission to encourage personal growth and self-confidence through codified technique.

I am an enormous advocate for the life-changing potential of communal dance education. As young children, we first develop awareness of our body as it relates to others. This is a knowledge that influences how a person navigates their physical embodiment through life. I believe that dance strongly impacts how we understand our physical selves, the world around us, and the relationship between the two.
Therefore, when teaching class, I integrate exercises which demand spatial awareness, kinesthetic empathy, and heightened proprioception. That way, when students leave the studio, they leave with a stronger mind-body connection and heightened sense of how their physical existence relates to their surroundings.
What drives my passion for education is my interest in personal development through community. In the classroom, I implement activities that include partnering, eye-contact, weight sharing, and group composition, in order to facilitate community.
A significant part of my somatic background is in classical Pilates, also known as Contrology, which is the study of body control. As a result, I make a point of educating dance students on their muscular anatomy, initiation, alignment, and control during technique classes.
When introducing kinesiology concepts, I instruct through an inclusive and body-positive lens which, to me, means emphasizing the importance of:
1.    listening and trusting the body’s cues on alignment and misalignment
2.    savoring the joy of movement, no matter how large or small
3.    moving for the love of dance and not for the love of perfection.