Jessica Steinhart (Founder/Artistic Director/Choreographer) has been immersed in the world of dance since childhood, training at numerous studios in the valley and performing in community theater alongside mentors like Candy Sherwin and Kelly Devine. Her college years offered the chance to study with Dennon and Sayhber Rawles—choreographers of Staying Alive and Bugsy—as well as Lisa Lock, Robert Salas, and, lastly, the late Margaret Hyunn.

During her time at the Moorpark College Dance Department, Jessica appeared in productions such as Damn Yankees, performed in over 10 musical theater revues, and took the stage in West Side Story, Bash: A Play of Latterday Saints, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. These experiences fueled her passion for choreography and live performance. After college, she spent a year auditioning and dancing with contemporary companies throughout Los Angeles and Ventura County before realizing her true calling lay in teaching and inspiring young dancers.

Jessica began by volunteering at a YMCA, teaching multiple styles of dance, and later joined the award-winning Simi Dance Center in Simi Valley, where she taught for a decade. She also gained extensive experience subbing and teaching at many prestigious dance schools across the San Fernando Valley. Following the birth of her second child, she transitioned to early education at Sierra Canyon, refining her teaching approach and contributing choreography to choral performances and school-wide productions.

In the spring of 2015, alongside Adam Horwitz and then-fourth-grader Ashley Rudolph (’22), she founded the first-ever Sierra Canyon Lower School Dance Company. Over the past 11 years, Jessica has grown this program into a thriving community for young dancers, continually creating fresh opportunities for students to explore movement and performance. Through the years, Jessica has also been given the opportunity to choreograph musicals such as Shrek: The Musical, Newsies, and Mamma Mia! for Sierra Canyon’s Upper and Middle School’s Theatre Arts programs.

Jessica also takes great pride in showcasing her young dancers talents throughout the school year, by providing halftime performances at some of Sierra Canyon’s basketball and football games, whereas many as 80 dancers have performed on the field. Dancers in Company A/B have also had the opportunity to share their dance routine in the Upper School dance showcase, One Night Only, for the past several years.

She also runs a highly successful, five-day-a-week, summer dance camp—now in its 12th year—offering diverse styles from Bollywood and Hip-Hop to Musical Theatre, Tap, Jazz, and classical ballet, often partnering with master teachers from across the country.

In 2018, Jessica launched Steinhart Dance Co., an in-house dance studio experience she is bringing to schools throughout Los Angeles and Ventura County. By collaborating with expert teachers and mentors, Steinhart Dance Co. fosters a deep love of dance, creativity, and self-expression in students across Southern California. If you are interested in collaborating, please contact Jessica for more information.