We believe that every dancer is unique and deserves the chance to share their expression with the world in whatever way feels most aligned and authentic.
Through our classes, virtual programs, live retreats, book, and online community, we provide the structure and guidance to empower you to make your dance desire a reality.
We believe that dance is for everyone, and is a medicine for our personal and collective healing.
We believe that dance is an innate human language that we can tap into rather than something we necessarily need to be trained or taught.
We prioritize dance as self expression, creativity and healing over technique and exercise (although we recognize all movement is exercise and honor the various techniques that can be learned.)
We believe that dance can (and should!) be integrated into your life, in your own meaningful way, no matter what your full time profession is.
We believe that it’s never too late and that no matter how long it’s been, you can dance again.
We stand for freedom through dance, for dance as a vehicle for personal and collective liberation that can be accessed anywhere, in any moment, by anyone who has a body.
Equity & Inclusion Statement
By being here, you actively support our mission of creating a community that practices equity and inclusion.
We are acutely sensitive to the ways specific groups of people, in particular BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women, and differently abled bodies, have historically been disenfranchised and marginalized in the world at large, as well as in the dance world. We are dedicated to making Dance Again inclusive and equitable. If you as a community member see opportunities to support/uphold this commitment, please share your views as we prioritize creating a collaborative community.
Jess Grippo (she/her) is the founder of Dance Again and the creator and facilitator of the Dance Again Teacher Training.
After leaving her classical ballet path and not dancing for almost a decade, she then started making dance videos alone in her room, which essentially brought her back to life.
Since then she’s gradually built Dance Again
Jess Grippo (she/her) is the founder of Dance Again and the creator and facilitator of the Dance Again Teacher Training.
After leaving her classical ballet path and not dancing for almost a decade, she then started making dance videos alone in her room, which essentially brought her back to life.
Since then she’s gradually built Dance Again as a creative business and dance company, and has been featured at TEDxNYU, Lincoln Center's Dance On Camera Festival, the NY Comedy Club, Women’s Health Magazine, and more, as well as dancing on the streets with strangers, which she documents on social media.
In her personal creative work, she writes and creates interpretive, comedic dances out of real life stuff, from dating woes to eating cheese to period problems.
Her classes are creative, approachable, and encourage your unique expression.
Read more about our founder, Jess Grippo
Dana Rose DeFrancesco (she/her) teaches Contemporary-ish classes with us.
She is a dancer, yogi, healer, body worker, builder, and teacher.
Dana studied dance and dance education at University of the Arts, received high levels of training as a yoga teacher/therapist, is a licensed massage therapist/bodyworker, and has a masters in Sports
Dana Rose DeFrancesco (she/her) teaches Contemporary-ish classes with us.
She is a dancer, yogi, healer, body worker, builder, and teacher.
Dana studied dance and dance education at University of the Arts, received high levels of training as a yoga teacher/therapist, is a licensed massage therapist/bodyworker, and has a masters in Sports Exercise Psychology.
She was a professional dancer at many times in her life and loved everything about it! Unfortunately, she has been plagued from the age of 16, with chronic injuries, which had her locking away her passion for dance for a long time.
In 2015 she was coached by Jess to find her spark again, and surprisingly, found a home and dance family in the newly forming Dance Again movement, where we are now lucky to have her as a teacher.
Her class highlights include thorough warm-ups with an injury prevention angle, and a penchant for 80s music. Expect to move a lot and learn a lot!
Tiffany Mangulabnan (she/her) teaches Rusty Ballet classes with us.
She is a New York-based Filipino dancer, choreographer, teacher and a founding co-artistic director of the Brooklyn-based contemporary ballet company konverjdans.
Born and raised in Manila, she began her professional career with the Philippine Ballet Theatre when she was
Tiffany Mangulabnan (she/her) teaches Rusty Ballet classes with us.
She is a New York-based Filipino dancer, choreographer, teacher and a founding co-artistic director of the Brooklyn-based contemporary ballet company konverjdans.
Born and raised in Manila, she began her professional career with the Philippine Ballet Theatre when she was 15 and went on to perform as a principal dancer with the company before she moved to New York City in 2012. In New York, she freelanced as a dancer for many years with BalletNext, Claudia Schreier & Co., Emery LeCrone DANCE, Gleich Dances, Terra Firma Dance and other companies. She currently works as a dancer at The Metropolitan Opera as well as with konverjdans, Pigeonwing Dance, Indelible Dance, Abanar, and John Passafiume Dancers, among other companies, choreographers and filmmakers.
Tiffany is also a passionate teacher of classical ballet, teaching advanced ballet classes at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, open professional ballet classes at NY Community Ballet and, most recently, Rusty Ballet classes with Dance Again! We love her highly skilled and highly compassionate approach.
Yxia Olivares (she/her) teaches hip-hop classes with us.
She is a Dominican-American choreographer, dancer, fitness instructor, and visual artist. A self-taught hip-hop dancer and choreographer, and a proud mom, Yxia shares her endless enthusiasm and experience to help her students feel welcomed and inspired, and to have fun and learn a lo
Yxia Olivares (she/her) teaches hip-hop classes with us.
She is a Dominican-American choreographer, dancer, fitness instructor, and visual artist. A self-taught hip-hop dancer and choreographer, and a proud mom, Yxia shares her endless enthusiasm and experience to help her students feel welcomed and inspired, and to have fun and learn a lot!
She’s worked with icons such as Salt N’ Pepa, Jay Z, Britney Spears, Sean “Puffy” Combs, lil’ Kim, Mariah Carey, Will Smith, Snoop, NAS, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, Gwen Stefani, Neyo, 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean, and Sean Paul.
…as well as with choreography notables: Jaime King, Laurie Ann Gibson, Jerry Mitchell, Tina Landon, Fatima Robinson, HiHat, Jamal Sims, Rosero McCoy, Buddha Stretch, Devyne Stephens, NuStylz, Shotyme, Randy Connor, and Tanisha Scott.
We are proud and lucky to have her with us at Dance Again! Expect a high energy class with lots of sweat and fun.
Cate Prefontaine Hausmann (she/her) is an original Dance Again member and choreographer.
Over the past few years, Cate has reconnected with her creativity in partnership with Jess through writing painting, dancing, and now, choreography. When Cate is not dancing, she serves as the principle of an all girls charter school in Manhattan. She
Cate Prefontaine Hausmann (she/her) is an original Dance Again member and choreographer.
Over the past few years, Cate has reconnected with her creativity in partnership with Jess through writing painting, dancing, and now, choreography. When Cate is not dancing, she serves as the principle of an all girls charter school in Manhattan. She has previously worked as a teacher, coach, administrator and consultant in schools around the United States.
She loves to dance with her husband Kevin and to bring the gift of dance into the lives of family, friends, and even perfect strangers through teaching and taking classes, making dance videos and performing whenever possible. Cate is thrilled to be taking the lead as a facilitator with her dynamic, energetic, inclusive and down to earth approach to dance.
Michelle Maso (she/her) is an original Dance Again member and choreographer.
She identifies as a dancer, educator, wife, mother and many other things. She studied Dance at Rutgers University and Special Education at Long Island University. Michelle is a full time Dance Educator with the NYC Department of Education, where she teaches 3K an
Michelle Maso (she/her) is an original Dance Again member and choreographer.
She identifies as a dancer, educator, wife, mother and many other things. She studied Dance at Rutgers University and Special Education at Long Island University. Michelle is a full time Dance Educator with the NYC Department of Education, where she teaches 3K and Pre-K Creative Movement.
In 2015, at the beginning of Jess Grippo’s You Can Dance Again movement, Michelle rediscovered her dancer self and has been dancing and creating ever since. She enjoys sharing her passion for dance and helping her students and her children, Amelia and Oscar, develop body awareness and comfort, while encouraging their creative expression.
Taryn Smith (she/her) is our resident somatic expressive arts therapist in the Dance Again Teacher Training and is taking private clients.
She has a passion for working with creatives, artists, innovators and activists who are looking to break limiting patterns and cycles in their art, work, life and relationships. Her work operates off t
Taryn Smith (she/her) is our resident somatic expressive arts therapist in the Dance Again Teacher Training and is taking private clients.
She has a passion for working with creatives, artists, innovators and activists who are looking to break limiting patterns and cycles in their art, work, life and relationships. Her work operates off the idea that what happens to you is stored and processed not only in the mind, but also in your body.
In your sessions together you'll explore how to work through personal and creative deadlocks, cope and create while living in a world that often does not view your work/existence as valid, manage symptoms of emotional overwhelm, creative fatigue, and “imposter syndrome” while using creative art and body centered approaches that help get to the ‘root of it’.
Her sessions center curiosity, playfulness, well placed humor and warmth while simultaneously offering an assertive, focused approach and therapeutic process.
Taryn incorporates a progressive and social justice focused lens and has ample experience serving clients with varied and complex trauma.
To learn more, book a complimentary session with her: https://calendly.com/tarynlsmith
April Cantor (she/her) teaches expressive classes with us.
Through yoga, movement, interactive art experiences she teaches from a multicultural, interdisciplinary perspective. April Cantor has been teaching yoga & meditation for over 20 years and before that was an actor/dancer and theater educator. She is also of mother of 2 teen boys. Al
April Cantor (she/her) teaches expressive classes with us.
Through yoga, movement, interactive art experiences she teaches from a multicultural, interdisciplinary perspective. April Cantor has been teaching yoga & meditation for over 20 years and before that was an actor/dancer and theater educator. She is also of mother of 2 teen boys. All these roles influence her teaching - you will find elements of the stage, the mat, the cushion, and mamma-love in her classes.
Like any good mother, she wants you to leave class feeling nurtured, cared for and empowered. She also aims to help elevate the everyday to something magical and sacred through making dance a ritual, a way of “drawing down the divine.”
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It had been years since she stepped into a studio or - even scarier - the stage. Her body felt like a foreign object - limbs not as limber and belly much more bellied.
The voices in her head kept saying:
“You missed your chance. You gave up dancing. You’re out of shape. Who are you to think you can start again? You’ll just embarrass yourself.”
Yet there was a feeling in her gut. In her heart. In her SOUL.
She knew she was still a dancer.
Despite the years away from the dance world, despite the distance she felt from her body, despite these voices telling her not to do it, she was ready to dance again.
And so it started in that lonely bedroom. The soulful funk of Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing” jammed out on her ipod as she picked up her partner (a teddy bear) and tore up the carpeted dance floor.
She recorded it on whatever poor quality video camera she had because the artist in her wanted an audience. Even though she was terrified of it, she craved being seen. Dance had always been the way she related to the world and, if she was honest with herself, she had been feeling lost without an audience to witness her.
Making these dance videos became her outlet.
It became the way she started to see herself as a dancer and an artist again. The way she connected to other people from a truthful place. The way she connected to the truth within herself.
Little did she know at the time, but that lonely dance video would be the seed of a greater movement - the one you’re reading about now.
Her dance world expanded and deepened throughout the years she made those dance videos, making her life more meaningful, more magical, more connected, and more FUN.
And along the way, she couldn’t help but share the sentiment with others.
She realized she wasn’t the only one who craved a return to dance - without all the competition and pressure the more typical traditional dance world can bring.
And so she started making spaces where more people could join her, and together co-create a more accessible and inclusive dance world.
And that’s why Dance Again (formerly called You Can Dance Again) exists.
Our virtual programs and growing roster of classes are designed to help you:
**Discover your own authentic movement and get comfortable dancing in any setting
**Access your freedom and confidence both on and off the dancefloor
**Create the dance life you always wanted but never knew was possible
dance again
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