Meet professional dancer Kathleen McAree!

A consummate dance professional, Kathleen is well-versed in a number of genres, including (but not limited to!) ballet and pointe, jazz, hip-hop, and musical theater (Broadway). She has toured both nationally and internationally with such well-known companies as Jette Performance Company, The Mantis Project, Kelly Drummond, and The Jennifer Krease Dance Ensemble. She has also appeared in movies such as Carlitos Way and The Stepford Wives, and was a featured dancer in MTV London’s Speedracer video.

Kathleen taught in the Dance Department for CUNY at Queensborough Community College for 13 years, and had the privilege of working with such esteemed choreographers as Robert Battle, the current artistic director of The Alvin Ailey Dance Company. In addition to her collegiate position, she has taught ballet, pointe, jazz, hip-hop, musical theater, modern, lyrical and Latin dance in a number of dance programs over the last 16 years, including Steps on Broadway in New York, Dance Plus…a Whole Lot More, and The Mantis Project, was the Studio Co-Director at Dance Education Unlimited, and Master Class Series Director at Elan Awards.

Kathleen McAree holds a BFA in Fine and Performing Arts with a concentration in Dance from Montclair State University. She also holds a Masters degree in Elementary Education from Queens College – City University of New York (CUNY). She is certified as a teacher of ballet by the American Ballet Theater, is a member of The New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYS APHERD) and has been a Dance Conference Presenter for their organization.

We are so honored that Kathleen has agreed to teach for us here at The Ridgewood Conservatory. The mother of three young children, she has a unique perspective on providing a solid foundation in technique for student dancers while infusing her pedagogy with a true love of dance as a means of self-expression.