Teachers

Meet the Experienced Instructors Behind Our Students' Success

At Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy, our talented instructors are the foundation of everything we do. With more than 40 years of experience, two generations of teaching excellence, and a commitment to ongoing professional education, our team is dedicated to helping every student grow in skill, confidence, and creativity. Our certified instructors bring expertise in dance, gymnastics, acrobatics, and fitness while fostering a positive and encouraging learning environment. Learn more about the outstanding educators who have helped make JCDGA one of the top 50 dance schools in the country. Contact us today to schedule a free trial class and experience the difference firsthand.

Stina Smith is the owner and artistic director of the Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy. A native of Cape May, New Jersey, Stina received her early dance training locally before continuing her studies at Glassboro State College, now Rowan University. She later trained under the guidance of many of New York City’s leading dance instructors, master teachers, and choreographers. Even today, Stina continues her dance education, believing that as the dance world evolves, great teachers must continue to learn and grow along with it.

Before returning to Cape May, Stina enjoyed a successful modeling and performing career that included print work for national and international magazines, runway modeling, performing as a featured dancer at Resorts International, and playing the lead role of Cassie in A Chorus Line. Her professional career also gave her the opportunity to perform with legendary entertainers, including Bill Cosby, Ben Vereen, and Gene Kelly.

Stina eventually returned to her hometown with a dream of creating a place where young dancers could receive exceptional training while developing confidence, discipline, artistry, and a lifelong love of dance. What began in a rented building with a modest number of students has grown over the past 42 years into one of southern New Jersey’s most respected dance programs.

The Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy has received national recognition throughout its history. In 1997, Dancer Magazine named the Academy one of the top ten dance studios in the country. In 2002, Dance Teacher Now recognized Jersey Cape as one of 50 schools in the United States and Canada to “watch out for.”

For more than 30 years, the Academy’s competition teams have earned numerous national awards and recognition for excellence across many areas of dance. One of Stina’s most meaningful accomplishments came with her Holocaust piece, Suffer the Innocence, for which she received the Bill Como Award for Excellence from Dance Magazine.

The New Jersey State Commission on Holocaust Education later supported the piece for use in school programming. The dancers performed for tens of thousands of students throughout New Jersey, using dance to educate young people about the horrors of the Holocaust and the importance of tolerance. The award-winning piece continues to be used as an educational resource in classrooms throughout the state.

Over the years, Jersey Cape students have gone on to perform with Disney, cruise lines, Broadway productions, national touring companies, and the Radio City Rockettes. Former students have danced alongside artists including Mariah Carey and Justin Timberlake and have appeared at the Academy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and Emmy Awards.

Jersey Cape dancers have also appeared on national television. In 2010, six students, known as The Pixies, advanced to the Top 40 on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. In 2011, 19 students performing as Shore Thing appeared on CBS’s Live to Dance with Paula Abdul. In 2013, another Jersey Cape group, Unity in Motion, advanced to the Top 48 on NBC’s America’s Got Talent.

Beyond the professional stage, many of Stina’s students have continued their education at colleges and universities, performing on collegiate dance and cheer teams. Others have discovered their own passion for teaching, becoming dance educators, working professionally in the dance industry, and even opening studios of their own.

After 42 years, Stina considers one of her greatest accomplishments to be the generations of students and families who have made Jersey Cape their dance home.

It remains a privilege to walk into our beautiful facility every day and witness the joy, dedication, and growth of our students. Jersey Cape is truly a family-run business, and I am especially proud that so many members of our staff are former students and family members who have chosen to continue sharing this passion with the next generation.

To every student, parent, teacher, and family member who has walked through our doors: thank you for being such a meaningful part of my life and for making these 42 years so remarkable. I am incredibly proud of where we have been, grateful for where we are today, and excited for all that is still ahead.

Kendra Heminway’s life has always revolved around dance. She began dancing at the age of two and grew up at Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy, where she trained throughout her childhood and teenage years. As a student, she received numerous awards and scholarships, including being selected to study at the prestigious Governor’s School of the Arts.

After graduating high school, Kendra moved to New York City to pursue a professional career in dance. While there, she trained on scholarship at Broadway Dance Center, studying a wide variety of dance styles with some of the industry’s leading teachers. Her professional career soon took her to Walt Disney World, where she performed in the stage production of Beauty and the Beast and The Diamond Horseshoe Revue.

Kendra has also performed in live shows and industrials for companies including Toyota, Microsoft, Benjamin Moore, and House of Blues. Her work has been featured on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, a Disney Christmas special with Donny Osmond.

For the past three decades, Kendra has dedicated herself to teaching and choreography. For more than twenty years, she has worked with the Academy’s advanced students and competition team, developing dancers technically, artistically, and personally. Her choreography has received national recognition and has been featured on Live to Dance and two seasons of America’s Got Talent, where she choreographed for Unity in Motion, Shore Thing, and Pixies.

Kendra’s greatest accomplishment is the success of the dancers she has had the privilege of mentoring. Her former students have gone on to professional careers with the Radio City Rockettes, Royal Caribbean, national tours, theme parks, and Las Vegas productions. She is equally proud of the many students who have continued their dance journeys at colleges and universities, performing and leading dance and cheer teams at schools including The University of the Arts, The College of New Jersey, Rutgers, Hofstra, Seton Hall, Monmouth University, and Stockton University.

Kendra has also shared her expertise beyond the studio, serving as a judge for several national dance competitions.

In recent years, Kendra has continued to expand her knowledge of movement and wellness, becoming a 200-hour Yoga Alliance certified yoga instructor. This additional training has deepened her understanding of strength, mobility, alignment, and body awareness—knowledge she brings into her work with dancers.

After a professional career on stage, years spent training in New York, and three decades of teaching and choreographing, Kendra considers her greatest privilege to be continuing the legacy of her family’s dance studio. Working alongside her mother, she has the opportunity to share her passion for dance with generations of young dancers—and to help them discover not only what they can accomplish in dance, but also who they can become through it.

Kelly Rossi has been a part of Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy since the age of two, when she took her very first gymnastics class with Stina Smith. Today, Kelly serves as the Academy's Director of Gymnastics and has trained with some of the country's top gymnastics coaches. Holding a USA Gymnastics Safety Certification, Kelly brings an extensive background in gymnastics and cheerleading to all of her students. She teaches all levels of gymnastics, contortion, and cheerleading, and her classes are known for being high-energy, fun, and exciting.

Kelly also has a strong background in competitive athletics, having competed at both the regional and national levels. She has earned top honors, including Jr. Miss Starpower and Jr. Miss Acrobat of New Jersey. She also achieved top placements at national competitions in Dallas, Texas; Orlando, Florida; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with her All-Star collegiate cheerleading team. Kelly holds credentials through the National Cheerleading Association and has served as an instructor for NCA cheerleading programs throughout the United States. Sharing her cheerleading expertise, Kelly has coached numerous local teams, including Margaret Mace, Crest Memorial, Teitelman, Wildwood High School, Lower Cape May Regional High School, and Wildwood Catholic High School. She has also choreographed individual routines for many cheerleaders who have earned first-place finishes at the national level. In addition, Kelly serves as a judge for national cheerleading competitions.

Twelve of Kelly's students have had the honor of being selected for the United States Acrobatic Team and have performed at prestigious venues such as Madison Square Garden, Walt Disney World, and Times Square in New York City with DRA. One of Kelly's students, who held the title of Miss Acrobat of the United States in 2005, was a featured performer on a CBS morning show. Kelly is extremely proud of her students and their accomplishments, many of whom have earned some of the country's highest titles, including Petite Miss Acrobat, Jr. Miss Acrobat, and Miss Acrobat of the United States. Her students have also competed on two seasons of America's Got Talent and Live to Dance.

Kelly also taught acrobatics at Jovo Dance under the direction of Scott Jovovich of the New York City Dance Alliance. She looks forward to many more rewarding years at the Academy and feels very blessed to call Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy her home.

Louise has a diverse background in all disciplines of dance and gymnastics. She received her initial dance education from Stina Smith at Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy. Louise has developed expertise in tap and jazz, having studied with renowned instructors including Joe Tremaine, Marcia Lane, Doug Caldwell, Tony Cappola, and Barry Lather.

Louise has since expanded her training to include gymnastics and contortion and has earned her USA Gymnastics Safety Certification. Known for her exceptional patience and nurturing teaching style, Louise has developed and directed the Academy's preschool program for more than 12 years, which now includes several advanced preschool classes. She instills strong technical fundamentals in all of her students, but most importantly, she inspires a lifelong love of dance.

Working closely with the Academy's national award-winning Mini Competition Team, Louise's tap choreography has received recognition throughout the national competition circuit, earning numerous regional and national awards.

At the Academy, we credit Louise as being the stepping stone for many of our alumni who have gone on to pursue careers in dance. These students have never forgotten where their passion for dance was first cultivated.

With the support of her wonderful family, Louise looks forward to many more exciting and rewarding years at the Academy.

Bryce Yerk is an innovative acrobatics and dance instructor with two decades of experience evolving her craft. She grew up training at her Aunt Stina Smith’s studio, The Jersey Cape Dance and Gymnastics Academy, where she continues to share her passion for the arts today. Bryce has judged both regional and national dance competitions, and her training techniques have reached dancers worldwide through master classes taught for the International Dance Organization.

Her students have achieved exceptional success across the AcroDance community, including featured spots on two seasons of America’s Got Talent and Paula Abdul’s Live to Dance. Bryce emphasizes strong technical foundations paired with precise developmental progressions that foster confident, consistent dancers and gymnasts.

Outside the studio, Bryce works as an elementary education interventionist. Holding degrees in child psychology and education, she applies a deep understanding of the mind-body connection to build confidence in her students, instilling an “I Can” attitude that empowers dancers of all levels to reach their fullest potential.

Jamie has been a part of the Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy since she was two years old. She was trained by Stina Smith, Annika Nash, Kendra Hemingway, and Kelly Stelacio in all styles of dance and gymnastics.

Jamie joined the Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy national team at the age of 4 and traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, for her first competition when she was 5. Throughout her days on the competition circuit, she won many regional and national titles, such as Petite Miss on Stage America, Jr. Miss Acrobat of the United States, and Senior Miss on Stage America. Jamie was a part of the United States Dance and Acrobatic Team for two years in a row and performed at Solstice in Times Square and Half Time for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

In 2011, Jamie was a part of the group "Shore Thing" that made it to the top 18 of Paula Abdul's CBS television show "Live to Dance." The next year, she competed across America on NBC's hit show "America's Got Talent" with the group "Unity in Motion." Jamie has continued her dance education at the prestigious Broadway Dance Center and at dance conventions such as Jump, Pulse, Wild, NYCDA, Ash, and Radix.

Currently, Jamie is on staff at Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy. She teaches all forms of dance and gymnastics. She works closely with our National award-winning competition team and has won numerous choreography awards on the competition circuit. In addition to teaching at the studio, Jamie has picked up photography. She loves showcasing a dancer's talent through her images. Look for her work under Jmdancephotos on Instagram.

Jamie feels very blessed to be a part of such a special community and looks forward to many more seasons at the academy.

Elena came to the United States from Kyrgyzstan nine years ago, where she served as the head of the dance department in Karakol City and worked as a certified physical therapy technician. She also served as a dance instructor and choreographer for preschool-aged children, as well as a rhythmic gymnastics coach at several schools throughout Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation, where her students earned numerous honors.

Inga La Puma began studying ballet at the age of six. She grew up dancing in the pre-professional program at the Virginia Ballet Company and School, where she trained with Oleg Tupine of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Tatiana Rousseau, who studied under Olga Preobrajenska in Paris. She performed in The Nutcracker every year from ages 12 to 20 and appeared in numerous full-length ballets, including Les Sylphides and Coppélia.

Inga began teaching at the Virginia Ballet Company while attending ballet courses at George Mason University. She continued her training in a variety of dance styles at Eugene Ballet in Oregon and Florida International University in Miami. She also took company classes with Douglas Martin, artistic director of Princeton Ballet School, and performed roles such as Kitri's mother in Don Quixote and the Queen in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. She furthered her studies under Ballet Master Rachelle Butler at Madison Ballet in Wisconsin.

When Inga's daughters were 3 and 5 years old, she chose Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy as their studio because she recognized its high level of technical training and emphasis on ballet as the foundation of dance. In 2018, Inga was invited to teach ballet at Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy and is excited to be a part of its exceptional staff.

Inga holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and serves as the science lead for a national vegetation and fuel mapping program with the United States Forest Service.

Margaux Leffas from California trained, taught, and competed at San Diego Dance Centre, where she studied tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical under the direction of Sharon Keller, Michelle Miner, and Lynn-Rae Hiers. Margaux is highly known for her turn technique and tap. This has brought her many opportunities across the country. Margaux earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Dance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 2015.

Margaux has been teaching for 19 years and has earned prestigious awards such as top overalls, highest technique scores, and choreography awards. Her success is shown through her students, from being on SYTYCD, WOD, and so much more. Margaux has worked dance competitions for over a decade and emceed at the Spotlight Dance Cup and now the Turn It Up Dance Challenge.

Margaux has judged for Just Dance Invitational, Legacy Dance Championships, Spotlight Dance Cup, LEAP, and Journey and continues to judge for Starquest, KAR Productions, Energy, Turn It Up Dance Challenge, and ONE Beat. Margaux is also involved with high school judging for WCE. Margaux looks forward to sharing knowledge with you.

Georgia Paparmakos is a 22-year-old acrobatic instructor who has been dedicated to the world of dance and acrobatics, having begun her journey at just two years old. Hailing from Cape May, NJ, Georgia found her passion early on, immersing herself in the competitive dance and cheer scene in South Jersey.

At the age of six, Georgia began her formal training with Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics, an institution that played a pivotal role in shaping her skills. A proud graduate of Wildwood Catholic High School, Georgia, showcased her leadership abilities as the captain of the cheerleading team. Her passion for gymnastics and power tumbling led her to prestigious summer camps, like Woodward PA, where she received instruction from renowned figures in the industry, including icons like Jordan Weiber and Gabi Butler.

At the age of seven, Georgia made her mark on the television reality program "Live To Dance," broadcast on CBS and executive-produced by Paula Abdul. In the year 2010, Georgia was also in a movie, “Standing Ovation,” which was produced by Diane Kirman. Throughout her journey, Georgia honed her craft by training with top-of-the-line choreographers at prominent dance conventions such as Radix, NYCDA, ASH, Jump!, Pulse, Nuvo, and Wild.

Nationally recognized for her power tumbling and acrobatic talents, Georgia excelled in competitions on Jersey Cape’s nationally ranked competition team. Under the guidance of instructors like Stina Smith, Kendra Heminway, Annika Nash, Kelly Stelacio, Bryce Yerk, and Elena Strelnikova, she became adept at her art.

Furthering her education, Georgia gained valuable insights from seasoned professionals like Sky Hoffman and Carrie Locklyn Hoffman, who boasted extensive industry experience, including work with celebrity artists like Justin Timberlake and Mariah Carey, as well as Hollywood productions. An early bloomer in the teaching realm, Georgia began assisting masterclasses as a teenager.

Additionally, Georgia pursued specialty training classes through Acrobatic Arts and is currently working towards obtaining her official AcroDance certification. Beyond her accomplishments in the dance arena, Georgia is deeply passionate about working with children. She finds fulfillment in training, teaching, and mentoring young minds, spanning ages from 2 to 18.

In addition to her pursuits in the dance world, Georgia runs her family's hotel, The Cape Harbor, working alongside her dad and brother. When not in the gym or at the hotel, she adds to her repertoire by nannying for many local families in Cape May County.

As Georgia continues to pursue her passions, she remains rooted in Cape May, the place she proudly calls home. Her dedication to acro and mentorship reflects a commitment to excellence that defines her unique journey in the world of movement and expression.

Abby began dancing at Jersey Cape Dance at just three years old and joined the competitive dance team shortly after. Throughout her training, she studied under Stina Smith, Kendra Hemingway, Kelly Stelacio, and Louise Marshall, developing a strong foundation in multiple styles of dance as well as gymnastics and contortion.

As her training progressed, Abby attended numerous dance conventions, including Radix, ASH, NYCDA, Wild, Jump, and Pulse. She was also selected to participate in aerial arts training in New York City and attended the Flight Acro Dance Convention in Michigan, where she further developed and honed her skills and knowledge in contortion.

At age seven, Abby was selected to appear on Paula Abdul’s CBS television show Live to Dance, where she advanced to the Top 18. She continued expanding her dance education through classes at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway in New York City, training with respected industry professionals.

Today, Abby is a staff member at Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy, where she teaches a variety of dance and gymnastics disciplines. Having grown from a young student into a successful competitor, mentor, and now instructor, Abby is excited to share her experience with the next generation of dancers and help each student develop their skills, confidence, and love of dance.

Meet the Experienced Instructors Behind Our Students' Success

Stina Smith

Kendra Heminway

Kelly Stelacio

Louise Marshall

Bryce Yerk

Jamie Marshall

Elena Strelnikova

Inga La Puma

Tracey Nagel

Margaux Leffas

Georgia Paparmakos

Abigail Eckel

Tracey Nagel

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Jersey Cape Dance & Gymnastics Academy

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