Dance Instructor / Extreme 14 Director
Jess Beach is a Pennsylvania native and lifelong student of dance. With over 30 years of training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, and musical theatre, she has studied under renowned artists including Nicolas Petrov (founder of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre) and Ilya Gaft (Saint Petersburg Ballet Theatre). Her formal dance education began at La Roche College's Conservatory for Ballet and continued at Point Park University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Dance, concentrating in jazz.
While based in Pittsburgh, Jess performed in industrials for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and as a backup dancer for Neil Young and Crazy Horse under the direction of Russ Tamblyn (of West Side Story). Upon graduation, she began touring professionally as a featured performer with Holland America Cruise Lines through Stiletto Entertainment, performing across the globe for six consecutive years. During this time, she worked with acclaimed choreographers including Broadway’s Patti Colombo, John Charron, Jill Hillier, and Carla Kama (known for her work with Prince and Carmen Electra).
For the past two decades, Jess has dedicated herself to education, mentorship, and choreography. She served as a Master Jazz Instructor for the inaugural Alvin Ailey Camp Baltimore at Towson University and choreographed for regional television with Big Picture Media. A highlight of her career was collaborating with Danielle Sten and Lance Guillermo (Fox’s The Big Leap) as rehearsal director for Working America and assistant choreographer for ADP's 366.
Jess has served as Artist-in-Residence and adjunct faculty for Howard Community College and Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, and directed three youth hip hop companies in Maryland. Most recently, she was on faculty with the BFA Dance Program at The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. She continues to teach full-time at a private Maryland studio while guest teaching, choreographing, and adjudicating for national and international dance conventions. Her recent credits include teaching in Florence, Italy and adjudicating in Edinburgh, Scotland.
A sought-after master instructor and nationally recognized adjudicator, Jess is honored to share her passion for dance through performance, education, and mentorship. She remains committed to fostering artistry, discipline, and joy in every dancer she works with — always guided by her core belief that movement is medicine.
