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 dedicated to making Dance Again inclusive and equitable. 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. 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, amongst other things - a creative coach, an author, a dancer, an amateur poet, and a dog mom.
In her personal creative work, she writes and creates interpretive dances out of real life stuff, from dating woes to eating cheese to period problems.
After leaving her classical ballet path a
Jess Grippo (she/her) is the founder of Dance Again, amongst other things - a creative coach, an author, a dancer, an amateur poet, and a dog mom.
In her personal creative work, she writes and creates interpretive dances out of real life stuff, from dating woes to eating cheese to period problems.
After leaving her classical ballet path and not dancing for years, she then started making dance videos alone in her room, which essentially brought her back to life.
Since then she’s gradually developed a creative business and dance company, and has been featured at TEDxNYU, Lincoln Center's Dance On Camera Festival, the NY Comedy Club, and more, as well as dancing on the streets with strangers, which she documents on social media. When she’s not dancing, she’s writing, teaching, coaching, facilitating her dance and coaching programs, or napping with her puppy Lucy.
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 choreogarpher. 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 choreogarpher. 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.
Dana Rose DeFrancesco (she/her), leading our Jersey Shore classes, is a Dancer, Yogi, Healer, Body Worker, Builder and Teacher. In 2015 she was coached by Jess to find her spark again, and surprisingly, found a home and dance family in the newly forming You Can Dance Again movement.
She has been dancing since she was born, born breech, she
Dana Rose DeFrancesco (she/her), leading our Jersey Shore classes, is a Dancer, Yogi, Healer, Body Worker, Builder and Teacher. In 2015 she was coached by Jess to find her spark again, and surprisingly, found a home and dance family in the newly forming You Can Dance Again movement.
She has been dancing since she was born, born breech, she jumped into the world ready to move. A native of Pittsburgh and being from a construction family, she always felt a deep connection to Flashdance.
Dana studied dance/dance education at University of the Arts, received high levels of training as a yoga teacher/therapist, is a liscensed 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 and has been put back together with the help of amazing bodyworkers. At some point, since her body seemed against her, she gave up her passion for dance and locked it away.
Jess and the Dance Again community has been an incredible way to reconnect and to feed a missing part of herself, truly to find her soul again. A safe and inviting place to remember that spark of excitement for moving, and to let it grow and glow, making her life whole again.
April Cantor (she/her) leads expressive classes with us at Dance Again.
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
April Cantor (she/her) leads expressive classes with us at Dance Again.
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
a free 13-day at-home dance challenge is here for you!
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