Director

Jenna grew up outside of Boston in a family where performing arts was at the center. Trained in ballet, tap, and jazz, Jenna danced in countless recitals and musicals, and later enjoyed choreographing dances and musicals in college. Bethesda Dance Center has been a passion project for Jenna who, with her BDC Team, looks to establish a positive dance environment as well high quality dance education for the community. Jenna received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.A. in Childhood Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Jenna’s experience as an elementary school teacher has gone hand-in-hand with her work as a Studio Director, seeking to connect with and nurture the growth of children, and in this case, specifically dancers. Jenna is also, importantly, a wife and the mother of three incredible children, Levi, Micah, and Bella.

Assistant Director

Meg is a Maryland native who grew up performing wherever she could– stages, backyards, and everywhere in between. She went on to receive a B.M. in Musical Theatre from Catholic University, where she was a performer, director, and producer of countless plays, musicals & cabarets. Meg is a Helen-Hayes nominated director and producer in the DC theatre scene, and is the Associate Artistic Director of Monumental Theatre Company. She brings her theatrical expertise and creativity to her work as Assistant Director at Bethesda Dance Center, where she has been on the team since day one, working with Jenna to grow the studio from a backyard class to a dance community for over 300 dancers. Among many things, Meg proudly leads BDC's Preschool program, and loves instilling the joy of movement in our littlest dancers!

AcroDance Program Director

Faith Rokowski (she/her) danced recreationally while growing up in Massachusetts from the age of 3, primarily in ballet, tap, jazz, jazz-funk, and lyrical. She earned her degree in Political Science from American University, where she danced and choreographed for AU In Motion. Since then, she has performed with groups around the DMV, and earned her choreographic certification from the ICONS Choreographic Institute in May 2023. In addition to her work with BDC, she is a co-founder of the Effervescence Collective, a professional dance collective based in DC. Her choreography has been presented at Atlas Performing Arts Center, Dance Place’s 2023-24 Open Call Co-Presentation Series, DanceArtTheater’s Open Dance Works, and in Dance Loft’s upcoming 2024-25 season.

Teams Program Co-Coordinator

Carmen started dancing at the age of three and pretty much never stopped! Born and raised in Montgomery County, she grew up on the competition circuit through the DMV, winning countless awards as a soloist and group member. She began choreographing at the age of 14 while continuing to further her technical training in all styles from classical ballet to hip hop. Carmen attended Penn State University where she was a member of Penn State Dance Company, serving as a showcase choreographer, advanced technique teacher, and head choreographer of the company's select ensemble. After college, she moved back to the DMV area to continue pursuing dance education and a career in fitness. Outside of being a dance professional, Carmen is a nationally-certified fitness professional, which gives her an in-depth and highly technical approach to training her dancers. Carmen is known for her unique choreography and ideas, attention to detail, and ability to tell stories through dance. Carmen believes in the power of a positive and nurturing classroom environment, while simultaneously pushing her dancers to the next level. She continues to grow as an industry professional through classes and workshops and is excited to be leading BDC's company program!

Teams Program Co-Coordinator

Devinne Cook is a passionate dance educator and choreographer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a Master’s in Business Management. Specializing in contemporary and jazz styles, Devinne brings a dynamic blend of professional performance experience, including as a three-time NFL cheerleader with the Carolina Panthers and a deep commitment to technical training. She currently serves as Adjunct Faculty at Howard Community College, where she teaches Intermediate Jazz Dance, and works nationally as an adjudicator for dance competitions. Devinne’s teaching approach focuses on building strong foundational technique, musicality, and performance quality. She values creating an inclusive and motivating classroom environment that nurtures each dancer’s unique style and voice. In addition to her academic and performance credentials, Devinne is a certified Pure Barre instructor and freelance choreographer. She is dedicated to helping dancers build strong, versatile technique while fostering growth, confidence, and artistry in every class.

Manager

Jane Peterson is a proud Baltimore Native, MICA Graduate, Art Educator, and Performer. She has represented Team USA in the Figure Skating National Showcase and is proud to continue to inspire students to explore creative movement and storytelling as a Figure Skating coach. She has held various mentorship and educator roles at Baltimore Center Stage, Maryland Institute College of Art and Baltimore Social Studios where she encourages artists and storytellers of all ages to preserve a sense of curiosity about the world.

Manager, Teacher

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Khail Bryant found her passion both on stage and screen at only four years old. Bryant began dance training at The Dance Theater of Harlem before settling at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where she trained for 15 years under some of the most revered dancers in the world. While at Ailey, Khail was chosen to dance in The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and at The White House for the Obamas. In addition to her love for dance, Khail has turned her love for acting into a thriving profession, starring in over 50 national commercials––one of which received an Emmy. Additionally, Khail has starred in films such as, “The Perfect Holiday,” “Alex Strangelove,” “See You Yesterday,” “My B.F.F, “ and even starred as Young Nala in The Lion King on Broadway for three years. In 2021, Khail graduated from Brown University, Magna Cum Laude. Khail is excited to share her love and passion for dance with her BDC dancers and looks forward to watching them grow as dancers an individuals!

Teacher

Sydney grew up performing and teaching in South Jersey. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, and pointe. Sydney spent two summers training with the Radio City Rockettes and was on a traveling competitive dancing team for 9 years. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Early Childhood and Special Education at Towson University. Sydney is a 1st grade special educator in Montgomery County and is excited to keep her creative side and love of dance alive as a teacher at BDC!

Teacher

Anna Carlisle is a Maryland native who began dancing at the age of three with Ballet with Cindee Velle. After high school she attended Towson University and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography. While at Towson University she studied Ballet, Modern, Pointe, Partnering and a composition series culminating in a senior capstone. After graduating, Anna moved to New York City and attended Broadway Dance Center’s Professional Semester, studying intensely under industry leading choreographers and teachers. After spending a year and a half in New York City, Anna is excited to continue sharing her passion for dance with the students at Bethesda Dance Center. Anna believes in creating a safe, inclusive space for dancers to express themselves through movement and most of all have fun!

Teacher

Native of Brazil, Talissa Bavaresco (she/her) is a NYC/DC based Dancer and Choreographer with expertise in Ballet, Jazz and Modern Techniques, as well as Theater and Commercial styles. Graduate from the Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz & Contemporary Program, Talissa has performed with dance companies such as Keigwin+Company, Jennifer Muller/The Works, Joffrey Ensemble, Humans Collective, Jazz Ain’t Dead, TunanuT; and in independent works by Gabrielle Lamb, Patrick O’Brien, Manuel Vignoulle, Mark Caserta and more. Commercially, Talissa has performed with artist Kimbra, Andrew McMahon and Oriion, danced at PANORAMA Music Festival NYC and at Six Flags’ Fright Fest, to name a few. Choreographically, Talissa is the Artistic Director of BAVA Dance and has presented works at the Apollo Theater, Bryant Park Dance Series, DUMBO Dance Festival, Dixon Place, The New York Jazz Choreography Festival, WAXworks, HATCH Presenting Series, Holi Hai Festival NYC, Uptown Rising and NACHMO. Talissa is a seasoned dance instructor experienced in all styles, and has extensive skills in arts management and programming.

Teacher

Alex Miller has been dancing since age three, training at the Ballet Academy her entire life. She danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem under Arthur Mitchell from ages 9 to 13. In college, she trained and performed with the Pulse Hip Hop Dance team for four years. Now, as a dedicated instructor since age 18, Alex teaches a variety of styles and finds inspiration in the creativity and passion of her students. She is thrilled to be teaching at BDC!

Dance Teacher

Emi is a dance and arts manager based in the DMV area. She holds an MA in Arts Management from American University and a BA in Dance and Business from Skidmore College, along with certifications from Sotheby’s Institute of Art and Acrobatic Arts. Her experience spans nationwide research, dance studio management, curriculum development, and production. With a passion for education, she helps dancers find their inner movement, self-expression, and creativity. After welcoming her baby boy over the summer, she is excited to return to the dance studio and continue sharing her love for the art form with BDC dancers.