PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Janelle Jones, a Virginia Beach native, is the dance director at Churchland High School in Portsmouth.
The Kempsville High School graduate started her training early, eventually attending Fordham University and training with legendary dancers Alvin Ailey and Judith Jamison.
Although dancing on the big stages in New York City was the experience of a lifetime, home was calling — and teaching was an obvious fit.
“My family is full of educators. My grandfather was a principal, and my grandmother was a music teacher. My mom is in higher education at Norfolk State; my dad was at ODU,” Jones said.
She says her time in the big city set her up for her current job.
“Putting that all under my belt, I knew I wanted to give it to kids who maybe can’t have the same opportunity — whether that’s financial or because they can’t travel. Having it and being able to give it back to them is so special,” Jones said.
“She works with a lot of us one on one, and I feel like anywhere else I wouldn’t have gotten that much attention. Here I feel seen all the time, with new opportunities,” said Churchland senior Aubrie Dalton.
Opportunities include dancing for the recent State of the City address.
“You got to dance at the State of the City. What was that like?” “Amazing. All eyes were on me. The energy was incredible; the support was amazing. It was a nice feeling all around,” Haydin Henson, a senior, said.
“I want these kids to get as much exposure as I was able to get. I think that’s very important because they need it — the classical training, the ballet. They need it. Not just the TikTok dancing or the hip-hop. They need every style of dance. So we do lyrical, contemporary, modern, jazz — all of it,” Jones said.
Her students say she instills the confidence to dance on a big stage no matter where you are.
“She tells us all the time that what she’s teaching now will help us in the future,” said Dalton.
Helping students soar on stage and in life, Janelle Jones is 'Positively Hampton Roads.'
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
