Jacqui O'Shaughnessy

The daughter of a professional dancer, Jacqui began her dance training at the age of two. By the age of fifteen she was studying with choreographers such as Phil Black, Jojo Smith, Mary Murphy and Frank Hachett. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Performing Arts. She choreographed several pieces in college and enjoyed working with dancers dedicating themselves to dance. She was also teaching at a local dance studio while in college and knew that one day she would follow her life long dream and open a studio.

Upon graduation Jacqui began her professional career on Broadway. She appeared in several dance roles over the period of two years. During this time she opened a small dance studio. She chose Woodbridge because of its hometown feel and began teaching in a storefront on Main Street. As the studio’s success began to grow she made the choice to quit performing and dedicate herself to teaching.

Jacqui enjoys teaching preschool ballet/tap to four to six year olds to inspire them through her love of dance. The discipline of the ballet portion of the class is complimented by the energy and sound of the tap. Her devotion to teaching the basics helps move these dancers to the next level.

Jacqui also teaches all levels of tap at WSD. Her professional experience and her dedication to keeping current, through workshops and seminars help make her tap program innovative and creative.

As a coach of the Pure Energy dance team, Jacqui has won many awards and high scores for her choreography both regionally and nationally. Some of these include Best Choreography, Rhythm Award, Technique Award, and Most Entertaining. Jacqui was named Educator of the year by Company Dance and is in the Who’s Who of Business for her dedication to the Woodbridge community.

Jacqui is sought after as a judge in the tri-state area and lends her expertise to several organizations throughout the year. Her love of community is shown through the community service projects the dancers at WSD participate in. Each year, they dance at the Saint James Street Fair, Woodbridge Community Day, and the Iselin Fair. They walk to raise money for cancer research and perform at local senior centers as often as possible as a way to give back to the community and to teach the students that there is more to dancing than self. 

Many of Jacqui’s students have gone on to careers in dance, many as performers and some as studio owners and teachers. Inspiring her dancers through her love of dance has brought many of them back to Woodbridge as parents. Watching and teaching this next generation confirms her commitment to teaching was the right one.