Cara Padilla Jensen has been dancing for 21 years, and teaching formally for 5 years. At the age of 12, before her formal teaching experience began, Miss Cara taught individual workshops to her mother's multi-age primary classroom at Krug Elementary School in Montgomery, Illinois. Working with children has always been a joy and a passion for Miss Cara, and the Dance Experience program allows her to fuse her passion for dance with her enthusiasm for teaching, as well as working with children in a school environment.
Miss Cara has been classically trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and modern dance at Copeland Dance Academy in St. Charles, IL, under the instruction of Ellen Copeland and Marie Bolz, advancing to the highest level in classes and competetive companies. While studying at Copeland, she advanced to Grade V in the highly specialized Cecchetti discipline of ballet technique, passing examinations with honors. Miss Cara has also studied jazz and tap under Bruce Stegman at Dorothy's Dance Unlimited in Schaumburg, IL, and apprenticed with Chicago Tap Theatre under the direction of Mark Yonally. In addition to her studio and professional training, she has taken master classes from many notable dancers, including Savion Glover, Diane Walker, Van Porter, Lon Chaney, Jimmy Slyde, Fayard Nicholas, Brenda Buffalino, Sarah Petronio and many others. Miss Cara has studied ballet and modern at Columbia College in Chicago, IL. After acquiring her Business Administration degree from Colorado Technical University Online, Miss Cara will return to Columbia College to complete her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Teaching. She is currently teaching Adult Ballet at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL. |
