Yael Dahan: Founder and Teacher

Yael Dahan grew up in Los Angeles, where discovered her passion for dance as a young girl. She studied ballet, tap, hip-hop, and musical theater at her local dance studios. Her enthusiasm for dance extends beyond personal practice; she's eager to share her knowledge and love for the art form with her students. Now embarking on the next chapter of her dance journey, Yael is excited to bring her vibrant energy and creative approach to teaching at Penny’s Dance Studio.

Shanley O’Brien is a WV native, and WVU graduate with a BA in Dance and a Minor in Fashion Design and Merchandising. She began dancing at a young age with the Charleston Ballet, where she studied ballet technique for over a decade. She later trained in contemporary, modern, jazz and tap dance with the Academy of Arts at January’s. She has performed and choreographed in WVU Dance productions, taught youth and college level dance classes, and studied abroad with Israeli contemporary dance companies. She is looking forward to starting this new chapter at Penny's!

Gillian grew up in New Hampshire, where she began her dance training in ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, and tap. In addition to taking classes at her local dance studio, she attended dance intensives with Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Kansas City Ballet. Her choreography debuted at the Regional Dance America Northeast Festival, where she has also performed on multiple occasions. While at Amherst College, Gillian took classes and performed with the Five College Consortium Dance Program. She also served as Artistic Director of Intersections Dance Company, a student dance group based on the Amherst College campus. She looks forward to bringing her love of dance to Penny’s Dance Studio as she starts this next chapter!

Mary is so excited to be working with all of the kids at Penny’s Dance Studio! She grew up as a competitive dancer in North Carolina, training in multiple styles including ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, acro, and hip hop. She is now living in Manhattan as a full-time student at Pace University, where she continues to stay connected to the dance world through classes, performances, and creative projects. Mary loves being part of a community that celebrates movement and expression, and she hopes to continue spreading the love and beauty of dance wherever she goes, both inside and outside the studio.

Jack fell in love with breakdance as a teenager and after nearly a decade of dedication, became one of the leaders in the St. Louis hip-hop dance community. In 2016, he was awarded Best Bboy of the Year of St. Louis. He took several years off to go to Yeshivah and is now excited to return to the dance floor and share the joy of breaking - the art that gave him a way to express his creativity, energy and passion in a fun and healthy way while growing up.