Jessica Kissner-Foley
Ms. Foley enters into her 11th year of teaching at the Academie. After having completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Jessica has taught and performed professionally both locally and nationally. While a student, she worked with various guest artists including the late David Berkey and Patrick Strong from NYC, as well as participating in master classes with the Minnesota Ballet. Jessica attended and performed at ACDFA (American Collegiate Dance Festival of the Arts) at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.
Professional performance credits include the ‘6th Annual Welk Musical Christmas,’ ‘Oklahoma,’ performing the role of “Dream Laurey,” ‘West Side Story’ as tomboy character “Anybodys” and ‘CanCan’, all in Southern California at the Lawrence Welk Resort Theatre. Ms. Foley also toured nationally as Jenny, the lead role in Sesame Street Live’s ‘Everyone Makes Music’ production. Along with other fellow UWSP grads, Ms. Foley co-directed, co-choreographed, and co-produced “Permission Slip,” a professional dance concert funded in part by a cultural arts grant in 2002 near Minneapolis, MN.
Jessica has been Assistant Choreographer for the KIDS from Wisconsin since 1998, where she previously was a member of the KIDS troupe, performing as a featured singer/dancer and served as Dance Captain. She has also spent several summers on the road as the Assistant Tour Director. Her skill as a choreographer includes recognition by the Jazz Dance World Congress in 1999, where she was one of 18 applicants recognized internationally.
Ms. Foley has choreographed for numerous high school music groups, Community Theatre Productions, and pageants. Most recently, she has assisted in directing/choreographing for “Locals on Stage,” a benefit concert for ODC. Her teaching credits include various studios in Stevens Point, Fond du Lac, Rochester, MN, Temecula, CA, and as a faculty member for UWSP’s Musical Theatre and Dance Camp. Jessica has also been a member of the dance faculty at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI.
Ms. Foley has attended the DanceLife Teacher Conference in Boston, MA and in Orlando, Florida in 2009.