JACKIE SHEPPARD

DANCE INSTRUCTOR

MARKETING ADMIN

Jacquelyn Sheppard was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia where her imagination and adoration of wonder was fostered at a young age. At eleven, Jacquelyn began dance classes as a creative outlet and quickly came to adore the art form. She trained in ballet, pointe, contemporary, tap, hip-hop, and jazz at Compass Dance Academy under the direction of Linda Wells and Sara Gratzer. Jacquelyn became Compass Dance Academy’s first student teacher at the age of fifteen and continued to teach creative movement, ballet, hip-hop, and tap classes until her graduation from high school.

In May of 2020, Jacquelyn graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Belhaven University. During her time at Belhaven, Jacquelyn was a member of Belhaven University’s Dance Ministry Ensemble and Belhaven University’s Dance Ensemble. Through participating in these ensembles, Jacquelyn had the honor to perform works by Brandon Welch, Clara Grace Watts, Mia Whitehead, Vincent Hardy, and Doug Varone and Dancers. In addition developing her technique in ballet and modern, Jacquelyn pursued skills in choreography, dance for film, dance photography, and pedagogy. Her screendance films and choreography have been performed in Belhaven University’s Emerging Choreographer’s Concert, Community Dance Concert, and Dance Ministry Ensemble. In 2019, Jacquelyn received the Bezalel Award from the faculty in the Dance Department for her outstanding artistic achievement.

Moving forward with a continued passion for collaboration and creative design, Jacquelyn is thrilled to educate and promote the next generation at Compass Dance Academy to a love of dancing with excellence, creative inquiry, and glory to our Creator & God.