Jenna Papai
teaching artist
Jenna began her dance training studying ballet, jazz, and modern at Columbus Dance International, progressing to BalletMet Columbus. As a teenager, she realized that tap was her true passion and that still holds true today! She began teaching dance at the age of 15 under the tutelage of her teacher and mentor, Becky Hoag.
Jenna was a founding member of Shuffle’s Productions Tap company, with whom she performed several seasons of Broadway’s “Tappy Holidays”. Since then, she has also been a performing member of the Long Beach Dance Company in California. Most recently, she was a dance teacher, and later became the Director of Tynkertopia. Tynkertopia is a Non-profit STEAM Academy in Flagstaff Arizona, bringing dance, art, and science to marginalized communities in Northern Arizona.
Prior to moving out West, Jenna taught in Columbus for four years at The Dance Extension and eight years at BalletMet. Jenna has also studied Eastern European folk dancing for over 30 years. She currently performs with Living Traditions Folk Ensemble and SELO Croation Folk Ensemble. In 2011, Jenna graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University with a degree in Education. She is happy to be back teaching at BalletMet.