Dance Life was founded by Jessica Hayes in August 2017 and is about embracing the challenge of learning and the growth that comes with personal expression through dance. During her dance career, Jessica has taught various forms of swing dancing, salsa and kizomba in large class settings, small groups, and individual lessons, as well as at special occasion events. With her company Dance Life, she n
ow teaches weekly kizomba classes in her hometown of Bloomington, Indiana and travels to participate in and teach at festivals in the Midwest region. Instructor Bio
Jessica has always loved dancing and has found joy in learning. She joined her first dance team in 1993 and after six years of nearly year-round training, Jessica was introduced to swing dancing in the fall of 1999. She became a founding member of the Ball State Swing Society that year and taught weekly classes in east coast swing, lindy hop, and related dances for the club from 2000-2004. This introduction into social partner dancing was transformative for Jessica and after years of training in both the Theater/Dance and Physical Education departments, encompassing classical training, social partner dancing, and instructional techniques, she received a minor in Educational Dance from Ball State University in 2004. After graduating, Jessica continued dancing and in 2010 she came across the Ritmos Latinos club at Indiana University which specializes in rueda de casino. After becoming a teaching assistant and performing rueda on various occasions, Jessica became an instructor for multiple Ritmos Latinos rueda class levels from 2012-2014. In June of 2013 Jessica took her first kizomba class, but she found only a handful of opportunities to learn more for the next two years. She spent time traveling to casino/rueda festivals and was introduced to a variety of dance styles. In the fall of 2015, Jessica began a serious effort to travel and study kizomba, driving up to 12 hours away each weekend to take classes from nationally and internationally known instructors. Jessica co-founded Bloomington Kizomba in June 2016 and in addition to continuing her travels, she spent her time hosting events and teaching weekly classes until June 2017, working to create and grow the kizomba community in Bloomington and the surrounding area.
