About Columbia Dance Academy

We have a strong belief that dance instruction is valuable and character-building.

Dance provides children with the gifts of a strong body, mind, and strong self-discipline, and self-esteem.

Columbia Dance Academy was founded in 1996 by Jeanne Szkolka. We are a small, family-oriented studio with quality, caring instructors, in a positive, loving atmosphere. Performing arts is our passion, and we look forward to showing you what it's all about.

Meet MISS JEANNE

JEANNE SZKOLKA
Owner / Primary Instructor

Jeanne Szkolka has owned Columbia Dance Academy since 1996. She studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and tumbling with Marilyn Baumann from age 3 to 18. She also studied with Richard and Christian Munro and Alun Jones, Co-Directors of the Louisville Ballet, Greg Mayer of Washington University, Pam Bedford, Charles, Kelly Luigi, Gus Giordano, and Tom Relabate.
In her dance career, Jeanne won a scholarship to the National Academy of Arts in Champaign, IL, and was also a part of a group of four dancers who won first place in the Performing Arts Competition sponsored by the St. Louis Dancing Teachers Association.
Jeanne continued her education at the Dance Masters of America (DMA) Teachers Training School. After 4 years of study, taking oral, written, and demonstrative exams in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz, given by national examiners, she joined DMA in 2000.
Jeanne holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Missouri - Columbia.