Who we are
This dance studio has served the Dunkirk area for over 50 years, despite three name changes. Three independent, caring, and artistic women have owned it, each adding her own touch to this small-town studio with big heart.
Founded by Sally Crino in 1973 as Crino Dance and Gymnastic Arts, our school teaches ages 18 months to adults. Rosanne Chesbro bought and renamed it Chadwick Bay Academy of Dance in 1998 and ran it until spring 2018.
Jessie McKenna became owner in Summer 2018 and continues to run the studio, now named after her late father, Frank McKenna. Jessie changed the name to McKenna Academy of Dance so that her father’s family name can live on despite him having 3 girls :) She holds a B.A. in Dance Studio Administration and Spanish and an M.A. in Dance Studies.
Our studio culture here at McKenna Academy is very important to us. We believe wholeheartedly in making sure that our studio is family friendly, fun, a great learning environment, somewhere that teaches discipline and hard work but does it in a way that doesn’t tear dancers down but builds them up!
If you ask almost any dancer who grew up dancing in the last half century, a lot of them have trauma from their dance studios. Whether it was a mean teacher, body shaming, toxic studio culture, inappropriate costuming or song/content choices, made to do things that aren’t healthy for the body in the name of being a good dancer or so many other things that take the joy away from dance. Unfortunately, that was common and rampant. Our goal is to make sure that kind of toxicity ends for future dance generations. We know better and we aim to do SO much better than what we were raised with.
We also aim to make sure that the dance parents financing the dance endeavors also don’t come out with trauma! hehe. We aim to make our studio family friendly in both content as well as scheduling and financials. We want every child to be exposed to dance and we do not want expensive dance classes, costumes and dance trips to be the reason we can’t get dance into the lives of so many more children’s lives.
Of course we want to teach good dancing, strong technique, perseverance and tenacity when something gets difficult, we want to help your dancer develop an artistic eye, build stamina, prove to themselves that they CAN do hard things when they put work into it, and build self confidence. But we think it is also possible to do this in a way that doesn’t have to be negative, traumatic or inappropriate. Dance should be FUN and educational at the same time!
We encourage the creativity and free spirit dance brings to all ages—benefiting body, mind, and spirit while building well-rounded people who learn to work hard, believe in themselves, work as a team and learn how to create and appreciate art; skills that will last them their whole lives!
Dance classes are so much more than the steps we teach!
We welcome you to dance, learn, grow and create with us!
Meet Our Teachers!
Hi i'm Miss Sydney! I teach the acro and contortion classes, as well as lyrical, tricks and technique, and some of the competition dances. I have been dancing for about 20 years and I am coming up on my fourth year teaching at MAOD! While in college, I was apart of multiple shows, as well as on the dance team and a member of Orchesis dance company.
I recently graduated with my bachelor's in psychology and minor in dance and will be continuing my education at SUNY Fredonia earning my masters degree in clinical mental health studies!
I am so excited to continue working at Mckenna's this year and cannot wait to watch our kids grow and dance. Mckenna’s is truly a home away from home and I am beyond lucky to have the opportunity to teach at this wonderful studio, see you all so soon!
Miss Sydney
Sophie Holmes has been a McKenna’s teacher for 4 years. She has taught and shared her expertise in Ballet, Pointe, Hip Hop, Tap, Pre-Pointe, Choreography, and more. Sophie is one of our competition teachers as well and has received choreography awards for her pieces. Before becoming a teacher at McKenna’s, Miss Sophie had a variety of dance experiences. Growing up dancing at Royal Academy of Ballet and Dance, she has been a part of a number of Greater Buffalo Youth Ballet performances while also working on her own at a young age in the dance industry. She was a performer at Fantasy Island Amusement Park where she performed a 15 minute dance routine 3 days a week for the park's Halloween festivities. Miss Sophie has choreographed and danced in two professional music videos alongside Buffalo artists, Chuckie Campbell and Jorian Holka. Some of her other choreography experiences include; Lackawanna High School’s musical productions (2 years), over 10 competitive pieces for McKenna Academy of Dance, and working with soloists to create their own pieces for recreational performance. This past summer Miss Sophie ran her first summer intensive, working with dancers to expand their dance vocabulary in order to become more confident and strong in their craft. Miss Sophie cannot wait to see you all again soon!
Hi, my name is Julia VanLare and I am the Musical Theater dance teacher here at Mckenna Academy of Dance! When I am not teaching at Mckenna’s, I am studying at SUNY Fredonia to get my BFA in Dance. I am currently going into my junior year at Fredonia! I am also the President of the Orchesis Dance Company on campus this year!
I am 20 years old, and I have been dancing since I was 2- I am trained in any style you can think of, but tap and musical theater have a special spot in my heart! I will be teaching both ages of the Musical Theater classes again this year and I can’t wait! I absolutely love getting the chance to teach and choreograph and make connections with everyone here at McKenna! I am so so excited to see what this year brings, see you soon!
Miss Jessie is the owner of McKenna Academy of Dance.
She has been dancing for 26 years and has explored many styles of dance. Miss Jessie’s specialty is Irish! She grew up mainly doing competitive and noncompetitive Irish dance in the buffalo area.
Miss Jessie has a Bachelors of the Arts in Spanish and Dance Studio Administration from Fredonia State and a Masters of the Arts Degree in Dance Studies from the University of Limerick. Miss Jessie also has her cosmetology license and occasionally works in salons and the beauty industry.
Miss Jessie spends a lot of her time doing workshops, conferences and continuing education to keep up on the safest, most fun, exciting and helpful dance and teaching skills.
Miss Jessie teaches Ballet and Tap for ages 5-7 and 8-11 as well as jazz for 8-11, and all Irish classes, plus competition pieces and runs the studio!
Miss Jessie has a love of music, she plays guitar and sings, loves reading, snuggling her dogs (Russ the miniature schnauzer and Dublin the Golden Retriever) and boyfriend, Ian, & cooking Italian food and she makes a mean chocolate chip cookie.
Miss Sophie
Miss Sarah
Miss Jessie
Hi, my name is Sarah Howard. I am an alumnus from McKenna Academy of Dance, and have returned two years later as a teacher! This will be my second year here teaching Contemporary and Jazz 12+, and my first year choreographing for the competition team. I have been dancing for 17 years and am currently attending SUNY Fredonia with a BFA in Dance as well as a minor in theater. I have taken classes from professionals in the field of dance, and have been in a music video choreographed and directed by the cofounder of the CLI Conservatory, Teddy Forance. I am so excited for another amazing year teaching these talented kids!
Miss Adriana
Miss Alyssa
Hi, my name is Adriana Colosimo.. I am so excited to be a teacher here at McKenna’s Dance Academy! This year I will be teaching younger and older hiphop as well as baby ballet/jazz. I am a sophomore at Fredonia State as a major in Psychology and a minor in dance. I’m 19 years old and have been dancing for 16 years now. I am trained in various styles of dance such as contemporary, lyrical, acro, hiphop, ballet, and jazz. Contemporary is most definitely my favorite style because it allows for self expression. I absolutely love working with the kids and I’m so ecstatic to get started on the upcoming season!!
Miss Julia
Miss Alyssa’s Blurb TBA
Contact us
Interested in working together? Interested to hear more about our studio? Want to register for classes? Hire us for a dance show? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!