Artist Biography

Grace McGlinchey started her dance training at age 2. Her training primarily took place at The Dance Connection in Atco, NJ where she danced competitively and trained in styles such as ballet, pointe, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, hip hop, tap, and jazz. After graduating from high school, McGlinchey chose to take her dance training further by attending Stockton University as a dance major with a concentration in dance studio operations. At Stockton University she studied under professors Beau Hancock, Rain Ross, Caitlin Pittenger, and others. McGlinchey has been featured performing in pieces choreographed by Chandra Moss-Thorne, Caitlin Pittenger, fellow Stockton students, as well as her own self choreography. She has also student choreographed 3 pieces for Stockton Dance Company’s Fall Choreography Project and Emerging Choreographer’s Showcase. These pieces include a self choreographed solo entitled Winding, which was presented in the 2021 Fall Choreography Project, a duet entitled Comparison, and a group piece entitled The Weight of Our Weight. Throughout her college dance career, McGlinchey also spent four years as a committed member of the Stockton University Dance Team and served two years as the team's vice president. In her time on the team, SUDT was ranked 1st in the Northeast for three years and 2nd in the Nation three times. Aside from her training and competitive experience at Stockton University, McGlinchey has also expanded her work in the dance world to beginning her teaching career at The Dance Connection, Atco, NJ, as well as Happy Feet Dance Studio, Cherry Hill, NJ. Her teaching career started at The Dance Connection where she began as a student teacher at the age of 14. After entering college, she began teaching dance at Happy Feet Dance Studio as well as The Dance Connection. McGlinchey is expected to graduate with her B.A, in the Fall of 2023. She continues to teach dance and choreographs both for competitive dance students as well as in the concert dance setting.

Photo: Sharon Freer

Teaching Philosophy

As a dance educator, I believe that a certain degree of self awareness is one of the most important tools to instill in my students in order to expand the potential of their training. Within this overarching umbrella of self awareness, one of the specific focuses that I bring into my teaching is the discussion and awareness of the muscular system. In order for students to understand movement, they need to also understand how to make that movement successfully happen. It is essential to me that my students receive anatomical knowledge in order to provide the best chance for not only proper execution but also safety in execution. In the early stages of class as we strengthen, stretch, and warm up the body, I frequently name and explain what muscles we are targeting and how each exercise will help us throughout class as well as in our future progressions and advancements as dancers. Incorporating imagery into my classes is also a priority of mine as it helps dancers to connect more fully with anatomical explanations as well as overall connection to movement.

I believe strongly in the importance of educating well rounded dancers. With this said, I consistently make connections between current material and various other styles of dance or even other athletic activities. My class often explores similarities and differences between these activities and training styles in order for students to build relations between what they may already know and feel comfortable in and what they are being introduced to. While correct terminology and anatomical awareness are focuses of mine, I find it most important and beneficial for students to connect to material in their own individual ways. Therefore I believe in delivering information in various ways by using imagery, technical explanations, demonstrations, etc. simultaneously in order to increase student understanding across different learning styles.

My class heavily focuses on a balance between artistry and athleticism. This is achieved through heavy technical practice and conditioning alongside the incorporation of improvisation and artistically explorative exercises. I introduce improvisation and exploration of artistry at a young age and use these tools frequently throughout class. Though I emphasize the importance of technique and proper execution, I am not only training dancers, but artists. 

Photo: Gia Lanci