Westside Academy Faculty: Jamie Jo Hatchitt

Dance Experience & Professional Background

Jamie Jo discovered her love of dance at the age of three and has been passionate about it ever since. Her training spans traditional styles including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and lyrical, as well as modern and ballroom dance. While at Iowa State University, she performed with the modern dance company Orchesis I and competed with the Iowa State Ballroom Dance Company in both Latin and classical styles. After college, she furthered her training through an internship with the Joel Hall Dance Company in Chicago.

Transitioning from dancer to educator, Jamie Jo began coaching and teaching, leading both the North Polk Dance Team and the ADM Dance Team before joining Westside Dance Academy, where she has been teaching for the past 12 years.

In addition to her dance career, Jamie Jo holds a Master’s degree in Special Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education. Her passion for working with children shines through in everything she does. She loves watching her students grow in skill, confidence, and pride throughout the year, and she is excited to continue sharing her love of dance with the dancers at WDA.