Mrs. Jennifer Smith

Mrs. Smith is very excited about this year here at Northside High! This is her 9th year at NSHS! She has been dancing for over twenty-eight years and is looking forward to sharing her knowledge and passion for dance with you!

Mrs. Smith was born and raised in Durham, NC where she trained at two local dance studios for 16 years. Her mother was a professional ballerina in the Pennsylvania Ballet Company and she is the one who got her started in dance. She attended Riverside High School where she also trained in dance. It was her dance teacher here, Mrs. Middleton-Hopkins, that inspired her to become a dance teacher today!

She attended East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Her student teaching internship was at North Pitt High School in Bethel, NC. She enjoyed her time there with their students. Mrs. Smith graduated Magna Cum Laude from ECU with a BFA in Dance Education and a K-12 Dance Licensure in 2015. 

In her first 8 years at NHS, Mrs. Smith has choreographed 7 musicals, produced and choreographed 15 dance program shows, and founded/directed the Dancing Royals, Northside's Dance Team, from 2016 to 2018. She has choreographed for the Marching Monarchs Marching Band and visual ensemble (color guard/dance team) since 2021. She was awarded Northside High's Arts Teacher of the Year Award four times in 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2020-2021.

Mrs. Smith is in her 8th year with Swansboro and Emerald Isle Dance Studios, where she teaches three times a week after school. She danced professionally with the KT Collective Dance Company based in Durham, NC in 2017-2018 season. 

Mrs. Smith lives in Jacksonville with her husband and 2 sons, Jaxson and Oliver, and their two dogs, Dakota, and Jynx! She loves to travel the world and has visited 7 countries and been on 3 continents! Ask her about her travels and what opportunities there are for non-school-sponsored travel!