Dance Effects

Julia Booker - Jazz and Performing Company Teacher

Julia Quinlan earned her BA in Dance from San Jose State University in May 2009, receiving the Outstanding Graduating Senior award from the dance department, and graduating Summa Cum Laude. While at San Jose State, she studied under the direction of Gary Masters, Fred Mathews, Janie Scott, Heather Cooper, Jill Yager, and Maria Basile.

Julia was a member of University Dance Theatre, the advanced modern company at SJSU, for four years. There, she performed new works created by her professors, classic Limon pieces restaged by Gary Masters, and works by San Francisco choreographers Ben Levy and Scott Wells. Each year UDT attends the American College Dance Festival. This year, Julia’s piece “ToO” was selected to perform in the informal concert at the festival in Orem, Utah.

Julia is inspired by children, and is so excited for each opportunity she has to share her love of dance with kids. She began working with children in various capacities when she was in middle school. Over the past ten years she has had experience working with kids not only teaching dance, but also teaching religious education classes, assisting teachers in classrooms, and tutoring math, reading, and writing. When she was thirteen, Julia began assisting in dance classes. While in college she assisted Jill Yager for two semesters in beginning Jazz. For the past three years, she has taught children aged 2-17, Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical, and Modern.

She loves sharing the value of hard work and determination, teaching kids that if they work through challenges, they will ultimately succeed.