Jennifer O’Neil McLaughlin

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennifer O’Neil McLaughlin, is a passionate dance educator who began dancing at age 3 and never looked back! Jen has professional and collegiate dance training with over 30 years of studio teaching experience in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Illinois and Iowa. Jen studied with various studios growing up including the Donna Miceli Dance Center (MA) from grade 3 through her senior year in high school, and continues to attend numerous dance conventions and workshops around the country for continuing education in the ever-evolving dance world. Miss Jen is certified through the Dance Teachers’ Club of Boston and Dance Masters of America and a proud Team Leader in Training with Julie Kay’s Studio Owner Mastermind Group.

Jen received her bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA where she was co-founder and choreographer for the Holy Cross Dance Ensemble. Before opening Allegro, Jen directed more than 400 students in a dance program at the Family Museum in Bettendorf, Iowa where she taught and choreographed all genres of dance. She has also served as a judge for high school and college dance team auditions, high school dance team competitions, coaches the Bishop Guertin High School Dance Team, and serves as the special awards judge for the New England Dance Festival Dance Competition each June. Miss Jen’s choreography has won numerous awards and special recognition at the regional and national levels. Miss Jen truly enjoys teaching dancers of all ages at all levels! Encouraging and inspiring dancers to pursue their passions (whether they are dance-related or not) is why she chose to open a dance studio in the first place! It is what motivates her every day. She feels very blessed to do what she loves and looks forward to many years of helping her students grow and pursue their dreams!

Miss Jen knows she became a better dance teacher when she became a mom! She is the proud mother of three children – Kenley, Tylen & Jayde. Kenley and Jayde are members of Allegro’s Dance Company and it’s a true honor to share a love of dance with them and watch them bloom through their dance journey. She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Brad, for 19 years. They also are obsessed with their beloved family dog, Bauer, (a Bernese Mountain Dog). Bauer has a hockey name because when Miss Jen isn’t in the dance studio, she can be found watching her son do what he loves in a hockey rink. Everyday, Miss Jen is incredibly grateful for her family, friends and her Allegro family!