Jenna Spinei

Jenna Spinei is an adjunct professor of dance at Bellevue College in the School of Performing Arts, where she teaches dance technique, choreographs for the drama department, and served as Artistic Director of the Bellevue College Dance Company through 2024. She previously taught in the Cornish Preparatory Dance Program and has been a teaching artist for the University of Michigan Musical Society and a teaching associate at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Her educational background includes a BS in Movement Science from the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan and an MA in Dance Movement Psychotherapy from Goldsmiths, University of London. She also completed clinical placements in a primary school and a community mental health charity during her graduate training.

Jenna's research and artistic work explore the intersections of dance, somatics, anatomy, mental health, and trauma recovery. She is deeply committed to embodied, holistic, and student-centered pedagogy. Her choreographic inspiration stems from mythology, biology, physics, and natural forces. She is particularly known for her expertise in the Franklin Method®, somatic education, and kinesiology, offering workshops that integrate visualization, anatomy, and movement optimization.

Her 2019 publication investigates somatic interventions for trauma in Syrian refugee children, reflecting a strong trend in her work toward using dance and movement as therapeutic tools for mental health and resilience. The article bridges clinical psychology with embodied practice, emphasizing non-verbal, body-based healing modalities.

• Moving through the trauma: Dance/movement therapy as a somatic-based intervention for addressing trauma and stress among Syrian refugee children (2019)

Jenna mentors students through performance, choreography, and community engagement, particularly with youth in the justice system. She has not received formal scientific awards listed in the text, but her collaborative research and publications demonstrate scholarly impact. She has been involved in grant-related partnerships, including work with the Wayne State University Stress, Trauma and Anxiety Research Clinic.

She is a licensed Level 4 Franklin Method® Educator and a Registered Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist (RSME/T) through ISMETA. She actively participates in dissection and embodiment studies with EmbodyU at the Institute for Anatomical Research, further deepening her anatomical knowledge. Her personal movement practices include gyrokinesis, authentic movement, and yoga.