Jillian McNamara has been dancing since the age of two and is proficient in all genres including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical and acro. She received her training at Seven Star School of Performing Arts in Brewster, New York as well as at various intensives throughout the world, including the Dubrovnik Tap Festival and Sarah Reich’s Tap Music Project.

Jillian’s passion for dance led her to achieve top honors at various competitions and conventions in the United States and abroad. She has been named IDO female Word Tap Champion on four occasions and was the first person ever to hold the title in all three age divisions. Jillian has also received the titles NUVO Breakout Artist, JUMP VIP, 24/7 Nonstop Dancer, ADA Regional Dancer of the Year, Kids for Kids Diamond Dancer and Hall of Fame Inductee.

Jillian began teaching classes and private lessons while a student at Seven Star School and officially joined the faculty as a teacher and choreographer upon graduation. She soon joined the staff of several other studios in the Tri-State area and currently serves as Competition Director at The Cheshire Performing Arts Academy. Her work has been recognized with multiple choreography awards and honors.

While Jillian loves teaching all styles, her true passion is tap. In 2019, she was honored to organize and coordinate a group of over thirty dancers from the tri-state area who qualified to represent the United States at the World Tap Championships in Riesa, Germany. Collectively, the Team earned six medals for the United States. In early 2020, Jillian formed the American Dance Collaborative, an official member of the United States Dance Sport Competition Federation, to continue her efforts in bringing together dancers and choreographers to represent the United States at international events.