Jessica Lucas is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, where she originally started her dance training at an early age. She received her bachelor's degree in dance from Slippery Rock University in May 2006, and was extremely involved within the dance department. Her years of training has kept her very well rounded in many different genres of dance such as adage, ballet, contact improvisation, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, modern (numerous styles/techniques), musical theater, pointe, swing, and tap. She has taught dance and technique to a variety of students at all different ages and levels for several years.
Mrs. Lucas was named “Outstanding Performer of the Year” by the Slippery Rock University Dance Department in 2006 and was Student Director/Performer for guest artist, Princess M’hoon Cooper’s “Mission” work. She has also attended and performed in two ACDFA conventions.
Not only has Mrs. Lucas performed and choreographed works within the community, she was also selected for a section of “A Choreographic Offering” choreographed by Jose Limon and reconstructed by Pablo Fransico Ruvalcobo of the Limon Dance Company, which was chosen to perform at Hunter College in New York City at the “Sharing the Legacy” Dance Convention.
She received the Slippery Rock University Dance Department’s summer scholarship in 2005, where she attended the TISCH School of the Arts in New York City and studied and performed under the direction of David Dorfman Dance Company, Sean Currin Company, and Ronald K. Brown/Evidence Company.
Mrs. Lucas has attended numerous workshops and conventions around the United States and still continues to teach within a performing arts program at a local high school as well as coaching.
She has worked with numerous companies and choreographers such as Ursula Payne, Jennifer Keller, Nola Nolen-Holland, Thomas Cobb, Nora Ambrosio, Teena Custer, Labco, Dance Alloy, Attack Theatre, Jose Limon Dance Co., Evidence Dance Co., Alvin Aliey Dance Co., Koresh Dance Co., Sean Currin Company, David Dorfman Dance Co., MorrisonDance, The Schiff Dance Collective, and Ascential Dance Theatre among others. Upon graduation from college, Mrs. Lucas worked professionally within the community and across the world. She attended “Talent Rock” Dance Convention where she participated in classes with Chris Judd and Glenn Douglas Packard in both Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada. She was voted “Top Female Dancer” while attending the Orlando, Florida convention. She was a dancer/performer with Walt Disney World Company in Orlando, Florida where she performed in shows and parades such as High School Musical, Mickey’s Jamin’ Jungle Parade, Dreams Come True Parade, among many others. She has toured with Feld Entertainment to countries such as Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Spain, Italy, and Portugal, where she was a dancer/performer in Mickey’s Magic Show.
This is Mrs. Lucas’s fourth season with Mercyhurst University as the head coach of the dance team.
