About Us

Jennifer Gibson Bates (Director/Owner/Choreographer)

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Jennifer Gibson Bates moved to the Hampton Roads area in 2001.  A former New England Patriots Cheerleader, Jennifer has been involved with multiple facets of dance and cheerleading.  She has over twenty years of dance experience including training; Dance Ambassador for DTI National Competitions; a member of the original Williamsburg, Virginia Busch Garden’s HalloScream, Jenn terrified the park guests at night and entertained them with traditional German dance and song in Das Festhaus during the day.  Jenn spent the next four years teaching and honing her skills at a local studio and in September 2005, with the help of her husband of three years, David Asher Bates, they opened the doors to their own dance studio, Absolute Dance located in Yorktown.

Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts.   Jenn and Dave live in York County less than a mile from the dance studio.

Katie J Sheehan (Dance Instructor)

Katie began her dancing career at the age of only 7 and has yet to stop. She has been trained in classical ballet, contemporary ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical. She welcomes the term “jazz-a-rinna” and truly has a passion for the specific disciplines of dance. She began her teaching career with the Betty Smith School of Dance in Hampton back in the late 1990’s and has continued teaching on an annual basis throughout the Peninsula. She toured with the Dance Maker’s Inc. Convention working as a demonstrator and assistant in the late 1990’s and served as Captain for the Richmond Speed Professional Dance team during its inaugural season 2001. Katie twice won talent awards from the Miss Virginia/ Miss America Organization; each individually while holding the titles of Miss Norfolk and Miss Tidewater. Katie was also the youngest Executive Director of a local pageant under the Miss Virginia Organization while the Miss Hampton Newport News franchise underwent transition. Katie has choreographed pieces annually since 1999 for benefit shows in support of Operation Smile and other non-profit organizations. Personally, her greatest contribution remains the ability and blessing to pass on the gift of dance to a future generation, in the hopes of providing the same esteem, graciousness and discipline that dance afforded her continually throughout this life-time.

Katie has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Public Relations from Old Dominion University in Norfolk VA, where she also minored in Dance. She currently lives in Hampton VA with her Yorkshire terrier puppy named Taylor, and her loving partner Brian Hines who is the Executive Chef for Buon Amici Italian Gourmet in the NewTown Center of Williamsburg. She is so thrilled to now call Absolute Dance her new home as she has shared a dear friendship with Jenn and Dave for many years.

Danielle Moaratty (Dance Instructor)