By Joyce DeWallace, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – Judy Hermans Tenore started dancing at the age of 5, and in 1984, officially opened her first dance studio with her mother, Beverly Hermans, on Route 9. The Hermans family has always lived in Shrewsbury and Tenore was born and raised in the town. Like many small girls, she started with ballet and tap. At 7, she added jazz. In her teens and early 20s, Middle Eastern dance became her profession.
“Dance became my passion when I was in high school. I was a teaching assistant at different studios, plus I started teaching a neighbor’s daughter in my parents’ basement. I love dance. I love teaching dance and realized I wanted to do it for the rest of my life,” Tenore said.
She won many awards and trophies, competing both locally, on the regional and state level, and at nationals.
In 1979, while dancing in New York City, she was spotted by one of the judges, who also worked with a talent and modeling agency. She was invited to come back to the city and auditioned for the movie, “Blue Lagoon.”
“I wasn’t selected, but the fact that somebody wanted me was a highlight of my life,” Tenore recalled. “My heart was really with dance, not acting.”
She attended Worcester State College (now Worcester State University) and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, but always continued with her dancing. After college, she and her mother began their dance business, both working part-time in retail to support the fledgling venture.
Marriage and two children did nothing to hinder the blossoming dance studio. Tenore’s father Alfred Hermans did a lot of babysitting so the ladies could run the dance studio. In June of 2006, the studio moved to its current home in the Olde Shrewsbury Village Plaza at 1000 Boston Turnpike. Beverly, now retired, taught ballroom dancing, handled the books, did the billing, and answered the phones. Tenore did the major part of the teaching.
Today the school has nine teachers and offers classes from Monday to Saturday in ballet, tap, lyrical, modern, pointe, jazz, hip-hop, acro, contemporary, adult and Indian/Bollywood. Students range in age from toddlers to adults. The dancing is both recreational and competitive.
The school’s dancers have performed in local school musicals, theatre groups, talent shows, movies and print ads, as well as regional and national dance competitions. Students have participated in dance workshops throughout the country.
“Our dancers have danced at Disney in Florida six times, the latest this past June,” Tenore noted. “About 30 girls go and they all love it. Parents and siblings come, too. It’s a family vacation.”
In the beginning of June, the school holds its annual recital, showcasing all the dancers in fanciful costumes. This year, the theme will be the ‘80s to celebrate the 30th anniversary.
Daughter Marissa Tenore is also a dancer and has been teaching for almost five years in the family studio. Currently a full-time college student at Worcester State, she will graduate in May with a degree in elementary education.
“I helped choreograph some of the routines for the Disney trip, and I danced in one lyrical number. I personally thought it was the most fun I ever had performing in front of a great audience. It was an awesome performance that really went well. I’ll remember it the rest of my life,” she said.
“Our goal is to give the girls many opportunities to perform in many different places,” Tenore added. “We have participated in the Spirit of Shrewsbury and try to support town activities. Our teachers become role models for the students, and our senior dancers are assistant teachers in the classes. Little girls look up to them. We teach what we love to do.”
For more information, visit the website, www.jahdance.com.