Dance studio founder Jo Ann Warren lends a hand at grandson's school to direct show

A "Teen Topics" story by Nancy Lowe Gray in The Evening Gazette in 1962 had the headline "8th-Grader Likes Staging Shows."

Jo Ann Gentile, 13, of Shrewsbury, had started staging variety shows in the backyard of her home since she was 10. According to the article, she charged five cents for children and 10 cents for adults, with proceeds to benefit the St. Mary Church of Shrewsbury Building Fund. The story said Gentile had been dancing since she was 2.

Some details have changed since then. Jo Ann Gentile is now Jo Ann Warren, a local dance school legend who founded and ran the Jo Ann Warren Studio in Worcester for 43 years until retiring in 2022. The Jo Ann Warren Studio, affectionately and popularly known as JAWS, is now owned by her daughter Cybill Reese and former dance student Brianne Marshall. And, of course, The Evening Gazette is now part of the merged Telegram & Gazette.

Warren, however, still likes staging shows.

She is the creator and director of "Night of the Arts," which will be performed at 6 p.m. May 30 at the T.E.C. Schools, a Montessori school located in Trinity Lutheran Church at 73 Lancaster St. in Worcester. The performance is free.

All of the school's more than 40 students will be taking part in the show, including Warren's 13-year-old grandson and T.E.C. Schools eighth grader Bill Reese.

Warren is lending a helping hand and some dance steps. She said the school had asked her to help out with its Christmas show after the person who was going to direct the performance had become indisposed. Then the school inquired if she could direct "Night of the Arts" on May 30. The show will have an Asian theme to complement students learning about Asia during the school year.

"I gladly volunteered," Warren said. "It's been incredible to work with the school and work with the children, and it's doing what I love and doing it with my grandson."

Her grandson Bill said, "I'm dancing and singing and helping my grandma in the show." That includes helping lead the students in rehearsals for "Night of the Arts" and working on technical aspects such as sound, he said.

"The children are just so excited," Warren said of her visits to the T.E.C. Schools to work with the students for "Night of the Arts." "They're learning songs in different languages. Everyone's just having a lot of fun."

Rupali Sharma, founder and director of the T.E.C. Schools, said the spirit of learning and fun imbued by Warren has been palpable. "When Jo Ann is not here, students are singing in the hallways. It's a wonderful part of our life."

Prior to the performance on May 30, Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty is scheduled to present Warren with a key to the city.

"I'm thrilled, obviously," Warren said, but added, "Usually I like accolades to to go to the students."

"It's an honor for the school to be partnering with Jo Ann who has been an influential person in the city," said Sharma. "We are looking forward to this event."

Recalling the "Teen Topics" article, Warren said she when she planned her show in the family's backyard, "my parents had no idea it was going to happen until it happened."

In a 2005 interview with the Telegram & Gazette, Warren said her parents started taking her to dance lessons at the age of 2 because "they thought it would be good for me because I wasn't quite the quiet child.'' She took to dancing right away. "I loved it. I went all the time.''

Then something else happened. Initially Warren taught dance at the Worcester Girls Club, now Girls Inc. of Worcester.

"I didn't realize (at first), but now I do. I guess it kind of snuck up on me," she said of discovering that she loved teaching dance. Indeed, as she said in 2005, "I was a born teacher."

She took teaching lessons in New York City and was certified by the Dance Masters of America.

The Jo Ann Warren Studio at 321 Grafton St. in Worcester opened in September 1979. Now the studio is at 997 Millbury St.

"Most of the children came from the neighborhood,'' Warren said of the first intake of students.

There are many accomplished dance schools around and about that have guided students into dance careers or provided an enjoyable avocation. For Jo Ann Warren Studio to have survived and thrived for nearly 45 years now is its own testament of accomplishment.

Many of Warren's students have gone on to dance professionally, including on Broadway, and the dance school has won numerous awards. But having fun is also evidently a key part of the JAWS experience. People who have danced there have said in interviews over the years that they like the place and the people because it has a warm, friendly and welcoming environment. "I like it like that," Warren said of the friendliness.

The Jo Ann Warren Studio states, "Our culture is rooted in the belief that movement is not just about mastering steps, but about connecting with others, building lasting friendships, and having a ton of fun along the way. Here, you’ll find an atmosphere of inclusivity and acceptance, where children of all ages and backgrounds come together to share their love for creating and self-expression."

For "Night of the Arts" at T.E.C. Schools, Warren has created a show featuring folk songs and dances from various Asian countries, including China, India, Japan and Korea.

Students have been learning about Asia because "children are global citizens now and need to understand cultures across the globe," Sharma said.

Also at the school, "older students take leadership. Bill has grown into a leader," she said of the way Warren's grandson has been taking a role with leading his fellow students in rehearsals for the show. "He is taking on responsibilities to make this happen."

Bill is also a student at Jo Ann Warren Studio and said he would "love to perform in the future."

Meanwhile, after graduating from T.E.C. Schools in June he will be going to Bancroft School in the fall. Bill has been a student at T.E.C. Schools since the second grade and said "I will always come back" to help out.

Warren said she'll come back to T.E.C. Schools after the show if asked, and Sharma indicated that would be the case.

"Jo Ann really understands the philosophy of our school," Sharma said. "It's different from traditional schools. The fun-making cultures (at Jo Ann Warren Dance Studio and T.E.C. Schools) are very much the same."

T.E.C. Schools was founded in 2016 and started with students from kindergarten to grade five, Sharma said. Now it has students ages 2.9 years to grade eight. Trinity Lutheran Church has been the school's home for eight years, but it will be moving to a larger space at 15 Jamesbury Drive in Worcester in July. The Jo Ann Warren Dance Studio and T.E.C. Schools are planning on a combined program this summer.

"I like being with the students," Warren said. "I've worked with students who have gone on to Broadway, but I still like coming back to the beginning."

What: 'Night of the Arts'

When: 6 p.m. May 30

Where: T.E.C. Schools at Trinity Lutheran Church, 73 Lancaster St., Worcester

How much: Free. thetecschools.com

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Veteran dance teacher Jo Ann Warren lends a hand at grandson's school