Marissa Kinneavy – Be the Change

Embracing the Mirror with Dance Classes in Redding

Marissa Kinneavy remembers falling in love with dance as a child. As a native of Redding, CA, she didn’t find many local opportunities to pursue the art competitively. Thanks to her efforts, things have changed! Since 2007, Marissa has taught the University Preparatory School (U-Prep) dance program in Redding, CA. Under her direction, dance at U-Prep has blossomed from a few classes for about 50 students to a full-blown program with 130 students.

Marissa’s dance curriculum includes multiple levels of ballet, modern and musical theater dance classes. It also features several levels of jazz, her favorite dance genre. For those whose feet can’t stop dancing, Marissa provides an afterschool dance team, which allows dancers to travel for competitions as well. Topped off with annual performances and field trips to study with professionals they’ve seen on shows like “Dancing with the Stars,” Marissa’s program gives all her students a marvelously rich dance education.

Part of the depth of Marissa’s program comes from her unique talent for creating an atmosphere that binds peers together as close-knit teams. While other competitive dance environments can become cutthroat, Marissa’s students become each other’s support systems. “Kinneavy made class fun and comfortable,” says one alumnus, “I felt like I had a family in class, and I always looked forward to class.” Marissa says she develops this environment by emphasizing, “Being a teen can be stressful. My room is a safe place to turn up the music, leave it all outside, and have release. Growing up as a dancer, whatever kind of day I had, I always knew I could go to the studio and leave it all behind.”

Marissa’s students at U-Prep are having both a positive dance and self-image experience. Many girls and women may grapple with insecurities about their physical appearance to some degree. For some, dealing with these insecurities probably involves wearing looser clothing, avoiding mirrors, and sticking to selfies instead of full-body shots. Marissa, however, helps her students confront self-image struggles by putting on a leotard, embracing the mirror, and stepping onto a stage.

In 2019, Marissa’s students and alumni honored her tenth year as dance director by compiling a video of dance photographs and self-filmed statements of gratitude. If the heartfelt praises of over two dozen of her current and former students ring true, Marissa pours into her classes a powerful blend of care, compassion, and just the right dose of challenge. One student, for example, says, “Kinneavy gave me confidence in myself as a dancer. She gave me a safe place to be the person I am. And the person I am today wouldn’t be the same without her.”

Romney Clements, Marissa’s coworker, and friend describes Marissa as “a ray of light. She’s just happiness personified, everywhere she goes. She has one of those infectious laughs; when she laughs, you just laugh because her laugh makes you want to laugh.” Marissa’s laughter comes easily because she intentionally cultivates an attitude of humor. Without undermining her deep values for hard work and responsibility—after all, a quality performance depends on hours of dedicated practice—Marissa promotes an atmosphere of levity. “I think being able to laugh and have fun is extremely important in today’s world, especially with the stress kids face,” she says.
Whether with her friends, family, or her students, Marissa lives out a refreshing consistency and authenticity. Mary Suppiger, who met Marissa through their sons’ Little League teams, attributes Marissa’s influence on her students to this consistency. “With Marissa, what you see is what you get,” says Mary. “She doesn’t become a different person for different people, and I think that’s why she has such an impact on kids. Kids can see through inauthenticity, but Marissa is just so down-to-earth and honest with her students, friends, and everyone else in her life.”

After spending the day with predominately female classes, Marissa heads home with her two sons, Cayden, age 16, and Colton, age 13, who attend U-Prep. Marissa wholeheartedly throws herself into supporting her boys’ athletic endeavors, rarely missing a football or baseball game. When not traveling to Cayden and Colton’s games, Marissa enjoys taking them to professional ballparks. Last summer included visits to the Yankees, Red Socks, Nationals, and Mets stadiums. She also loves soaking in the San Diego sunshine from the sandy beaches near her sister’s house.