Jay Haralson (Miss Jay) has been sharing her love and knowledge for dance throughout Sonoma and Mendocino Counties for the last 10 years. She started as a young ballerina at Carol’s Dance Studio and became interested in other styles such as Tap and Jazz. Jay studied at Mendocino College under Eryn Schon-Brunner, Rachel Young, and Leslie Saxon-West in Contemporary, Jazz, and Hip-Hop. During her time at Mendocino College she danced for artists such as Meredith Ventura and Kara Starkweather. Jay transferred to Sonoma State University (SSU) where she was mentored by Farrah McAdam, Kristen Daley, and Christine Cali in Hip-Hop, Locking, Waacking, Popping, House, and Contemporary. While at SSU, she danced in works set by Byb Chanel Bibene, Nzinga Woods and Erin Landry. Jay holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts with a Concentration in Dance. Jay is continuing her education of Hip-Hop culture through Rennie Harris University as a C1 candidate. Jay has co-directed Blue Baronz Dance Crew at SSU and has danced for local crews such as Dynasty and 2.R.A.R.E. She is currently a part of Aurajin, a competition street style crew, based in Benicia. Jay teaches through Luther Burbank Center for the Arts and has been with Windsor Dance Academy since 2022. Jay believes in giving students a solid foundation and history of each style while also finding ways to engage in the joy of movement. She is known for drawing the sass and individual characters out of her students to help them gain more confidence in themselves. Jay currently teaches Hip-Hop, the Technique and Conditioning class and is Director of Maximum Motion Dance Company.