“I can moonwalk,” Theresa Lombardi shared, when asked for a fun fact about herself.
Not only does this statement demonstrate her dance skills, but it also reflects Lombardi’s admiration for Michael Jackson’s influence on the world of dance.
At the Synergy Dance Company’s Spring Spectacular on April 3, this Collegiette™ joined her fellow dancers in a tribute to Jackson, in a jazz number called “The King.”
The Toms River native serves as one of the company’s captains and choreographed numerous dances in the recital, including a ‘50’s tap number, which was inspired by her father’s love of music from that decade.
Her parents, she said, are the people who she admires most, explaining, “They supported me throughout everything, and if I could turn out to be just like them when I’m a parent, then that’s the best thing for me. They’re just wonderful.”
After transferring to TCNJ last year from Ocean County College, the senior special education and psychology major immersed herself in activities that allow her to pursue her dual passions of dance and helping individuals with disabilities.
“I’ve been dancing since I was about 8 years old. When I graduated from high school, I started choreographing the plays at my high school,” she said.
Upon seeing Synergy on TCNJ’s website during her junior year of college, she knew it was something she’d like to join. Discussing her involvement, she could not choose a favorite genre, but said, “I love tap, but I love hip hop. I just love dance. I’m going to miss it.”
In addition to Synergy, Lombardi instructs Zumba classes in the Travers and Wolfe Fitness Center, and frequently leads fundraisers for organizations on campus that incorporate this dance craze.
Zumba has become popular at TCNJ, as a combination of dance and fitness, where individuals shake their stuff to salsa and other heart-pumping music.
When she’s not dancing, Lombardi is involved with the Best Buddies program and serves as a Career and Community Studies (CCS) mentor. She is a member of the educational honor society Kappa Delta Pi.
Currently enrolled in the five-year special education master’s program, Lombardi will be around on campus next year as well, appropriately living on Theresa Street.
As for further in the future, her plans are unknown. She says, “I hope to become a special education teacher. I don’t know yet what grade, but I definitely want to do something helping people with disabilities. I would love to incorporate dance somehow.”
Despite her confident dance moves, Lombardi confesses, “I’m actually pretty shy. It takes me a while to open up in different settings,” she said.
When seeing Lombardi dance, you’d never know nerves were underneath. Regardless of what footwear she has on – tap shoes or ballet slippers – she always wears a smile as she dances across the stage.
Wonder what Zumba’s all about? Theresa is leading a Zumba fundraiser on Friday April, 15 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on the TCNJ’s football field for a great cause.
According to Theresea: “Devin, another zumba instructor and I will be co-hosting a ZUMBATHON®. The ZUMBA® class is a fundraiser to benefit the Party Hearty™ campaign to raise money and awareness for Heart Disease through the American Heart Association. The event will be held outside on the football turf, so we are hoping to get a really big crowd! Music will be coming from the sound speakers , which we hope will attract many students from campus to our event. Heart Disease is the number 1 killer of women in the US and we hope to make even just a little difference on TCNJ’s campus by hosting this event to raise money to help fight the disease. Tickets are $5 each and donations are more than welcome.”