Jasmine Jones

• Teacher

Jasmine Jones, a dedicated and gifted dance teacher at MS 35 in Brooklyn, died on Aug. 12, 2025, at the age of 41.

“Jasmine was more than just a dance teacher,” said Marie Pelzer, the chapter leader at MS 35 and a good friend. “She was someone who reminded children that they can be themselves through dancing. They can find their voice, as she did, through dancing.”

Jasmine was born in Brooklyn and attended New York City public schools. A shy child, she found her voice and confidence through dance, which became her passion and the vehicle through which she expressed her creativity and lived out her life’s purpose.

Jasmine was teaching at her childhood dance studio when she met Michelle Perpignan, a school counselor at MS 35, who brought her daughter for dance lessons in the early 2000s. They became friends and then colleagues after Perpignan recommended Jasmine as a dance teacher to the principal at MS 35, where Jasmine had worked since 2014. “And from that moment, it was amazing,” said Pelzer.

Jasmine was known as a “team player” who went “above and beyond,” said Perpignan. With the help of colleagues in the school’s arts department, Jasmine spearheaded efforts to secure grants and put on Broadway Junior productions, which are musicals specifically adapted for students as both audience and performers. Jasmine put her heart and soul into these performances, which included adaptations of “Aladdin,” “The Lion King” and “The Color Purple.” She also arranged performances for Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month, among other occasions.

“Jasmine was so talented and creative,” said Perpignan. “She bought a sewing machine, went on YouTube and learned to sew the costumes. The dancing, the costumes, the makeup — she did it all.” The shows were “extravagantly put together,” said Pelzer. Students performed for their peers, parents and other schools, and were sometimes asked to return after graduation to perform at MS 35’s open houses for incoming 6th-graders.

Even more important than Jasmine’s ability to put on impressive performances was her special bond with the students, whom she loved and encouraged. Some students, especially the boys, were hesitant to dance — but under Jasmine’s guidance, even shy students would shine on stage. “We would just be amazed at how she would get a particular child to perform,” said Pelzer.

“She brought that out,” Perpignan added. “Because Jasmine was once that child who was shy, who was withdrawn. And dance brought that out of her. So that’s how she made connections with the kids who were just like her.”

“Many children who spoke at her service stated how they loved her and how it was easy to talk to her,” said Pelzer.

In addition to her work at MS 35, Jasmine devoted her life outside the school walls to dance as well. She opened Jazz It Up! Studio of Dance in Brooklyn in 2016. She had to close the studio in 2020 due to the pandemic but reopened in 2023.

Jasmine’s strong faith in God guided her through life’s challenges. She was known to say, “Without the test, you have no testimony.”

Jasmine is survived by her son, Zion; her parents, Arlene and Eden; sisters, aunts, cousins, brothers-in-laws, a nephew and niece; and her school community, as well as countless friends.

Condolences can be shared in the comments section below.

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Email to a friend