All of Kids Moving Company's instructors are experienced educators with backgrounds spanning the areas of childhood development, theater, dance, education, psychology, and physical education and fitness.  Many hold advanced degrees.  Our teachers also attend an extensive training program in perceptual and motor development during their first year of teaching with the company, as well as on-going professional development classes. 

Joye Newman, M.A., Founder and Director: Joye earned her Master of Arts in Education and Human Development, with a specialty in Perceptual Motor Development, from George Washington University. Prior to opening her private practice, she served as Perceptual Motor consultant to a variety of organizations including the Board of Jewish Education of Greater Washington, the Technical Assistance Center of Northern Virginia and the School for Contemporary Education in Virginia.  Currently, Joye is primarily involved in the clinical practice at Kids Moving Company, which provides individual perceptual motor therapy to people ranging in age from 2 to 60 years. In addition, she offers workshops to teachers and parents in perceptual motor development, creative movement, and reading readiness. She also oversees the extensive training program that is required of all KMC teachers.  Joye is a founding member of WISER, and served as the original Education Chair. Her other professional affiliations include AAHPER, NAEYC and CEC.

Jessica LaGarde, Administrative Director: Jessica attended Washington College, where she studied education and psychology.  She has been working with children for over ten years as a babysitter and nanny, as well as an environmental camp counselor for Talbot County Public Schools in Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Council.  Through her work with Girl Scouts, she has led cooperative games workshops for troop leaders.  Jessica serves as both an instructor and as KMC's administrative director.

Lucia da Costa Lima, Senior Instructor: Lucia has been teaching creative movement and dance to young children since 1979 and began teaching at Kids Moving Company in 1991. In addition to cher work at KMC, Lucia teaches ballet, modern dance, yoga and improvisation to students of various ages and spent six years working as a classroom teacher for preschoolers in the DC area. Lucia has a Masters Degree in Dance Education, and has been trained by Joye Newman as a perceptual motor therapist and provides this service to children and adolescents at Kids Moving Company.

Val Tomkins, Senior Instructor: Val moved from England to America in 1988 and began teaching at KMC in 1998. She has been a nanny in the DC area for almost 20 years, and loves being around children of all ages. As a hobby, Val paints and designs children's t-shirts.

Margo Porter, Senior Instructor: Margo began teaching at KMC in 1999. With a degree in Therapeutic Recreation, she has worked at a pediatric hospital and traveled around the world managing childcare resort recreation programs. Margo is a big kid at heart and enjoys working with children of all ages. Her hobbies include scuba diving, bowling, and going to amusement parks.

Louise Bradford, Senior Instructor: Louise has been teaching at KMC since 2000. She loves working with children and has served as head counselor at various summer camps and as a teacher at private schools. Louise is married and has two beautiful children. Her family loves dancing, playing and traveling together. Besides teaching at KMC, Louise works as a counselor at Sandy Springs Summer Trips Camp, teaches creative movement classes for the City of Gaithersburg and regularly volunteers at her children's schools.

April Betty: April recieved her B.A. in Dance from Bard College and has been teaching dance, gymnastics and creative movement to children since 2002. In addition to teaching classes at KMC, she assists with a Bethesda-based after school program for elementary school children. April has a deep-seated passion for movement, and believes that it is an empowering tool for children.