Jeanette Hoffman, 88, of Wyckoff, NJ, passed away on May 19, 2018, at the Oakland Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center.

Jeanette was born in 1930, in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Gertrude and Meyer Tannenbaum.She began dance training at 4, and took piano lessons from the age of 6.When she was 12, she had to choose between piano and ballet.Not long after high school, at age 16, she landed a dance part on Broadway, in “Sweethearts.”Soon after, she auditioned for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and was accepted.</span>

She toured with Ballet Russe for 5 years, all over the U.S. and Canada.She went on to dance at Radio City Music Hall and the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, and to choreograph at Radio City Music Hall.Dance remained one of Jeanette’s greatest loves until the day she died.

At age 23, in 1954, she married Edward S. Hoffman.They moved to Fair Lawn, NJ, and, in 1956, had a daughter, Madelyn.In 1959, they had a son, Steven.Jeanette was an enormously devoted and loving mother and wife.For over 40 years, she was a successful and beloved ballet teacher at the Irine Fokine School in Ridgewood.When that school closed, she taught for 8 years at “In the Spotlight” Studio in Waldwick, until she was 87.She also taught at the Alvin Ailey Extension dance school in Manhattan.

Dance and music always inspired Jeanette, who maintained a youthful, enthusiastic spirit her whole life long.Her caring for family, friends, and students, and her commitment to superior teaching, were extraordinary, and she will always be remembered for this.She was hugely proud of her children: Madelyn is a well-known activist who has run for high elected office in New Jersey several times; Steven is a Fulbright scholar with a Ph.D. in environmental studies.

Jeanette was predeceased by husband Edward in 2011.She is survived by Madelyn, of Flanders, NJ, and Steven, of Bow, WA, as well as her daughter-in-law Maria, and two cherished grandsons, Galen and Forrest Hoffman, of Bow, WA.

A Celebration of Life will be held on June 24th,1-4 PM, at “In the Spotlight” Dance Studio in Waldwick.In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Jeanette Tannan Hoffman Dance Scholarship Fund (or “JTHDSF”), c/o M. Hoffman, P.O. Box 485, Flanders, NJ07836. The Fund will be used to assist young ballet dancers at the In the Spotlight Dance Studio. For online condolences, please visit www.forevermissed.com/jeanette-tannan-hoffman .  Please contact Madelyn or Steven Hoffman if you would like to be added to the Jeanette Tannan Hoffman Memorial Group on Facebook.

Mom/Jeanette always looked forward to teaching ballet classes. They never failed to excite her, as watching top-flight ballet never ceased to excite her. Many times, when I was teaching English, or chess, or soccer, or environmental studies -- she would compare notes with me. She would describe animatedly how she figured out a way to teach something well.  Her mother was a teacher for a time, her husband was a teacher, and both her children are teachers.  It's in our DNA.  But, from my perspective, the most special thing about Mom's teaching is the depth of the bonds she formed with students and colleagues. Her students and colleagues often became friends, and the warmth and depth of those friendships still impresses me to no end.