Donna is a professionally trained ex dancer (with over 30 years of experience), who trained as a Dance Teacher for the Royal Academy of Dance and holds extensive and advanced examinations in both RAD and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. She therefore has qualifications in both the history of dance and a dancers anatomy (thus enabling safe dance instruction) both of  O’level standards. Donna holds numerous certificates in Ballet, Modern Stage, National (Folk), Ballroom, Tap and has a vast knowledge of both Jazz and Contemporary Dance. She has therefore had no trouble in obtaining insurance as a Dancer & Dance Instructor Donna is also CRB checked and can work quite safely with children.

Donna was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire and was encouraged by her class teacher to start dance classes at the age of 7 to build her self confidence. It was here that she was found to have great talents as a ballet student of the Angela Reynolds school of dance. Angela sent her to audition for the Northern Ballet. Donna's audition was successful and she remained there from 11 until 13 years old when the principal Peter Clegg suggested an audition for The Hammond Vocational School. Donna was awarded a scholarship/grant aid from the local authority to attend the residential school to further her dance talents and career. It is whilst at this theatre and dance college Donna perfected many of her skills in theatrical performance, dance and teaching. She remained here to work on her teacher training course and enjoyed being Head Student in her final year before heading off to begin a professional dance career and later open her own dance school. Donna first began teaching in 1987 and has danced professionally in Cyprus with an experienced dance troupe and also solo in Turkey, Corfu and Rhodes over a number of years.

After a break from dance and teaching she has again in the last few years become particularly interested in all forms of Middle Eastern and Arabic dance. Due to her extensive classical, ballroom, jazz and folk dance background dance fusion is her real speciality and enables her to put her artist talents to the test. She is a very talented choreographer and has choreographed many pieces over the years although she herself prefers to improvise as and where the music takes her during a performance.

 Donna regularly attends internationally and nationally acclaimed Middle Eastern Dancer & Dance Teachers workshops to keep her knowledge as up to date as possible! These include teachers & dancers such as Khaled Mahmoud, Kay Taylor, Sara Farouk, Candi Colgrave-Bell, Anne Kingston, Jacqui Jamal, Ava Fleming, Yasmina of Cairo, Fereshteh Hosseini, Hilary Thacker, Shirley Lewis, Yvette Cowles, Leila, Jamilla (Tracey Gibbs), Aida Nour, Leyla Jouvana and the wonderful Shafeek Ibraham to name but a few!!. 

As well as teaching four classes a week in Lincolnshire & South Yorkshire, presenting workshops and giving talks on Middle Eastern dance study Donna continues to research the latest techniques and various aspects of the dance. She also teaches workshops & taster courses for leisure centres and women’s associations and has a great passion for teaching our children (safely and precisely) this distinctly powerful and beautiful dance form. Donna has recently launched a new syllabus for the concise teaching of beginners and children to prevent injury or uncertainty in any of the moves executed that Donna is willing to share with any qualified or experienced teachers at her seminars.

 She has appeared on the BBC and ITV on many occasions over the years including documentary dance series’ as well as news articles for her achievements and also for those of her students.  Donna is no stranger to giving an audience a performance and hosts many tutorials & workshops on stage presence, make up, costume design, effective choreography, utilising your dance space, improvisational skills and listening to your musical cues for greater impact etc etc.

Donna is also a registered member of NADA (Northern Arabic Dance Association)  and an active promoter of raising the profile of Arabic Dance throughout the UK and related teaching qualifications including the JWAAD diploma for those wanting to teach that have no other dance teacher qualifications. 

To see about hiring Donna for teaching or dancing see the Hire Donna page