Miss Donna's School of Dancing
Meet Our Staff
Miss Donna
Owner
Miss Donna has been involved in the dance world all of her life. Her grandmother and mother danced in Vaudeville and Off Broadway. therefore when she was barely age 2, she started dance lessons. She danced at Caroline Daniels School of Dance until she was 17. She graduated from Queens College with a degree in primary education but since she had opened a dance studio while a freshmen she decided to continue with her studio instead of teaching school.
Through the years she has choreographed children's TV shows, Charlotte Summer Stock Theater, Carowinds Theme Park and many public school productions. She has also judged competitions all over the USA for the past 20+ years. Many of Miss Donna's students are now dancing professionally on cruise ships, theater, in Hollywood and numerous commercials. Miss Donna is very proud to say that 10 of her former students now have their own studios.
Miss Shannon
Recreational Director
Growing up as Miss Donna’s daughter, Miss Shannon was truly born into the world of dance. She began dancing at the age of two and discovered her passion for teaching early, joining the faculty at just 16 years old. What started as helping at the studio quickly grew into a lifelong career dedicated to inspiring and encouraging young dancers. Throughout her training, Miss Shannon traveled to New York each summer to study under some of the industry’s most respected master choreographers, including Savion Glover, Sheila Barker, and Frank Hatchett. Like many young dancers, she dreamed of one day becoming a professional performer. However, she soon realized that her true calling wasn’t on the stage—it was in the classroom. For nearly four decades, Miss Shannon found her greatest joy in watching her students grow, not only as dancers but also as confident, kind, and hardworking young people. Seeing the excitement on a child’s face after mastering a new skill or discovering a love for dance has always been the most rewarding part of her career. After 39 wonderful years of teaching, Miss Shannon has officially hung up her dance shoes to focus on the day-to-day operations of Miss Donna’s School of Dancing. While her role has changed, her love for the studio and its students remains as strong as ever.
“My heart will always be with the children, even though my feet may not be. Thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your child’s life. It has truly been one of the greatest blessings of mine.”
Miss Ashley
Competition Director/Instructor
Bio Coming Soon
Miss Jana
Competition Director/Instructor
Jana Smith has been dancing since the age of three and is trained in all styles, specializing in jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and hip hop. She trained at a competitive Charlotte studio and studied with renowned choreographers including Gus Giordano, Frank Hatchett, Sheila Barker, Mia Michaels, Brian Friedman, Jason Parsons, and Mandy Moore. As a competitive dancer, she earned numerous scholarships and trained in New York City for several summers. After high school, Jana received a full dance scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she earned a B.A. in Dance Performance and Education in 2004. She was also a member of the nationally successful college dance team and traveled across the country with NDA, teaching and choreographing for high school and college dance teams. Jana has been teaching at Miss Donna’s School of Dancing since 2004. She choreographs nearly 100 competition routines each year, earning numerous regional, national, and world titles, as well as multiple choreography awards, including Choreographer of the Year at the World Dance Championships in New York City. She takes great pride in inspiring students who have gone on to successful professional dance careers, including performing with the touring production of Cats and the world-famous Rockettes.
Miss Megan
Competition Instructor
Megan Hornung is a performer and professional dancer from Charlotte, NC. She began her dance training at the age of three and she grew up dancing at some of the most competitive dance studios in the Charlotte area. She continued her dance training as the youngest member of the traveling tap troupe Tapaholics and also appeared as a principal dancer in the off-Broadway production "Slide" while still attending high school. Megan also gained experience traveling to multiple cities such as Los Angeles and New York to train with many renowned professional dancers and choreographers, before receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Dance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with a concentration in Dance Studies. While attending college, she spent countless hours training and performing with the UNCG Dance team, the Spartan G's. She began teaching at local studios upon returning home and held the position of Competition Director for several years at her previous studio. Her unique and award-winning choreography has earned numerous awards and accolades across the state throughout the last decade.
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Miss Neely
Competiton Instructor
Hi I’m Neely Hill. I have been teaching at Miss Donna’s for 23 years! I began dancing at the age of 2 and I haven’t stopped since. I was also a Honeybee for the Charlotte Hornets in my college years. By day, I am a kindergarten teacher and I love working with children. I have two daughters, Harper and Rowyn, who dance competitively for Miss Donna’s as well. Dance is my passion, and I love sharing my passion with your children!
Miss Brayden
Competition Instructor
Brayden Bartlett was born into the dance world, growing up in her mom’s dance studio. She began dancing at the age of one and started competing at four years old. She is trained in a variety of styles, specializing in Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, and Jazz Technique, with additional training in Ballet, Tap, Conditioning, and Tumbling. Brayden has taught and choreographed dancers of all ages and has extensive experience in the competitive dance circuit. Her choreography has earned numerous regional and national overall awards, choreography awards, special judges’ awards, and recognition at the America Loves to Dance Awards. She is currently pursuing a degree in Education to continue growing as an educator and combine her passion for dance with her love for inspiring dancers. Brayden is also certified in Dance and Cheer Safety. She takes pride in creating a positive and encouraging environment where dancers can build confidence, develop strong technique, and grow both inside and outside of the studio.
Miss Brooke
Competition Instructor
Brooke Gaddy-Bartlett discovered her love for dance at just two years old and began competing at the age of nine. She has trained in tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, hip hop, tumbling, and cheer, and has been teaching competitive dance since she was 15 years old.
At just 18, Brooke opened her dream studio, Victory Talent, which she successfully owned and operated for 27 years, with locations in Monroe, Indian Trail, and Marshville. After selling the studio to spend more time with her daughters, she joined the faculty at Miss Donna’s, where she enjoys teaching alongside her daughter, Brayden, and supporting her younger daughter, Keely, as a competitive dancer.
Throughout her career, Brooke and her students have earned numerous regional and national titles, including Dance World Cup honors in Barcelona, Spain. Her students have gone on to perform on Broadway, cruise ships, collegiate dance teams, So You Think You Can Dance, the Alvin Ailey organization, and as NBA dancers and NFL cheerleaders.
Brooke is a certified dance and cheer coach who is passionate about inspiring the next generation of dancers. She believes the greatest reward is helping students grow in confidence while developing a lifelong love for dance.
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Miss Alicia
Long Creek
Manager/Instructor
Miss Alicia teaches both recreational and competitive dance for Miss Donna’s. Miss Alicia has been dancing since the age of 2. She started taking dance at Miss Donna’s in the footsteps of her mother Mary, who also danced with Miss Donna since the age of 2. After about 6 years of taking recreational dance Miss Alicia joined the competition dance team where she furthered her knowledge in all subjects of dance including Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, and Hip Hop until she was 18. After graduating high school, Alicia attended community college and started to assist Mrs. Shannon where she would end up learning so much more about dance, and even more so the joys of teaching. This is now Miss Alicia’s 17th year teaching for Miss Donna. Miss Alicia loves to teach and loves to be around children. She has two children, Adalyn and Arya. Addy is starting her 10th year of dance and Arya will be starting her 6th year! Miss Alicia is ready for another great year!
Miss Jessica
Harrisburg Manager/Instructor
Miss Jessica began dancing at the age of two and trained for 11 years in both recreational and competitive dance before graduating from high school at 18. During her years at Miss Donna’s, she developed a strong love for dance and enjoyed assisting a variety of instructors, gaining valuable experience working with dancers of all ages. Over the years, Miss Jessica has assisted her sister, Miss Alicia, with both recreational and competitive classes at the Long Creek location. Today, she is proud to manage and teach at the Harrisburg location, where she loves helping each student grow in both skill and confidence. For Miss Jessica, the most rewarding part of teaching is seeing the smiles on her students’ faces and the excitement in their eyes when they finally master a new step or accomplish something they never thought possible. She strives to create a positive, encouraging classroom where every dancer feels supported and inspired to do their best. Dance has always been a family tradition. With her mother, Miss Mary, her sister, Miss Alicia, and two nieces who are members of the competitive team, it’s safe to say that dance truly runs in her blood. Miss Jessica is excited to continue sharing her passion for dance and helping the next generation of dancers discover the same love for movement that has been a part of her life since childhood.
Miss Amelia
Indian Trail Instructor
Miss Amelia began dancing at Miss Donna’s School of Dancing at the age of three. From an early age, she developed a love for dance, inspired by her grandmother, who previously owned a dance studio. She spent 14 years training at MDSD, where she grew both as a dancer and performer before graduating from high school. After graduation, Miss Amelia attended UNC Charlotte, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. When she is not at the studio, she enjoys inspiring young minds as a 5th grade classroom teacher. Now entering her 8th year as a dance instructor at MDSD, Miss Amelia loves sharing her passion for dance with the next generation of dancers. She is dedicated to helping her students build confidence, develop strong technique, and discover the joy of movement in a positive and encouraging environment. She looks forward to continuing to inspire and encourage her dancers for many years to come.
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Miss Sonja
Sardis Instructor
Miss Sonja, a Charlotte native, began dancing at the age of two at the Bethlehem Center and joined Miss Donna’s School of Dancing at age eight. By middle school, she was a teacher assistant and competitive dancer. During her years at MDSD, she received the Merit and Scholarship Awards and earned a college dance scholarship from Star Systems Dance Nationals in 1992. She attended North Carolina A&T State University, earning bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration Management and Office Administration. While there, she performed with the Blue & Gold Marching Machine as a member and co-captain of the Golden Delight flag and dance squad, and also served as co-captain of the Aggie Essence dance team. She later earned her MBA from Pfeiffer University.
Miss Sonja has trained in many styles of dance, with a passion for tap, jazz, liturgical dance, and flag twirling. She has taught at the Bethlehem Center, coached the West Charlotte High School flag and dance team, and taught in St. Louis, Missouri. One of her proudest achievements was choreographing a first-place overall 12 & under jazz duo at the 2013 Headliners Regional Dance Competition.
Miss Alex
Indian Trail Instructor
Miss Alex is a Charlotte native with 25 years of dancing experience and 11 years of teaching experience. She started dance at 3 years old, danced competitively for a local studio for several years, and even took on dancing at the collegiate level as part of Western Carolina University’s nationally ranked dance team for 3 years. After graduating WCU in 2017 with her bachelor’s in business administration and marketing, she joined the MDSD staff as an assistant, and has since become a head teacher at both Sardis and Indian Trail locations and helped assist on the Competition team for the past 4 seasons. Miss Alex is excited to begin her 7th year of teaching at Miss Donna’s! Her favorite style of dance is jazz because it is upbeat, sassy and FUN! In addition to her job at Miss Donna’s, she works as a Data Specialist. Miss Alex just got married in May 2023, and when she is not teaching, she loves to spend time with her husband and their two dogs, Olive and Miller. Dance has always been her passion, and seeing her “dance babies” on stage at the end of every season sharing that same love and passion is what makes working at MDSD the most rewarding for Miss Alex.
Miss Pauli
Harrisburg Instructor
Hi, I'm Pauli and I have danced for 10
years recreationally and competitively. I have been an assitant teacher for 5 years with Miss Donna School of Dancing. I love every minute of it! l'm a total Dance Aunt at heart, cheering on every dancer and celebrating their big (and little) wins. My classes are all about having fun, trying new things, and building confidence through movement. Whether we're grooving to hip-hop, spinning in jazz, or just being silly during warm-up, I'm here to make sure every dancer feels welcome, supported, and excited to dance! I cant wait to dance with you!
Miss Emily
Indian Trail Instructor
Bio Coming soon
Coach Rachel
Rachael Helms grew up as an elite Level 10 competitive gymnast, where she developed the strength, discipline, and dedication that have shaped her lifelong passion for athletics and movement. She later continued her athletic career as a competitive cheerleader at UNC Charlotte and expanded her training through aerial arts, further fueling her love for acrobatics and performance.
For the past 27 years, Rachael has shared that passion by coaching tumbling and acro, helping students of all ages build strong technique, confidence, and a love for the sport. She is dedicated to creating a positive and encouraging environment where athletes can safely challenge themselves, develop new skills, and celebrate their accomplishments.
Outside the gym, Rachael serves her community as a certified EMT and Career Firefighter/Fire Engineer. Whether she’s coaching in the studio or serving others in her professional career, she brings the same commitment, energy, and compassion to everything she does. She loves inspiring students to discover what they’re capable of and to experience the excitement and confidence that come from defying gravity.
Miss Avery
Competition Ballet Instructor
Bio Coming
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Miss Kim
A Chance to Dance
Director
Miss Kim is a proud mom of three beautiful daughters. She's a former UNCC 49er Gold Duster and she took her very first dance class at Miss Donna's when she was 2 years old. While she loves all styles of dance, ballet and lyrical are her favorite. Dance has always been a part of her life. Kim's youngest daughter Reagan is on the autism spectrum. Inspired by her daughter she dreamed of starting an inclusive dance program for the special needs community and in the summer of 2015 that dream became a reality when Miss Donna gave A Chance To Dance for special needs a home. She's very proud to be a part of Miss Donna's School of Dancing. Kim's life verse is Galatians 6:9.
Miss Sherrie
Miss Maria
Administrator and
Costume Coordinator