Learn fun, easy US line dances so popular around the world. No partner needed.
Donna Frankel graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Recreation Administration and Dance, and holds a California Adult Education Teaching Credential in Dance and two lifetime California Community College Teaching Credentials (Dance and PE). Her dance career began on roller skates at age 1, and ice skates at age 3, followed by folk dancing, ice dance, classical ballet, tap, jazz, modern dance, and choreography. But she had been creating her own dances all along. Donna was a member of the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet Co. for seven years, performing in most of their productions, culminating with a performance of “The Man With the Mask,” dancing with Jean Paul Comelin (French born artistic director of the Milwaukee Ballet, soloist with the Paris Opera Ballet, ABT, etc.) at San Diego’s Civic Theater.
Donna began teaching ballet and tap dance to children, and Latin and ballroom dance to adults at recreation departments and private studios, to put herself through college. Her children’s Israeli troupe performed a suite of dances at her wedding reception and her college aged international dance troupe performed and toured throughout Southern CA.
Next, Donna taught figure skating and ice dancing through San Jose State U, taught “Mommy and Me” dance classes, stretch and flex, water exercise, children’s tumbling, pre ballet, tap and jazz, for public and private institutions before she began teaching ballroom, tap, folk, and line dance classes for the Sunnyvale Senior Center and Fremont Adult Ed. Donna has taught dance for 23 years in the California Community Colleges: modern, ballet, tap, but more heavily: Latin/ballroom/social, country/line, and world/folk dance classes at Foothill, De Anza, Mission and West Valley Colleges, averaging 250-350 students a week in multiple levels of tap, ballroom and line dance. She started the most popular student club at Mission College-MSDC-The Mission Social Dance Club, which (with 150 members) has been going full swing for over 15 years. During her career, she has danced on many stages, written published articles on dance and social events-2018 and continues to produce 6-8 yearly student dance performances, and to coach and choreograph for wedding couples who need their first dance tailored to their needs/skills. These are most commonly waltzes, but are now often night club two-steps and even foxtrot, rumba, tango or swing. Since 1996, Donna has led two or more dance cruises for her students, and the public each year, teaching a variety of dances and styles to all ages on five cruise lines throughout the world. Some of these have been cruise dance courses offered by Foothill and Mission Colleges.
Donna has trained some 14 social dance teachers in the Bay Area, has seen several of her students become professional dancers and 5 become proficient choreographers. More than one of her ballet students went on to enjoy a career dancing on Broadway, two started their own dance companies/dance camps and three of her students have opened ballroom dance studios in the San Francisco Bay Area with her encouragement and assistance.
Ms. Frankel believes there truly is a dance for every body. Those who do not enjoy dancing either have had little experience or have yet to be properly introduced to a dance style they will love by a professionally trained teacher who knows the quickest pathways to success. She hopes you will join her on her next dance cruise adventure!