Dancin' Around Dance Studio
326 Ridge Road, Munster, IN 46321
219-237-2666
12804 S. Highland Ave, Blue Island, IL 60406
708-935-8450
Meet The Team
Want to be apart of our faculty? Send your resume or email us at Dancinaround@gmail.com
As the Founder/Owner and Artistic Director of Dancin' Around Dance Studio, Ms. Vi Donald is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the studio. With a wealth of over 25 years of training and experience in the dance industry in various dance styles such as Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Pointe, Modern, Lyrical, and Gymnastics, as she is a versatile dancer and instructor and has spent 16 years as a professional and competitive dancer, showcasing her skills and talent at various competitions. Since opening the studio in 2001, Ms. Donald has achieved great success.
Her experience doesn't stop there, alongside her dancing career, she also worked as a freelance choreographer and instructor for various institutions such as Day Cares, Park Districts, High Schools, Colleges, and Universities. This wide range of experiences speaks to her adaptability and ability to work with diverse groups of individuals, ranging from young children to college students.
Ms. Vi Donald
Ms. Nia
Nia has been dancing and competing since she was just 2 years old under the instruction of her mother, Ms. Vi Donald at Dancin' Around Dance Studio. She has a diverse background in various dance styles, including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Poms, Tumbling, Lyrical, Acro, and Cheerleading. Nia is currently actively performing, auditioning, and competing all over the United States.
Throughout her career, Nia has achieved numerous Platinum Awards and top 5 Overall Scores at various dance competitions. She has also earned several dance scholarships from different competitions and conventions. In 2016 and 2017, Nia was crowned the National Champion at the Starbound Dance Competition, taking 1st Place Overall for her jazz solo and lyrical solo performances.
In addition to her dancing accomplishments, Nia was also a member of the cheerleading team for TF South High School. She was named an All-State Conference Cheerleader in both 2017 and 2018.
Nia's love for dance is ingrained in her soul, and she enjoys sharing her passion with others through teaching. She has had the privilege of training and dancing with world-famous choreographers who have worked with artists such as One Direction, Justin Bieber, JLo, and P'Diddy. Her travels have also allowed her to meet inspiring dancers from the TV show "Dance Moms" and their affiliated dance companies.
Nia's role as the Instructor and Head Choreographer for the DancInfusion Competitive Dance Team has been instrumental in the team's success. Her passion for dance and expertise in choreography has greatly influenced their achievements.
Through her guidance, Nia has instilled a strong work ethic and a sense of discipline in the dance team. She has helped them develop their technical skills and pushed them to constantly improve and push their boundaries. Her attention to detail and commitment to excellence have been vital in their consistent top placements at national competitions.
Nia's ability to create innovative and captivating dance routines have set the team apart from their competitors. Her creativity and artistic vision have not only impressed the judges but also captivated the audience. She takes into consideration the strengths and abilities of each team member, ensuring that their routines showcase their individual talents.
Apart from her technical expertise, Nia also provides emotional support and encourages teamwork within the dance team. She promotes a positive and inclusive environment where each member feels valued and motivated to contribute their best. Her leadership skills have fostered a strong sense of camaraderie among the dancers, which has contributed to the team's unity and success.
Overall, Nia's role as the Instructor and Head Choreographer for the DancInfusion Dance Team has had a profound impact on the team's achievements. Her expertise, creativity, and guidance have helped them reach new heights and establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the dance competition circuit.
For those interested in following Nia's journey, she can be found on Instagram at @Niaraedonald or on YouTube/Vidanz.
Ms. Sierra
Sierra is a highly accomplished and dedicated dancer with a wealth of experience in various dance styles. She began her dancing journey at the young age of 5 and quickly rose to become a national competitor. Sierra's training spans across jazz, ballet, hip hop, poms, tap, and tumbling and heels, among others.
Sierra's dedication to her craft has taken her on a journey around the United States, where she has trained with renowned choreographers and producers. She has also collaborated with popular dance teams, further expanding her knowledge and skills in dance.
Throughout her dance career, Sierra has been a part of several dance teams, including the Southern Illinois Dance Team, Moda, IUC Wrapsody, Dance2XS, and UIUC Hypno. Her passion for hip hop and heels has led her to create and become the CEO of D.A. Dream Dance Team in Lansing, IL & Fantasy Dance Team in Chicago, IL. In this role, she trains the team for various performances, including music videos, commercials, theaters, and Bulls games. She trains her dancers at various locations throughout the States including Lansing, IL, Chicago, IL, Champaign, IL and Las Vegas, NV.
In addition to her dance accomplishments and an entrepreneur, Sierra is also a devoted teacher with a wealth of experience. Her passion for teaching dance shines through, and she is excited to connect with dancers from all walks of life.
If you want to stay updated on Sierra's dance journey, you can follow her on Instagram @sierrabearr_.
NATALIE J KOLOSCI began studying ballet under the direction of Elisa Stigler at Roosevelt University in Chicago. At 8 years old she danced with the Bolshoi Ballet from Moscow, the Kirov Ballet from Leningrad and continued to do so for the next eight years. She received a medal of the Bolshoi Theatre from the Artistic Director and was asked to be the assistant coach for the children’s roles while on tour in Chicago. Her professional debut was at age 15, dancing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy with the Allegro Ballet Company, under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Lunnon from London. As studio owner of Natalie’s School of Dance for over 20 years in Lake Station, she traveled throughout the U.S. with her students, participating in regional and national competitions, conventions, lectures, and performances. She choreographed and staged several pieces for local dance centers, as well as worked with local park departments and South Suburban College. She was the owner, director and instructor of Civic Dance Center in Portage, IN for 20 years where she produced “The Nutcracker” ballet each December. She just closed her doors and will now be teaching ballet and jazz at Dancin’ Around Dance Studio.
Ms. Natalie
Ms. Jaelyn
Ms. Jaelyn is a highly accomplished and talented individual with a strong background in dance, cheerleading, and volleyball. She began her dance training at a very young age and has been competing and winning awards since the age of 3. Her dance background includes various styles such as jazz, ballet, hip hop, poms, contemporary, gymnastics, and cheerleading.
In addition to her dance training, Jaelyn has also been involved in cheerleading throughout her school years. She was a part of her high school varsity cheerleading team for 3 years and also participated in All-Star Cheer.
Jaelyn's athletic abilities are not limited to dance and cheerleading. She also has a passion for volleyball and was a member of the volleyball team for 4 years in high school and played club volleyball as well. Her skills on the volleyball court earned her the title of All-Conference Athlete for Dance and Volleyball for 2 consecutive years. Additionally, she was named Athlete of the Year in her Senior class in 2021.
After high school, Jaelyn attended Moraine Valley Community College on a Full Athletic Scholarship, where she obtained her Associate Degree in Sports Management. During her time at the college, she excelled in her sport and was recognized as an All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference player in 2021 and 2022, as well as an All-Region IV Team member in 2021.
Currently, Jaelyn is pursuing her studies at Indiana University, majoring in Sports Management on a Volleyball Scholarship. She continues to share her passion for dance by teaching at Dancin' Around Dance Studio as an instructor for Jazz and Ballet. She also takes on Office Management responsibilities at the studio while working towards her Bachelor's Degree.
Ms. Neecie has been dancing since the age of three training in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Tap, and Hip-Hop. She has now been teaching professionally since 2017. She trained and received her degree in dance and psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. During her time in college, she performed with the college’s dance company and also with her dance team at many events on campus. Ms. Neecie is very passionate and excited to be a mentor to her students while guiding them through dance.
Ms. Neecie
LaNesha began her dance journey at the age of 13 at Dance Expressions, in Calumet City IL. In 2012 LaNesha and her dance sisters competed in the Worlds Hip Hip competition in Las Vegas. Even though her team didn’t win the competition it still was a very good learning experience for LaNesha. In 2015 LaNesha became a Praise Dancer at her church, Christ Universal Temple. She is still currently a Praise Dancer at her Church. Also LaNesha has been Choreographing since 2016 for the Praise Dancers at her church. Summer of 2017 LaNesha auditioned for the Chicago Luvabulls , the Chicago Bulls Dance Team. This experience taught LaNesha a lot about the dance community. With all this experience LaNesha loves teaching the younger generations the foundations of dance so they can grow to be humble amazing dancers.
Ms. Nesha
Ms. Abby
Abby has been dancing since the age of 3 and started competing at the age of 5 in ballet and the age of 6 in ballet and tap. Abby has been focusing her dance studies in ballet, lyrical, and contemporary primarily, which are her favorites. Abby has also performed in many performances with the Indiana Ballet Theatre at the Star Plaza including the infamous Nutcracker many years as well as their Spring Shows. Abby has danced in pointe and has a love for ballet and lyrical mostly. Abby has attended many dance intensives over the years while at the Indiana Ballet Theatre with several guest teachers and has also attended many summer dance intensives including the Ballet 5:8 in Frankfort, IL and at Grand Rapids Ballet in MI. Abby has finished up her competitive dance career last year with Dance Bizz Dance Studio in Nashville, TN with Rainbow National Dance Competition with a senior solo in contemporary ballet and a senior duet in contemporary. While competing last year Abby earned a spot with Rainbow Dance Competition, in their New York Dance Experience, enabling her to take classes with the NY City Rockettes, being able to learn from them as well as others in NY City.
In middle school Abby competed in competitive cheerleading. She also did cheerleading in her freshman year of high school. Abby enjoyed cheerleading very much but her love remained in dance. Abby continues to love to dance and teach dance. Abby loves to dance on stage and be a performer and is excited to watch young girls and boys grow and develop their own love for dance as well.
Kendall has been involved in the dance world since the age of 3 and has trained in a variety of disciplines, including ballet, tap, gymnastics, acro, contemporary, modern, tumbling, jazz, poms, lyrical, hip-hop, cheerleading and more.
She was a member of the TF South Dance team for three years, and has been choreographing since the age of 13.
She is currently on the Dancinfusion dance team.
Kendall is excited to pass her passion for dance onto young kids at Dancin' Around Dance Studio.