Mrs. Donna Oas

Director & Instructor

Donna graduated from High School and moved to New York City for a year of intense ballet training and was then accepted into Houston Ballet in 1976 under the direction of James Klauser. In 1977 she was accepted into Dallas ballet and performed in the company until 1983 under the direction of George Skibine and Flemming Flindt. She was also on the faculty of Dallas Ballet Academy until 1984. She and her family moved to Grapevine in 1985 and co-founded the academy with her sister Susan. She enjoys sharing her dance knowledge with surrounding schools, teaching them “Cotillion.” She believes to enrich all ages and backgrounds with this art of dance along with the discipline and ettiquette they will need for the future.

Ms. Susan Myers

Director & Instructor

Susan continued her education out of high school and graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana with a BS degree In Business Administration. While attending college, she danced in the University Dance Troupe. She began teaching dance in 1974 at Northside Dance Academy in Lafayette Louisiana and was assistant director from 1977 until 1980. She then taught at Gerami Academy of Fine Arts in Lafayette Louisiana where she taught from 1980 until 1986 when she and her family moved to Grapevine. Susan continues her dance education by attending and observing classes at various teacher workshops and conventions.

Ms. April Oas

Instructor & Competition Director

April is a 23 year old ex-Fillie Sr. Lieutenant and graduate of Grapevine High School. She started dancing at the age of two and has not missed a year. She has taught the past 6 years at the Academy and the past 4 years as co-director on the Competition Teams.

She went to college on a dance scholarship where in her first semester she realized what she lived for – Her passion to teach and share the dance world with her willing  students.

After moving back to Grapevine, and teaching yet once again, April noticed that teaching was her arrangement for life. She hopes to expand her teaching skills while still improving in her own skills so that it will assist her to become a well-rounded teacher. She believes no matter what style of dance it is, it begins with the ballet technique. If you are strong in your ballet technique you will be able to pursue any style of dance. She hopes her passion of dance and teaching is evident to her youthful students and hopes it will encourage them to follow their dreams, in dance or whichever direction they want to go. She also works to help each individual dancer fabricate to their utmost dancing ability, and shares with them this wonderful artistic movement. Dance is a passion the teacher has to have in order to share it with  students of all levels. It is more than a pleasure to get this opportunity to be apart of this family oriented studio and is excited for the many years to come.

Ms. Emily Myers

Instructor & Competition Director

Emily Myers began dancing at the age of three.  She was a founding member of Majestic Ballet Company and danced the lead roles in Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and many other peices choreographed by the directors of the Company. She auditioned and was accepted to many summer intensives including-Joffery Ballet in New York and San Antonio, Kansas City Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Ballet Austin where she received a partial scholarship.

After graduating from high school, she was a student at Fort Worth Ballet. She was asked by the director of the company to understudy waltz and snow corp for the companys production of The Nutcracker.

Emily moved to Austin in 2002 to further her studies at Ballet Austin and Atomic Dance.  She returned to North Texas and Majestic Dance in 2004 and formed MDA competition team. Emily continuously trains to keep herself active in the dance world at Houston Met, Planet Funk, Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center and attends Jump and Pulse workshops.  She has taken master classes from some of the top names in the dance world such as Wade Robson, Mia Michaels, Dave Scott, Mandy Moore, Dee Caspbery, Brice Moussett and Derick Mitchell. This is Emily’s 9th year teaching at MDA and her goal as a teacher is not only to teach technique but to share with her students her love of the art of dance.

Mrs. Erica Irizarry Linebaugh

Instructor

Erica first started dance at the age of 3. Ever since then it has been a huge part of her life. At the age of 11 she attended the North West School of Performing Arts in Charlotte, NC. Her focus was modern dance and choir.

In 1995 Erica moved to Grapevine and became a student to Donna and Susan and the studio what was then Grapevine Dance Academy. She focused on ballet and performed in the annual Nutcracker for 4 years. Her roles include Spanish, Arabian, Waltz lead, Reed Flutes and Snow.

During this time she was studying at Dallas Powerhouse and attending the numerous conventions where she trained with some of the worlds best choreographers. Erica has taken master classes from some of the world’s best choreographers such as Mia Michaels, Brian Freedman, Kim McSwain, Marty Kudulka and many more.

After studying all forms of dance she began teaching in 1999 and has been doing it ever-since. She taught for eight years at a local studio heading up their Hip Hop competition teams and serving as assistant artistic directors for the performing companies.

Her award winning dances have led to national junior titles at both Cathy Roe and NYCDA.

Ms. Kelsey White

Hip-Hop InstructorKelsey White began her dance training at the age of 2, studying ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, and tap. She started dancing competitively when she was 6 years old and continued throughout high school winning several awards, including Starlight Grand National Champions.

Kelsey was a Jr. and Sr. Lieutenant on the Grapevine High School Fillies Dance Team, where she won 2 national titles.  Junior and Senior year, Kelsey was a recipient of the “Dance Award” and the Showmanship Award” by the Fillies Drill Team.  While on Drill Team she took several Outstanding Soloist Awards, as well as 1st place ensemble in a contemporary duet.

After graduation, Kelsey attended Oklahoma City University as a Dance Performance major.  Now 20 years old, Kelsey is living in Keller while working toward her degree.   In the past two years, Kelsey has choreographed several award winning solo’s and ensembles and recently received “Best Choreography” at Thunderstruck Dance Competition.  Kelsey has taken master classes from several top names including Dave Scott, Wade Robson, Mollea Harrison, Gino Johnson, Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, Laurianne Gibson, and Brian Friedman.  Kelsey is thrilled about her first year with Majestic Dance Academy and excited to share her passion, emotional expression, and style of dance!

Ms. Whitney Preston

Guest Teacher

Whitney Preston is excited about her first year with Majestic Dance Academy.  Whitney has 17 years of dance and cheerleading experience.

She was a cheerleader at Grapevine High School where she won 3 national titles.  While Whitney was cheering for her school she was also a cheerleader for an All- Star gym where she won many national titles, individual titles, and is one of 30 girls in the United States that holds a World title for representing U.S.A in the first World Cheerleading competition. She then moved on and made the Dallas Desperados Dancers.  Whitney stayed with the Dallas Desperados Dancers for 3 years where she was captain for 2 years and was awarded Veteran of the Year.  She also spent 2 of those years as Assistant Director of the Junior Dallas Desperados Dancers.

Whitney just finished her first year with the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue dancers as a captain. She enjoys sharing her passion for dance and MDA is excited to have her on board.

Ms. Dina Vail

Guest Teacher

For the past four years, Dina Vail has been the ballet mistress for the professional contemporary “Houston Metropolitan Dance Company” (The Met). In November 2003, Miss Vail choreographed a sixteen-minute piece for The Met’s fall concert. Miss Vail received her first ballet training from Barbara Weisberger, the founder of the Pennsylvania Ballet. She continued her studies at Jacob’s Pillow and Juilliard. Miss Vail has performed with many dance companies, including the Wilkes-Barre Ballet Theatre, the Tucson Civic Ballet, the Tucson Ballet Theatre, the Houston Contemporary Dance Theatre, New Dance Group and Theatre Under the Stars. Miss Vail has been a ballet teacher and choreographer since the early 1960′s. She has taught and coached many dancers, including some who have become professionals. Miss Vail has chosen the Majestic Ballet, whose leading dancers she coached in 2000, to be the first company to perform a ballet that she has created based on Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, “The Little Match Girl.” The Grapevine ballet company’s cast will include more than forty-nine dancers, varying in age from 9 to 50.