Meet Our Team
The Heart of Detroit Dance Center®: Our Staff
Meet Ms. Aliyah
Ms. Aliyah Wright is an Artist, Dancer, Dance Teacher, & Choreographer with a love for the Creative & Performing Arts. Aliyah received CCA training & education in the Cecchetti method of Ballet and is currently preparing to exam for the Grade 1 CCA teacher certification. She was awarded the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre & Dance Talent Scholarship at Wayne State University where she studied as a Bachelor of Fine Arts Dance Major.
Aliyah has been a working member of pre-professional and touring dance companies. Currently, she serves as teacher and choreographer for recreational and company dancers in Michigan. Aliyah loves collaborating with other artists, working with youth dancers, and is passionate about inclusivity within the dance community
.jpg)
Meet Ms. Bella
Bella began her dance career in musical theater. Finding a passion for the dance side of the theater, she began training at Tina Marie School of Dance. Bella secured a spot on the Elite Competition team and competed in jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and contemporary. Additionally, Bella is proficient in jazz-funk, ballet, and pointe. After aging out of the competition world, she trained at Release Detroit to keep her dance skills sharp.
Bella is currently a senior at Wayne State University studying social work. Along with teaching dance, she teaches drug education and prevention, and life skills in schools from preschool to second grade. Her teaching experience, love of kids, energetic spirit, and dance training, makes her an excellent dance instructor.
Meet Ms. Jasmine
Jasmine began dancing at age 5 at Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy and hasn’t stopped dancing since. She received training in ballet, modern, hip-hop, and jazz there. While dancing there, she learned her love for teaching by participating in the Teen Mentoring Program. She has performed locally, regionally, and internationally, representing Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy, Cass Technical High School, and Michigan State University. After graduating from Michigan State with her BA in Chemistry, she taught in the Detroit Public Community District as a science teacher.
Her love for education and curriculum extends far beyond the classroom. After graduation, Jasmine returned to her roots and began teaching dance as an instructor at Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy. During her teaching, she obtained a Master of Science in Chemistry to extend her knowledge of Chemistry beyond high school. Jasmine has over ten years of experience in teaching and curriculum. Teaching children is truly her passion. Jasmine holds a Horton Technique certification and is certified in the Acrobatic Arts training curriculum.
Meet Ms. Linda
Linda put on her first pair of tap shoes at age 3. She competed in dance competitions locally, regionally, and nationally throughout her training, representing Sheryl's School of Dance in Novi, MI, and Wendy's School of Dance in Detroit, MI. After receiving a BBA in Accounting from Howard University, Linda worked in auditing for a Big 4 accounting firm and became an instructor at Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy, specializing in jazz and tap. Once accepting a position as an internal audit manager in New York, she simultaneously continued her dance training in ballet, hip-hop, and tap at Alvin Ailey Extension and Broadway Dance Center.
Linda has over 20 years of experience in training students in the art of dance, ranging in age from 3-adult, and has been choreographing pieces for various performances and competitions. Linda is an ABT® Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She also holds certifications in the Acrobatic Arts and the Progressing Ballet Technique curriculum.
Meet Ms. Marilyn
Meet Marilyn, a super energetic dancer since age 3. She loves Ballet, Jazz, and Tap, with Tap being her favorite. She joined competitions and later danced in high school and college. Marilyn graduated with a Healthcare Administration degree, now working in social work.
She's proud of her Caribbean heritage and loves sharing culture through dance. Teaching dance to kids is her passion, spreading positivity every day. Marilyn believes in saying, "I can, I am, I will!"
Meet Ms. Olivia
Hailing from the vibrant core of Detroit, Michigan, Olivia Rae McKinstry is a force of creativity and dynamism in every move she makes. A proud graduate of the Detroit School of Arts, she majored in dance, setting the stage for an incredible adventure to come. Olivia then took her talents to Alabama State University, where she dove headfirst into the arts.
During her time at ASU, Olivia racked up an impressive list of achievements, from show-stopping roles in the Theatre and Dance Department to a thrilling collaboration with choreographer Nathan Trice on a groundbreaking screen dance film. Walking away with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Alabama State, she confirmed her exceptional skills. Now, Olivia continues to dance through life as a versatile artist—dancer, actor, writer—and serves as an uplifting dance instructor at Detroit Dance Center. Her radiant spirit colors her journey, making her an essential figure in both the dance community and Detroit's vibrant arts scene.
Meet Ms. Katelin
Katelin has always been passionate about dance, starting formal training at 15. She joined Mid American Studio in July 2020, spending three years training, competing, choreographing, and teaching. As a Mid-American Elite Dance Company member, she won numerous regional and national awards and earned regional and national championships with her self-choreographed senior solo. At North Farmington High School, Katelin studied dance during her senior year and participated in intensives such as the Oakland Dance Festival and Michigan College Recruitment Combine.
After graduating from North Farmington and Mid-American, Katelin pursued pre-professional training with Fusion Heels, Ailey Extension, Rockettes of Color Alumnae, and Bold Dance Project. She also had a mentorship with Alicia Pociask while training intermittently in NYC. She works as a lead toddler teacher and continues to travel and expand her dance knowledge under her mentorship. Katelin is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique Level 1 and aims to achieve Level 2 certification this fall.
Meet Mr. Colin
Colin is a multi-talented artist who found his love for dance at the age of 5. He started taking hip-hop classes and eventually moved on to jazz, tap, contemporary, lyrical, ballet (Cecchetti), modern, and musical theater dancing. Colin trained at Tonina’s Dance Company in Westland and The Dance Academy in Westland, where he was on the competition teams for both studios. He is training and choreographing professionally with Cloud Moon Dance in Northville. Besides his love for dance, Colin is an actor who is passionate about musical theater. He has been in 11 different shows throughout the metro Detroit area and was a specialty extra in the movie Beverly Hills Cop 4, where he filmed two scenes in Detroit.
After graduating high school, Colin became a choreographer and dance teacher for Tonina’s Dance Company, where he taught children ages 4-13 in ballet, lyrical, tap, jazz, hip hop, and musical theater dance. He also taught adult ballet, contemporary, and musical theater classes. At the same time, Colin worked for Franklin High School in Livonia, choreographing for their musical theater department. He choreographed nine different musicals in 4 years. Colin encourages his students to express themselves through dancing and acting, creating a positive and fun learning experience for each star to shine.
Meet Ms. Desirae
Desirae is a multi-hyphenated creative. Her dance career started during her sophomore year of high school during her dual enrollment at the Center for Advanced Studies and the Arts (CASA) in Oak Park, MI. Her newfound love lead her to seek out pre-professional training in urban styles of dance such as Hip- Hop, Jit, Krumping, and Heels. During her senior year of high school, her team won 2nd Place at Michigan's first World of Dance 2018 and followed up the next year in 2019 with 3rd Place. After high school, she took a gap year to work with local artists, creative directing and choreographing show sets, music videos, and festivals. She opened up for Da Baby & Polo G's '810 Tour' before attending Madonna University in the fall of 2020 to pursue her BFA in Dance Performance. Desirae studied Jazz, Modern (Horton Technique), and Ballet. During that time, she studied under Glenn Douglas Packard at the "INstitute of Dancers" in Lansing, MI. She also worked hybrid at PBA Royal Studio's and afterschool programs for Detroit and Oakland Public Schools.
Desirae is pursuing a B.A. in communications for film and T.V. production. In the future, she plans to pursue a Master's in Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) to give dancers and non-dancers of all ages another outlet for therapy.
Meet Mr. Daijiro (DJ)
Daijiro is a multifaceted dancer from Detroit who emphasizes House Dance in both the competitive and performance realms. With over 17 years of dance and teaching experience, he utilizes his background, including popping, locking, house, and breaking, to create a unique style centered on celebrating the rich culture and freedom of movement and dance. His dedication and passion for furthering his knowledge have led him to practice and teach both nationally and internationally, studying under renowned dancers in his field.
Daijiro's deep passion for the art of movement is intricately intertwined with his love for Detroit House and Techno music. His freestyle performances in the city have garnered popularity among many, and are well known by fellow artists in the community. This same passion has also led to a career in music production, where he creates beautiful sounds that are a testament to his love for the music, while also drawing inspiration from his island heritage.
Inspired by the rich history of Motown, he strives to honor and preserve the essence of House Music, House Dance, and its robust culture. Through his graceful yet powerful style and enthusiastic and patient aura, Daijiro invites new dancers to feel the rhythm and embrace the joy and the sense of freedom that House Dance brings. Daijiro firmly believes that you can pursue dance at any stage in life and creates an atmosphere where all feel welcomed and rooted in the community that is dance.