Artistic Director/Owner

Michelle Donelson Renda
Hoboken Dance Academy Artistic Director

Ms. Donelson Renda has 33 years of dance experience. She also has been professionally acting for over ten years. She has trained at Broadway Dance Center, Steps, Dance Space Inc., and The Limon Institute. Her regional theatre credits include A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Fame and Hair. Michelle has had the opportunity to study at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute with Irma Saundry and Nancy Franklin. She then went on to study at H.B Studios with William Hickey, Edward Moorehouse, and Joseph Daly in NYC. She has been a member of The Screen Actors Guild for seven years. Some of her film and television credits include Comedy Central’s final season of Strangers with Candy, A Beautiful Mind, The $treet, and Finding Forrester. Michelle has had the privilege of working with Ron Howard, Russell Crow, Vivienne Cardone, Paul Betteny, Stephan Colbert and Amy Sedaris.

Ms. Donelson Renda’s vision for the Hoboken Dance Academy is to give children a solid dance and acting education, starting the very young dancer and actor with the core foundation technique. Without technique a student has no foundation to grow as a dancer or actor. Also, allowing each student to explore their own creativity and imagination in a fostering and caring environment.

Ms. Donelson Renda also plans on offering scholarship programs for dance achievement as well as to students who would not be able to otherwise participate at Hoboken Dance Academy.

“Let us first teach little children to breathe, vibrate, to feel, and become one with the general harmony and movement of nature. Let us first produce a beautiful human being, a dancing child.” –Isadora Duncan