Donna Dellaria

As founder and owner of Mission Dance & Performing Arts since 1978, Donna takes great pride in each student's development.

Her own career began at age four under the guidance of her mother, Jean Dellaria, a former professional dancer in England. Like Donna, Jean also operated her own dance studio in Fremont.

Donna studied under many leading educators in the industry such as Benny Smith, Fran Atlas, Roland Dupree, Joe Tremaine, Hama, Carol Conners, Doug Caldwell,

Keith Clifton, Lawrence Rosenberg and Jackie Sleight, to name a few.

Donna held the title of Miss Dance of California, Chapter 13 in 1982 and has appeared in television commercials, videos and motion pictures. She is an active member of Dance Masters of America.

She continues to enhance her own dance education by attending classes and symposia in the Bay Area as well as in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York.

Donna, whose attention to detail with each student is total and personal. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her choreography over the past 3 decades at regional, state and national level. Her soloists and group performers have been extremely successful and have won such awards as Miss Dance of California,Teen Miss Dance,Junior Miss Dance and California Miss, as well as many California State Talent Championships. Over the past 30 years under Donna's guidance, she has mentored many students into professional careers and several have further enriched the art by becoming professional dancers, teachers and choreographers. For others, the study of dance continues to benefit them over a lifetime of appreciation and enjoyment.

Over recent years, as artistic director, Donna loves coming to the studio to share her knowledge and love for dance and performance and to collaborate and work closely with the teachers on the students development and progress. She loves to watch as the students thrive and blossom into wonderful dancers.