Mary Jordan Collins is a member of the DanceLova Dance Academy faculty.
The North Carolina native brings more than a decade of serious dance coaching experience into every one of her classes here, so buckle up and have fun!
Beginning her training at the age three Mary Jordan studied ballet, tap and jazz for several years before auditioning for North Carolina School of the Arts where she was accepted into the ballet department at the age of 10.
It was here that she was able to study under the celebrated faculty of instructors from the most renowned ballet companies around the world. While most of the other young girls in her class left their original studios after being accepted into this prestigious ballet academy, Mary Jordan, always striving to be the best dancer possible, continued dancing with her elite competition studio as well while enrolled as an academic/arts student at NCSA. This allowed her to get the best training there was to offer in a multitude of styles and gave her opportunities to travel all over the country performing for various ballet companies such as the legendary Miami City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet while continuing to compete at national competitions where she won many awards and scholarships for her various solos and group routines. At a very young age Mary Jordan understood discipline, determination and devotion was what it took to attain one’s goals and she was not going to let anything stand in the way of her love for the stage. Not much has changed since becoming an educator.
During her teen years Mary Jordan first experienced what it was to teach when she partook in the young teachers and choreography program offered through her school. It didn’t take long for her to realize she had found her calling. In 2011, Mary Jordan played a key role in creating a new dance studio along with her former competition coach. Within three years of opening, the studio had over 200 competition dancers and she was promoted to the Associate Director of Competition. For over 8 years Mary Jordan was responsible for training her talented students with her well known love for a classical ballet foundation as well as choreograph over 20 group routines per year and more than 40 solos, duets and trios. Mary Jordan loves all styles of dance but it is through her contemporary and lyrical works that her talent truly shines. She loves to bring storytelling into her art and often creates her pieces based off monumental experiences in her own life and those most important to her.
In her 11 years of coaching, her students won numerous awards at competitions such as Jump, Nuvo, Radix and The Dance Awards. She was awarded Choreographer of the Year at Nationals four years consecutively and her dancers won National Grand Championships every year for the routines Mary Jordan choreographed for the studio. It was also during this time that she and her dancers were contacted by the producers of the hit show Dance Moms, where she and her senior company flew out to California on two different occasions to compete against the famous Abby Lee Dance Studio. Many of her dancers were and have continued to be selected for Protégé performer programs and are currently working dancers in New York, Los Angeles and London. She also was asked to be a guest teacher and judge for several dance competitions and conventions up and down the east coast. Her latest journey brought her out to California where she was invited to work with up-and-coming music artists in Los Angeles on choreography for their various tours and music videos.
In these two years Mary Jordan was given the opportunity to learn yet another aspect of dance and performance arts while on the sets of these productions, even dabbling in learning the production industry a bit. However, Mary Jordan proclaims, “Nothing compares to a dance studio, with just a barre and a bunch of talented young students eager to learn.” She is ready to conquer the West Coast and join the phenomenal team of coaches here at DanceLova and believes in building every dancer into the best artist they can truly be. “At the end of the day, the smiles I get to witness on my young pupils’ faces once they have achieved a new goal, new combo or new trick is what this world is all about for me. That moment where each dancer shines.”
She is ecstatic to be a part of a dance studio family where she can share her passion for the art of dance and storytelling through choreography while training young dancers with the most impeccable technique and incredible work ethic. Ms. Mary has been dancing her entire life after seeing her first ballet at 3 and has dedicated all her years since to becoming the best dancer, teacher and choreographer and cannot wait to work with all the talented students at DanceLova Dance Academy.
See why DanceLova Jazz dance classes are so in demand…
