Our Staff
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Donna Daly Blyth
Director
Studio Director, Donna Daly Blyth has worked extensively in dance and in theatre performance and production for over 25 years. Donna holds an M.A. in Performing Arts from the University of London and performance and teaching Diplomas from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.
Donna was the founder and course director of one of Ireland’s most successful dance education and training courses and has served on many arts and dance organisations during her career including the Dance Council of Ireland, Cork Arts Development Committee and Alpha Dance Company in addition to being a member of the editorial board for the choreographic research journal Choreographic Encounters. She is currently chairperson of Cork City Ballet.
Her work as a director and choreographer to date includes over 60 professional productions ranging from classical and contemporary dance, to opera, drama and musical theatre. Donna has choreographed 15 seasons of pantomime that include numerous productions of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Aladdin, Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty at the Cork Opera House, the Everyman Palace and the Everyman Theatre. Other musical productions include Alice in Wonderland and Pinnochio at the Everyman, the award winning “Nunsense” series at the Cork Opera House and Everyman Palace, The Richard Rogers Tribute at the NEC, Killarney and The Wizard of Oz at Cork Opera House.
She was the inaugural director of the critically acclaimed “New Work” series at Institute for Choreography and Dance in Ireland where she also directed the 50th
Anniversary Tribute to Joan Denise Moriarty – founder of the Irish National Ballet”.
As a director of one of Ireland’s most critically acclaimed theatre production companies Goldenboy Productions, she was both producer and choreographer of
the Irish premiere of Singing in the Rain at the Everyman Palace and Olympia Theatre, The Full Monty (Irish premiere and national tour) and The King and I at the Cork Opera House, The Helix, Dublin and Millennium Forum Derry.
The role that has brought the most reward and greatest pleasure in Donna’s career has been that of teacher and studio owner. Donna has been both teacher and mentor to hundreds of young people many of whom are now professional dancers and artists in their own right working in all corners of the world.
“I see the accomplished adult, confident, successful and inspired by the great joy that dance and performance brings into their lives and I remember the hesitant child that stood before me in class. What an honour and privilege to have been part of making that possible ” -
Karen Hackett
Drama
Karen has worked extensively as a professional actress/singer for the past twelve years. Karen is a double Gold Medallist with L.A.M.D.A. and holds an Honours Diploma in Speech and Drama Performance.
Recent theatre credits include, The Sunbeam Girls, Cork Opera House, The Good Sisters, Half Moon Theatre, The Full Monty, Olympia Theatre Dublin and Irish Tour, Man of La Mancha, Cork Opera House, Westside Story, Solstice Arts Centre, Magic Of The Musicals, National Concert Hall Dublin, Beauty and the Beast, Liberty Hall, Dublin, Peter Pan Firkin Crane, Cork Cinderella, Everyman Palace, Michael Collins Workshop, Theatre Royal Waterford and Cork Opera House.
Karen has performed as a backing vocalist for Josh Groban, Point Theatre Dublin and Andrea Bocelli, Late Late show RTE, and most recently was a soloist on the Eurovision Tribute Late Late Show.
Karen played the part of Anna, the receptionist on R.T.E's Fair City in 2005.
In addition to her busy performing career, Karen is a very experienced Musical Theatre and Drama teacher. She currently Speech and Drama at Donna’s Dance Studio and also runs Curtain Call Performing Arts school in Dublin and Portlaoise, as well as teaching at The Independent Theatre Workshop, Dublin.
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Amy Minihane
Gymnastics & Acro
Amy Minihane has been involved with Gymnastics for over 25 years of her 29 years.
As a competitor Amy competed at international level in both gymnastics and trampolining. She has also worked as a National team coach in both disciplines. Many of Amy’s own students have reached National/International competition standards, some even competing at world championship level.
Amy is a fun outgoing person who enjoys teaching people at whatever level, as long as they want to be there and want to be taught.
“My classes are all about having fun but working hard whilst building confidence, improving skill level and sweating lots :-) “ -
Amanda Duke
Modern, Ballet, Tap
Amanda Duke began twinkling her toes here at the Donnas Dance Studio since she was just 6 years old, where she trained in ballet, modern, tap, and jazz dance.
With Donna, she regularly performed in many shows, including the Cork Opera House pantomime, the Cork Opera House dance schools showcase and the annual Danceworks showcase in the Firkin Crane and the Everyman Theatre. She also achieved success at many ISTD exams in Ballet, Modern, Jazz.
Amanda continued her dance training by completing the Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa (CSN) diploma in dance at the Firkin Crane, Directed by Alan Foley. She continued to perform regularly, including several appearances in productions by Cork City Ballet. While studying Amanda began teaching at the Alan Foley Academy of Dance and at Donnas Dance Studio.
Following completion of her diploma, Amanda began teaching full-time for the Alan Foley Academy of Dance, where she taught students aged from 3 to 18 in studios throughout West Cork and also continued to work at Donnas Dance Studio. During this time, she devised, choreographed and directed many pieces for the annual showcase.
In recent years, Amanda has worked at The Space Dance Studios in Melbourne, Australia, at the Colaiste Stiofáin Naofa dance course and at Dennard Theatre Arts in London, England. She has also choreographed pieces for the CSN Graduation Performance and devised a piece which was performed at the recent launch of the book, ‘Cork City Ballet – The Story So Far’.
Amanda is excited to be returning to Donnas Dance Studio, the place where she first discovered her love of dance, to begin teaching in the fabulous new facilities.
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Sue-Ellen MacCarthy
Modern, Contemporary
Sue-Ellen graduated in 1982 from the Queensland University of Technology with a diploma in Performing Arts (Theatre).
She began her career with the Queensland Theatre Company in 1982 from where she was head hunted to perform the role of 'Anybodys' in West Side Story in 1983, a show she again performed in for the 1995/1996 Australian/New Zealand season in the role of 'Graziella'.
Her career has seen her work with many reknowned choreographers including Meryl Tankard, Chrissie Koltai, Tony Bartuccio, Ross Coleman, Jane Beckett, Margaret Chapple and Stephen Page.
Now a sought after teacher and choreographer herself, her teaching credits include some well renowned dance institutions including Sydney Dance Co Studios, UNSW, NAISDA, ED5, Brent Street Studios, Dance World 301, Dance Intensity Workshops, American Jazz Dance Affiliation Workshops (New Zealand) and professional dance companies such as D'arc Swan, AIDT, Chunky Moves and Bangarra.
Sue-Ellen has choreographed theatrical productions, several television commercials, music videos and was an assistant to choreographer Stephen Page at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Music videos include 'What a Feeling' for Marcia Hines, 'Sunshine' for Christine Anu & 'Boomin' for Selwyn.
Sue-Ellen has been a personal fitness trainer & personal movement coach to a number of Actors, Singers & Dancers including Christine Anu & Marcia Hines, has been Presenter for AOK Health Australia, Rehearsal Director for both Raymond Blanco's production 'InTentCity' performed at the Sydney Opera House & Marilyn Miller's production 'Quinkan', was choreographer for the CSTD Dancers Convention QPAC Brisbane 2005 & for 2006 – 2007 was teaching & choreographing for the Creative Industries Dance department at the Queensland University of Technology.
Since moving to Ireland in 2008 she has choreographed the premier production of ‘Moriarty’ for Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland in 2009.