Hi! My name is Donielle. I was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. GO BILLS! Currently, I live right outside of Manhattan ON THE DIRTY JERSEY Side with my amazing family. I teach Live-stream fitness classes on Zoom and mentor young dancers to follow their dreams.
I started gymnastics at age 3 and dancing at age 4. At age 9 I was accepted into a Performing Arts school as a dance major, and I loved every minute of it. Dancing at school! How amazing is that? After two years, my family moved to the suburbs, and I was unable to attend. It certainly broke my heart. I needed to find something to fill that empty space and get out all of the energy that I had so I attempted several sports and fell in love with Volleyball, Basketball and Track & Field. In high school, I became a nationally ranked pentathlete (100 m hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump & 800 m) and 2nd team New York State in Volleyball. By the time I graduated, I had 19 school records on the board, many of which still stand today.
With my training and dedication, I earned a scholarship to continue competing in Division 1 Track & Field. In my first college meet, I broke the school record, and from that moment on, I was expected to always WIN by my coaches. I started to become emotionally and physically burnt out, and after my Coach told me I needed to quit dancing on the side, I knew the answer was simple: I needed to pursue my first love...DANCE! I switched majors and changed my course load the same day after a coincidental conversation with a professor. The exhausting question he proposed was, “What are you doing with your life?
After receiving a BFA in Dance Performance, I moved to NYC. As a dancer, I traveled the world by trains, planes, and cruise ships, performing in Broadway shows. To make ends meet, I taught dance to all age levels in the Tri-State area. I adjudicated dance competitions and led master classes in the U.S. and Canada. As the United States Dance & Acrobatic Team Coordinator & Choreographer we performed halftime shows at Madison Square Garden, Disney and Universal Studios. I loved every minute of it until I was diagnosed with a rare condition that would halt my movement for a couple of months. During those months, I decided I needed to finally go to yoga school. I had been putting it off for years because I was always “gigging.” This experience led me to start teaching YOGA, BARRE, HIIT, and DANCE in Fortune 500 corporate gyms and boutique fitness studios.
I fell in love with the sense of community and connection and started coaching clients to meet their goals head-on. Now I feel like everything has come full circle. My dance and athleticism blended together with my love of music, movement, humor, and human connection. I believe a fabulous class should be fun, form-focused, and musically driven with a kicka$$ playlist! But don’t forget a splash of humor. We must laugh with each other when we fall and help each other get up with a smile. We are in this together, and that is how Doni Fit Fam was born.
When the pandemic started and all gyms were closed, I wanted to continue teaching and giving back to my loyal clients. Through word of mouth, an amazing online “Fam” was born. Together DFF raised money for COVID-19 relief, struggling students, and local homeless shelters. This QuaranTEAM accomplished goals and inspired me every day to continue to show up! I invite you to join the “Fam” and become the best version of YOUrself with US!