Studio

Learn more about the studio’s history, its proud owner, and the wonderful team of instructors and staff that keep everything running.

Since 1979, our studio has provided comprehensive dance and performing arts instruction across multiple disciplines including Ballet & Pointe, Clogging, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Musical Theatre, Tap, Vocal and Drama. Classes are available for our Traditional, Troupe, and Miracle Dancer groupings.

Classes accommodate all skill levels and serve ages three and up, including adults. The studio offers instruction for solo performances, duets, trios, as well as small and large ensemble groups. Student performances occur at numerous venues in the Louisville area throughout the year, including competitions, Christmas programs for the local community, spring Performing Arts Troupe shows, the Gaslight Parade, and our annual studio recital in June.

The Performing Arts Troupe maintains an active presence statewide and nationally, with dancers having trained and performed in New York City, Walt Disney World, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Chicago, Atlantic City, and aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Notable performances include the Diamond Derby Celebrity Gala, the Kentucky State Fair, the Louisville Tonight television program, Kings Island, the Coca-Cola Talent Competition, the Kentucky Derby Pegasus Parade, the Snowball and Harbor House Appreciation Dinner. The studio has participated annually in the WHAS Crusade For Children live television performances for over 35 years.

The Miracle Dancers program serves students with diverse special needs. In 2012, this program established itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called The Miracle Dancer Scholarship Foundation, comprising over 60 dancers. They serve as featured performers at the WHAS Crusade for Children and have performed at various events and conferences, including regional competitions, the Snowball, Harbor House Appreciation Dinner, Miss Wheelchair Kentucky, and the State Fair.

Diane Moore Dance Academy Studio Building
Ms. Diane, owner and director of Diane Moore Dance Academy Ms. Diane as a dance student

Meet the Owner

Ms. Diane

Owner & Director

Ms. Diane has dedicated over 60 years to the Louisville Performing Arts Community. She founded the dance academy in 1979, offering all dance styles, voice instruction, special needs classes, and performing arts programming for ages three to adult across over 47 years of operation.

Her training began locally with Patsy Bloore and continued under renowned Broadway choreographers including Debbi Dee, Gus Giordano, Frank Hatchett, Charles Kelly, Jimmy Tate, Tokyo, Misty Copeland, Jason Samuels Smith, and cast members from Riverdance Celtic and Lord of the Dance. She maintains certifications with D.E.A and D.M.A, and regularly attends national workshops through Dance Makers (Myrtle Beach), Chicago Dance Connection, ASH (Atlantic City, Nashville, Orlando), and Broadway Dance Center (New York).

In 2013, Ms. Diane completed all three certification levels in Somatic Voicework (The LoVetri Method) at Shenandoah Conservatory’s Vocal Pedagogy Institute in Winchester, Virginia. She continued advanced training in 2014–2015 and 2016–2017 at Belmont University (Nashville) and Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory (Berea, Ohio), completing Vocal Health certification in 2018.

Many of her students have become professional performers, dance instructors, or earned full scholarships to prestigious dance companies in New York City. Current students work as Radio City Rockettes, Walt Disney World performers, cruise ship entertainers, and members of The Dancing Wheels professional ballet company in Cleveland, Ohio. All current instructors are former academy students who continue advancing their skills through universities, national conventions, conferences, and specialized workshops.

Ms. Diane and her staff developed a professional syllabus utilizing nationally and internationally recognized evaluation methods for proper student level placement.

Ms. JoNe Ms. JoNe as a student

Assistant Director & Instructor

Ms. JoNé

Clogging · Jazz · Musical Theatre · Tap · Lyrical · And More!

Ms. JoNé serves as the Assistant Director, where passion for dance meets organizational excellence. With over 40 years of experience as both a competitive dancer and educator, she coordinates logistics, oversees studio operations, and manages schedules. Known for fostering a supportive yet disciplined environment, she specializes in clogging and musical theatre technique and has choreographed award-winning routines at regional and national levels. Ms. JoNé has performed in numerous television performances and has choreographed and instructed local elementary, middle, and high school dance and cheer teams. She has been a judge for both the Miss Louisville Pageant and the Coca-Cola Talent Competition. Her background includes training at the World of Clogging Conventions and other various dance seminars. She has a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and works for JCPS. Ms. JoNé is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of dancers, ensuring every student discovers their unique artistic voice.

Ms. Katherine Ms. Katherine as a student

Costume Director & Instructor

Ms. Katherine

Lyrical · Clogging · Ballet · Jazz · Musical Theatre · And More!

Ms. Katherine has been with DMDA for over 30 years, and instructing for 15. As a student, Ms. Katherine was a member of our Performing Arts Troupe, where she attended many regional and national conventions and competitions. Ms. Katherine regularly attends dance conventions, including Revel, ASH, Dancemakers, Dancing Wheels, and World Of Clogging, in order to continue studying dance. Ms. Katherine has frequently choreographed and taught dances performed on the WHAS Crusade for Children, the Snowball Gala, and the Harbor House Appreciation Dinner. Her favorite styles of dance to teach are lyrical and clogging, and loves fusing ballet and musical theatre to create exciting, unexpected performances. In addition to her teaching duties, Ms. Katherine serves as DMDA’s Costume Manager, which involves ordering and distributing all costumes, accessories, tights, and props for the studio.

Ms. Angie

Instructor

Ms. Angie

Vocal · Musical Theatre · Jazz · Lyrical

Ms. Angie has been with the studio for over 42 years, beginning as a student of Ms. Diane. For the past 35 years, she has shared her passion for the performing arts as an instructor, inspiring generations of students through her dedication and expertise. Ms. Angie specializes in musical theatre, vocal, and instructing Miracle Dancers. She is experienced in all styles of dance and has choreographed for the Motet Singers as well as performed with the Sweet Adelines Derby City Chorus. Her students have appeared on Star Search and have earned numerous regional and national titles. Committed to continued professional development, Ms. Angie completed certification in Somatic Voicework™ – The LoVetri Method, earning Levels I and II (2014–2015) through the Shenandoah Conservatory’s Vocal Pedagogy Institute in Winchester, Virginia, and Level III (2017) at Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio. In 2018, she furthered her training by completing coursework in Vocal Health at Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music. In addition to her work in the performing arts, Ms. Angie is a licensed REALTOR® with First Saturday Real Estate, serving clients in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

Ms. Hannah Ms. Hannah as a student

Instructor

Ms. Hannah

Tap · Contemporary · Jazz · Ballet

Ms. Hannah began her dance training at the age of two in Atlanta, Georgia. After moving to Louisville, Kentucky, she continued her dance education under the direction of Ms. Diane for 17 years. During that time, she was a member of the performing arts troupe for more than 10 years, gaining extensive performance experience. She has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, clogging, lyrical, and contemporary, and has performed in Chicago, Atlantic City, Orlando, Walt Disney World, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. She has also studied and performed at the World of Clogging Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hannah has had the honor of performing as the opening act for the WHAS Crusade for Children Telethon and serving as a Miracle Dancer Helper. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance with a concentration in Exercise Science from the University of Louisville and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology at the University of Louisville. Her areas of expertise and passion include dance conditioning, tap, and contemporary, and she is committed to fostering strong, confident, and healthy dancers.

Ms. Jen Ms. Jen as a student

Instructor

Ms. Jennifer

Drama

Ms. Jennifer is a theatre artist and arts leader with over 35 years of experience as an actor, director, playwright, teaching artist, and arts administrator. She is Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Looking For Lilith Theatre Company (LFL) in Louisville, KY, an ensemble theatre company that creates productions and programming to lift up under heard voices, with a specialty in devising — a collaborative approach to playwriting built through ensemble creation. Ms. Jennifer’s theatre and theatre education work has taken her to Washington, D.C., New York City, Arlington, VA, Eastern KY, Western Massachusetts, Louisiana and Guatemala. She holds an MA in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., and is fluent in Spanish. Her service as a Young Adult Volunteer in Guatemala planted the seeds for LFL’s ongoing 20-year applied theatre partnership with a group of Guatemalan women community leaders — a collaboration that continues to shape the company’s devising work today.

Ms. Jennifer Ms. Jennifer as a student

Instructor

Ms. Jennifer

Ballet · Musical Theatre · Tap · Clogging

Ms. Jennifer studied dance under Ms. Diane for over twenty years. She was a member of the Performing Arts Troupe for eight years and studied tap, jazz, ballet, clogging, and lyrical. She has taken master classes on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, in New York City, Chicago, and Las Vegas. She has also studied at the World of Clogging Convention in Cincinnati, OH. Ms. Jennifer currently works at the University of Louisville.

teacher photo placeholder

Instructor

Ms. Jessica

Tap · Hip Hop · Jazz

Ms. Jessica’s love for dance began at the age of three under Ms. Diane. She was a member of the Performing Arts Troupe for 8 years and has studied tap, jazz, clogging, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop, and musical theatre. While she was a student, Ms. Jessica participated in many regional and national dance competitions, and has taken master classes on The Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Las Vegas, Disney World, New York City and Chicago. She was also a part of the Seneca dance team in high school. Ms. Jessica works for Trilogy Health Services as a Purchasing Systems Analyst.

Ms. Keira Ms Keira as a student

Instructor

Ms. Keira

Ballet · Pointe’

Ms. Keira began her study of dance at the age of five, & continued to dance with Ms. Diane until she moved to Houston, TX. There she danced with the Kingwood Dance Theatre. Upon moving to Alabama she danced with the Huntsville Ballet Company. Ms. Keira has a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in teaching & performing dance from Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama. She has taught for Ballet Petite and Dance Imagination, which focused on teaching dance to young children. Ms. Keira specializes in classical ballet and pointe’.

Ms. Krissy

Instructor

Ms. Krissy

Ballet · Jazz · Lyrical

Ms. Krissy has studied dance under Ms. Diane since she was seven as a member of the Miracle Dancers and has studied Lyrical, Jazz, Ballet, and Modern dance. As a member of the Miracle Dancers she performed on the Annual WHAS Crusade for Children and has attended dance conventions in South Carolina and Chicago. She graduated from Murray State University with a degree in Nonprofit Leadership. While studying at MSU she was a member of the Jackson Purchase Dance Company all four years. After graduation she danced professionally with The Dancing Wheels Company, the first Physically Integrated Dance Company in the United States for 3 years and attended the Dancing Wheels Summer Dance Intensive all 3 years. She is the Office Manager for SeniorCare Experts.

Ms. Mackenzie

Instructor

Ms. Mackenzie

Ballet · Modern · Tap · Lyrical · Musical Theatre · And More!

Ms. Mackenzie studied under Ms. Diane for 15 years, before attending the Youth Performing Arts School to further her education. She has shown her work at the YPAS Dance Concert and New Works Festival and taken master classes with prestigious institutions like the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She helped found a special needs dance team at DuPont Manual High School, choreographed flash mobs, and taught dance in churches and community-based classes. Additionally, she has studied Bollywood, West African, Flamenco, and many more. Ms. Mackenzie returned to teach at DMDA in 2022. Since returning, she has received awards at ID, Believe, and Applause dance competitions. Her favorite genres to teach are ballet, lyrical, modern, and contemporary.

Ms. Madi Ms. Madi as a student

Instructor

Ms. Madi

Tap · Ballet · Lyrical · Jazz

Ms. Madi has danced at Diane Moore Dance Academy for over 14 years. She was a member of the Performing Arts Troupe for over 10 years studying tap, jazz, ballet, clogging, lyrical, modern, and hip-hop. She also was an assistant teacher and a part of the Miracle Dancers throughout her time at DMDA. She attended and performed at many conventions and competitions, some including Walt Disney World, World of Clogging Convention, and various others. Additionally, she graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education and will be beginning her first year teaching 1st grade at a local elementary school. She has a passion for helping all students grow and learn through dance and is excited to return as a teacher this year!

Ms. Synclaire Ms. Synclaire as a student

Instructor

Ms. Synclaire

Vocal · Lyrical · Jazz · Musical Theatre

Ms. Synclaire has been with the studio for 19 years and began as an assistant instructor when she was 16. She has been trained as a vocal instructor by Ms. Diane. Ms. Synclaire has performed at various venues, including churches, a cappella festivals, and the state fair. Previously a Miracle Dancer, she is now a Miracle instructor and loves being able to support other Miracle Dancers throughout their journey and learning to express themselves. She especially enjoys teaching Junior Miracles and conducting vocal lessons.

Ms. Shalitta

Office Manager

Ms. Shalitta

Staff

Information coming soon!

Office Staff

Additional Staff Members

Staff

The office staff is in the office Monday through Thursday between 5:00pm and 8:30pm, and on Saturday mornings between 9:30am-12:00pm. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to us!

  • Ms. JaMiasha (President of the Miracle Dancer Scholarship Foundation)
  • Ms. Stacy
  • Ms. Sara

Account Administrator

Rob Chambers

Admin

Rob is Ms. Diane’s husband and account administrator for the studio. He is in charge of all billing and collection issues. Reach Rob by email at dianemooredance@bellsouth.net or leave a message at (502) 592-0362.

Don’t see your question here? Feel free to reach out to us! We’re always happy to help.

Registration begins in July, but we accept new students throughout the year. Visit the Classes page for the latest information, or contact the studio for additional details.

The 2026–2027 dance year begins August 31st, 2026 and ends with our annual recital on June 12th, 2027. Summer classes are offered during the month of July.

We offer classes in all dance forms — ballet, pointe, clogging, hip hop, jazz, lyrical, modern, musical theatre, tap, and more — for ages three through adult, along with vocal performance and drama instruction. We also provide solo, duet, trio, and small group instruction, plus adaptive dance classes for anyone with special needs from ages three to adult.

Our Traditional classes are available for all ages and skill levels, meeting once weekly in a variety of dance styles.

Performing Arts Troupe is for dedicated students ages 5 to 18 seeking higher-level training. Involves multiple weekly rehearsals and performances throughout the year.

Miracle Dancers are our adaptive program for students with special needs, offering multiple dance styles and/or vocal instruction, with yearly performance requirements.

For the 2027–2028 Performing Arts Troupe, placements will be held on June 6th, 2027.

We accept Venmo, ApplePay, cash, or checks, and we offer monthly payment plans.

Yes — call the office to reschedule. Make-up classes are available September through February.

Yes, we offer private lessons for all forms of dance and vocal instruction.

You must call the studio to let us know. Make-ups are optional from September through February, with no tuition reduction for missed classes.

The 2026–2027 annual dance recital will be held on June 12th, 2027 at Kentucky Country Day School.

We usually enter select performance groups in at least one competition each year. Our traditional classes typically do not compete.

Our dancers have performed in New York City, Walt Disney World, Las Vegas, cruise ships, and many local venues. Our troupe and Miracle Dancers have performed annually on live television for over 35 years with the WHAS Crusade for Children, and we’ve developed National Champions and professional performers since 1979.

We will send out notifications by noon the day of the studio closure.

Parent observation of regular classes is limited to specific observation weeks throughout the year, but we frequently share short videos of classes via GroupMe so families can see their dancer in action.

Yes, contact the office to schedule an age-appropriate trial class. Registration is required.