
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting my website!
I'm Donna, Teacher and Director at Orkney Dance & Fitness Ltd.
We offer a huge variety of classes both online and in person in the local Community in West Mainland Orkney. The ODAF Crew are a welcoming and friendly community and we run classes for all levels of fitness.
We offer memberships or pay as you go options and run classes all year round.
I am a Qualified Fitness Instructor, winner of Instructor of the Year for Scotland 2020 and have numerous qualifications in the Dance and Fitness Industry with a special interest in Dance Health. With my background in Dance and Performance and recent studies in Dance Fitness and Dance Health, I have so much to offer and share with my local community and classes really are shaped by my participants!
Come join us and find out how to get fit, stay fit and have fun!
My Story
I fell in love with dance and performance at an early age. I was 9 years old when my school organised a theatre trip to London to watch Starlight Express. I bought the cassette and programme and learnt every word from beginner to end. But it wasn't until the age of around 13 that I joined my first professional dance class at the Hilton Hall Dance Academy.
Between 2000-2002 I went off to college and obtained a Btec National Diploma in Dance and started teaching school age children in after school clubs. I landed my first paid work as a professional performer in Malaga, Spain in 2003, then went onto work on cruise ships and other areas of Spain performing in shows and running family entertainment programmes. In 2005 I returned to the UK and became a Redcoat at Butlins Minehead, then onto Butlins Skegness.
In 2007 I met my now husband and I was living back in the South East of England. I discovered this new fitness class called Zumba. And the rest is history!
We moved to Orkney in 2017 and I started teaching classes such as Floorbarre, Zumba, Zumba Kids and Clubbercise as well as many others. Then the dreaded March 2020 came along and into lockdown we went.
I used this time to diversify and up-skill and created a business entirely online and now we are back dancing in classes again, I have mixed the two ideas together and now live stream in person classes and have created a whole on demand library of classes and workouts for people to do whenever they like.
In March 2022, Orkney Dance & Fitness Ltd was registered and we became a Social Enterprise.
People and community are at the heart of everything I do. We are so much more than a local fitness class. We are inclusive and welcoming and I believe in giving back to my local community and breaking down any barriers to dance and fitness people may have.
Join me in a class, whether online or in person and see how much you can have whilst getting fit!
Donna
Qualifications, certifications, CPD's and awards include:
BTEC National Diploma in Dance
IDTA Graduate Teacher in Modern Jazz
IDTA Diploma in Anatomy and Physiology
NVQ Level 2 in Customer Services
Shallow Water Exercise Certification
Neuroplasticity in Parkinson's Level 2
NSPCC Certificate in child protection in Sport & Physical Activity
Active IQ Level 2 in Fitness Instructing (Exercise to Music)
Active IQ Level 2 in Understanding nutrition, performance and healthy eating
Active IQ Level 3 in Designing Exercise programmes for Older Adults
Active IQ Level 3 in Supporting pre and post natal clients with exercise and nutrition
Chair based exercise for frailer older adults
OTAGO strength and balance exercise programme leader award
ICG Indoor cycling group certificate
Zumba Basic steps level 1 certification
Zumba Basic steps level 2 certification
Zumba Kids certification
Zumba Gold certification
Aqua Zumba certification
Zumba Step certification
Zumba Toning certification
Clubbercise Instructor certification
Clubbercise Kids Combo (Family Clubbercise, U13's and U18's)
Boogie Bounce Certified Instructor
Boogie Bands Certified Instructor
Boogie Bounce Kidz Certified Instructor
Scottish Ballet Elevate Freelance Dance Artist
Dance for Parkinsons Freelance Dance Artist
2 x motions in Scottish parliament
Winner of Community Fitness Instructor of the year for Scotland 2020
Contact
I am always happy to help anyone on their fitness journey. No question is too silly, give me a shout today!
07935 553383