Danielle Kaiser, dancer, choreographer, and dance educator, is a native of both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, PA. She holds her B.A. in dance and B.A. in secondary education mathematics from Mercyhurst University as well as her MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University. Danielle has been the recipient of the Mercyhurst Egan Scholarship from 2006-2010 as well as the Etoile Leadership Award in 2010. She was also honored with the Howard Gilman Fellowship Award through Jacksonville University’s MFA program; acting as the cohort and faculty liaison from 2017-2019. Having trained with Tauna Hunter, Michael Gleason, Christina Hay, Noelle Partusch, Mark and Solveig Santillano, Nathaniel Johnson, Christina Teague-Mann, Ana Sanchez-Colberg, and Cari Frieberger, she had opportunities to work closely with artists such as Lily Baldwin, Marianela Boán, Alonzo King, Elena Estanol, Bill Evans, Erin Tisdale, Momix Dance Company, Pilobulus, and Valerie Valentine. Her training supported a professional career during which Danielle appeared onstage both nationally and internationally; including credits as performer, aerialist, ballet soloist, and Assistant Company Performance Manager onboard the Dawn, Emerald, and Grand Princess vessels with Princess Cruises, Ltd. Her roles included performing, managing the 14 member cast of singers and dancers in conjunction with their 6 show repertoire, re-staging onboard shows, and preparing/choreographing the onboard holiday spectacular. Danielle has also previously appeared as company member with SoMar Danceworks, a modern dance company based in Erie, Pennsylvania, the Mercyhurst University Dance Team (captain), and the Erie Bayhawks AAA NBA dance team (captain).

Danielle’s choreography has been presented aboard the Dawn Princess with Princess Cruises Ltd., with the Mercyhurst University Department of Dance, Cleveland Ballet Conservatory, Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre, and Erie Dance Theatre. She has been a previous nominee for the prestigious Monticello Choreography Award in 2015. Currently residing in Erie, PA, Danielle serves as adjunct jazz faculty and administrative assistant to the chair of the Department of Dance at Mercyhurst University, where she is also the current advisor to the Mercyhurst University Dance Club and coach of the Mercyhurst University Dance Team. She is the primary ballet instructor and advisor for Little Dance Studio in Erie, PA as well as ballet, modern, tap, jazz, and hip hop instructor for Erie Dance Conservatory. She holds the position of Rehearsal Director for Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre and will be presenting her choreography “Querencia” for adjudication at the Northeast Regional Dance America in the spring of 2019. Danielle’s professional focus remains on preserving the integrity of dance education by using her knowledge in both the education and dance fields to facilitate the future generation of dancers, choreographers, and dance educators.