Miss Michelle Vennix has been teaching dance here at Positive Attitude Dance Academy for eight years. She has been dancing for sixteen years and has been dancing with Miss Laurie Smalis for fifteen of those years. Miss Michelle has a passion for dance and will never give it up. She was inspired by Miss Laurie to teach dance and now loves what she does. Her passion shows in her choreography. She has been teaching competition classes at the studio for six years and loves to go to the competitions and support the competition team. She also loves the experience that comes from the competitions year after year. During her dancing years, Miss Michelle was on the Positive Attitude competition team for five years. While on the competition team she participated in many dance conventions where she has danced with choreographers like Frank Hatchett, Dena Rizzo and many others. While in high school she was in the Farmington High School Dance Company for two years and learned a lot about dance technique from her experiences with the Company. During her time with the Company she traveled to Philadelphia and New York City. In Philadelphia she took master classes at the National Youth Arts Festival and also danced with PhiladanCo choreographers at the Philadelphia Dance Company. In New York City she took master classes at Alvin Ailey and Martha Grahams dance studios, the Broadway Dance Center, and also with a Broadway dancer from the Broadway Musical "Chicago". She also did many master classes with the Farmington High School Dance Company. She danced with choreographer Christopher Huggins, learned African dances, and danced in the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. She has recently gone to school to become a massage therapist at Irene's Myomassology Institute. While going to school she learned a lot about the body structure and muscles that she has brought into her dance classes. Miss Michelle specializes in Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical and Tricks, Turns and Jumps. Also, this year she will be teaching some new classes for the younger future dancers out there. These new classes include a Tots Tumbling and Movement class, Pre-School Hip Hop/ Jazz Combo, and a Mommy and Me Creative Movement class.

Natalie Soave graduated with highest honors from Wayne State University in 2009, majoring in Dance Education. Soon after, she obtained certification as a Michigan K-12 dance educator, and became a trained STOTT Pilates instructor. While at WSU, Natalie not only practiced various dance styles (including modern, ballet, jazz, pointe, and African), but also studied dance history, choreography, anatomy, kinesiology, curriculum design, and educational psychology. Natalie has been teaching with Miss Laurie since 2003, and has since added Spain School , Farmington High, Harrison High, and Cranbrook Middle and High Schools to her list of teaching experiences. Natalie loves to challenge students artistically, and works together with them to create choreography unique to their individual talents and personalities. Leaving her students with much more than a recital routine, she values a well-rounded class and shares her knowledge of movement science and dance history as much as possible. Above all, Natalie believes dancing should be challenging, freeing, and FUN!

Positive Attitude Dance Academy would like to welcome Martha Dobbs as guest teacher and choreographer. Ms Martha Dobbs will be teaching several eight week sessions of various classes starting October 28 for the upcoming ninth season of our studio. The classes include a choreography workshop, Pilates, lyrical and competition modern. Look at the new PADA fall schedule for further details. The following is some information about Martha’s dance background. We hope you will enjoy her classes and join me in welcoming her. Martha began dancing at the age of six, upon high school graduation she decided to pursue dance as a profession and was accepted into the Maggie Allesee Department of Dance at Wayne State University. While at WSU, Martha was a valuable resource to the dance department as well as the university. She was a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and a four year company member, and acted as the Dance Workshop Company treasurer and president for two years, as well as the Company One Touring Stage Manager. She worked as a Pilates lab supervisor, as well as a research assistant. Martha has made tremendous strides with her own research endeavors and earned an Outstanding Research Presentation for Wayne State’s Honors College. Martha also excelled in performance and choreography while at Wayne State. She worked with countless guest artists including Nicholas Leichter, Ray Mercer, Jan Van Dyke and Meg Paul/Twyla Tharp. Her work with choreographer Jan Van Dyke led her to two professional performances in New York City, and Cincinnati, OH. Her choreography has been performed at many dance concerts and the American College Dance Festival, as well as earned her a Copperfoot Choreography Award and many choreography awards and cash prizes from regional competitions. Martha graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with high honors from Wayne State University in May 2009 and began performing as a dancer on the MS Maasdam of Holland America Cruise Lines in February 2010. She plans to continue performing and choreographing in as many capacities available to her before returning to graduate school.

Herb Dobbs is our fencing instructor. He fenced for many years at the university level and has trained his daughter who has competed in and scored high in the junior Olympics. He is a very dedicated instructor who prides himself in instilling precision and assertiveness in all of his students.

Baz Michaeli teaches a very unique art form called Capoeria. This is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines dance and martial arts into one amazing skill. Israeli born he is now dedicating his talents to students here in the metro Detroit area and is happy to call Positive Attitude his new home.