Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy
Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy at New Center One, 3031 W Grand Blvd Suite 260, Suite 260, Detroit, MI 48202
About
Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy offers classes in Ballet, Acro, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Praise Dancing, Detroit Jit, Introduction to Dance, and Pre-dance. Students also take part in an All Academy Warm-up and perform in Annual Spring Concerts and an Annual Concert.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Studio hours Tuesday–Thursday 12:00 pm–7:30 pm, Friday 10:00 am–3:30 pm, and Saturday 9:00 am–3:30 pm, with a 10-month Adult Workshop beginning in October.
• Price: With a donation to expand programs and improve dance education: $10.00, $25.00, $50.00, $100.00, or a custom amount.
Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in its 39th season of providing multi-level training in excellence through dance for the Detroit-Windsor International community and has a record of critical acclaim on 5 continents over the past 30+ seasons. The academy’s Dancer I.Q. program is designed specifically for dance excellence and teaches alignment, vocabulary, history, and anatomy, with a focus on strength in body, mind, and spirit as dancers develop skill, strength, grace, flexibility, style, and the grace known in DWDA dancers.
The academy holds Annual Concerts at Music Hall in Detroit, where young dancers participate in an All Academy Warm-up on the Music Hall stage and dance on a stage graced by many stars, and the front steps of the Detroit Institute of Arts have served as a backdrop to the 35th Annual Concert photo. DWDA was sponsored by Toyota for the International Auto Show, and families can sign up for a newsletter to receive news and updates or support dancers with donations to expand programs and improve dance education. There are no registration fees for those who sign up before September.
Co-founder and artistic director Debra White-Hunt, BA, MEd, has been teaching dance for 60+ years, has danced on 5 continents, is a Kresge Artist Fellow, a Milken National Educator, a Michiganian of the Year, a recipient of The Inaugural Ace Awards, and has been inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. Other instructors and staff include Micah Davis, a Detroit Lions cheerleader captain with 10 years of DWDA training and a BA in Hospitality Management; Jessica Robinson, a therapist and dance teacher with a BA in Psychology and MA in Counseling Psychology; Deyanna Adams, a former teen mentor, Student of the Year, and Cum Laude graduate of Cass Technical High School now working toward a BS in Integrative Studies; Demetrius Shields, who holds a BFA in Dance Education and an MS in Arts Administration and has worked with the Radio City Rockettes and in TV and film; Michael Manson Jr., a 2020 Kresge Artist Fellow who was featured on SYTYCD, is a member of House of Jit, has taught Detroit Jit in Paris and Bolivia, won World of Dance Michigan, and toured with Rennie Harris Dance Company and Terrance Blanchard; Dr. Alescia Farr, a certified yoga instructor and Miss Black Michigan with 12+ years of teaching dance in the Midwest and degrees from Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and DePaul University; and Marqeisha Womack-Whitsett, a modern and liturgical dance teacher with a BFA from Marygrove College and membership in the National Dance Liturgical Network, GIFTED1, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.
The Board of Directors includes Silvia Williams-Sims (President), Executive Director Bruce Hunt, Michelle Hunt, Mable Jones, Shelly Norman-Hill, Margaret Bernstein, Atty. Roderick and Linda Gillum, PhD, Attorney Sylvia Elliott, and Attorney Debra White-Hunt as Co-founder and Artistic Director. Community and civic recognition includes honors for Debra White-Hunt from the City of Detroit, including selection as a Michiganian of the Year, a Kresge Arts Fellow, and a recipient of The Inaugural Ace Awards, and her role in telling the DWDA story in Detroit In Business.
Testimonials from families and alumni include comments from Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield stating that DWDA played an instrumental role in who she is today, Wendy Goodwin noting many opportunities to learn fundamentals and perform at different events, Dr. Garen Wolff describing learning discipline, tenacity, and the joy of movement after starting at DWDA at age three, and Markili Dupree describing how his wife and daughter light up when talking about the dance academy and the “feels like family” atmosphere.
Last updated February 20, 2026.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Studio hours Tuesday–Thursday 12:00 pm–7:30 pm, Friday 10:00 am–3:30 pm, and Saturday 9:00 am–3:30 pm, with a 10-month Adult Workshop beginning in October.
• Price: With a donation to expand programs and improve dance education: $10.00, $25.00, $50.00, $100.00, or a custom amount.
Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in its 39th season of providing multi-level training in excellence through dance for the Detroit-Windsor International community and has a record of critical acclaim on 5 continents over the past 30+ seasons. The academy’s Dancer I.Q. program is designed specifically for dance excellence and teaches alignment, vocabulary, history, and anatomy, with a focus on strength in body, mind, and spirit as dancers develop skill, strength, grace, flexibility, style, and the grace known in DWDA dancers.
The academy holds Annual Concerts at Music Hall in Detroit, where young dancers participate in an All Academy Warm-up on the Music Hall stage and dance on a stage graced by many stars, and the front steps of the Detroit Institute of Arts have served as a backdrop to the 35th Annual Concert photo. DWDA was sponsored by Toyota for the International Auto Show, and families can sign up for a newsletter to receive news and updates or support dancers with donations to expand programs and improve dance education. There are no registration fees for those who sign up before September.
Co-founder and artistic director Debra White-Hunt, BA, MEd, has been teaching dance for 60+ years, has danced on 5 continents, is a Kresge Artist Fellow, a Milken National Educator, a Michiganian of the Year, a recipient of The Inaugural Ace Awards, and has been inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. Other instructors and staff include Micah Davis, a Detroit Lions cheerleader captain with 10 years of DWDA training and a BA in Hospitality Management; Jessica Robinson, a therapist and dance teacher with a BA in Psychology and MA in Counseling Psychology; Deyanna Adams, a former teen mentor, Student of the Year, and Cum Laude graduate of Cass Technical High School now working toward a BS in Integrative Studies; Demetrius Shields, who holds a BFA in Dance Education and an MS in Arts Administration and has worked with the Radio City Rockettes and in TV and film; Michael Manson Jr., a 2020 Kresge Artist Fellow who was featured on SYTYCD, is a member of House of Jit, has taught Detroit Jit in Paris and Bolivia, won World of Dance Michigan, and toured with Rennie Harris Dance Company and Terrance Blanchard; Dr. Alescia Farr, a certified yoga instructor and Miss Black Michigan with 12+ years of teaching dance in the Midwest and degrees from Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and DePaul University; and Marqeisha Womack-Whitsett, a modern and liturgical dance teacher with a BFA from Marygrove College and membership in the National Dance Liturgical Network, GIFTED1, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.
The Board of Directors includes Silvia Williams-Sims (President), Executive Director Bruce Hunt, Michelle Hunt, Mable Jones, Shelly Norman-Hill, Margaret Bernstein, Atty. Roderick and Linda Gillum, PhD, Attorney Sylvia Elliott, and Attorney Debra White-Hunt as Co-founder and Artistic Director. Community and civic recognition includes honors for Debra White-Hunt from the City of Detroit, including selection as a Michiganian of the Year, a Kresge Arts Fellow, and a recipient of The Inaugural Ace Awards, and her role in telling the DWDA story in Detroit In Business.
Testimonials from families and alumni include comments from Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield stating that DWDA played an instrumental role in who she is today, Wendy Goodwin noting many opportunities to learn fundamentals and perform at different events, Dr. Garen Wolff describing learning discipline, tenacity, and the joy of movement after starting at DWDA at age three, and Markili Dupree describing how his wife and daughter light up when talking about the dance academy and the “feels like family” atmosphere.
Last updated February 20, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.