BALTIMORE — As the founder and director of Morton Street Dance Center, Donna Jacobs has spent decades shaping not only performers, but people.
WATCH: Pirouettes and life-long lessons
Jacobs’ life-long journey with ballet, began almost as soon as she could walk.
“I started dancing when I was two and a half years old and it did amazing things for me in terms of my confidence — my ability to understand where I was in life, in the world, where mastery was and where exceptionalism could be,” Jacobs said.
For her, dancing is as natural as breathing. The poise. The grace. The discipline. It comes naturally, but inside her studio, the lessons extend far beyond choreography.
A Studio That Feels Like Family
At Morton Street Dance Center, it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you look like. When students walk through the doors, they belong.
For former student and now instructor Moniq Bevans, that sense of belonging started early. She has been part of the studio family since she was nine years-old.
“Even at a young age, my first year being there, she definitely helped me to step out of my comfort zone,” Bevans said.
Years later, that feeling hasn’t changed.
“It feels like family,” Bevans said. “To know that the teacher just doesn't come in here and say ‘5-6-7-8, point your feet, straighten your leg,’ but they care about you.”
Parents say they feel that same sense of community.
“The parents, we have our own, you know, let’s get together, exchange messages. Everyone looks out for everyone else’s kids, but the girls can’t wait to see each other,” said Angela Wells-Sims, a parent.
“We have children who have come back after many years and say what dance and the school have done for them, and it’s amazing. It’s a reward for life,” Jacobs added.
Training for the Real World
Jacobs is intentional about creating a space where young people can grow safely — and sometimes stumble safely.
“The world is tough, and I tell them that this is your training ground,” Jacobs said. “This is your opportunity to make mistakes and to learn so that when you go out into the world, you have a way of showing who you are.”
Bevans says the lessons taught inside the studio were never just about dance technique.
“Lessons that were taught in the studio were not only dance lessons — life lessons. How to carry yourself. How to be prepared. How to show up,” Bevans said.
That philosophy is what keeps students and families coming back year after year.
Inside these studio walls, confidence is built step by step. Discipline is practiced daily. And greatness is discovered, nurtured, and brought to life.
Helping someone find — and bring out— their own greatness; that's the true performance that happens every year at Morton Street.
