Jackie O’neal School of Dance, is where over 20,000 students have not only learned to dance, but have also developed strong work ethic, self-confidence, discipline, and grace. Our studio promotes dance excellence in a very nurturing and caring environment. We are a school for both the serious and recreational dancer to study and develop a love for dance. Our professional faculty members are trained in their individual disciplines and pursue ongoing education in order to provide the best dance instruction possible. They bring many years of experience to our dance program.
We provide classes for children age 2 through adults. We offer multiple levels in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Pointe, Lyrical, Acrobatics, Hip-Hop, Clogging, and Adult Classes.
We would love for you to become a part of our dance family. We are now teaching third generation students whose parents and grandparents were also Jackie O’neal school of Dance students. We are proud of our history and excited about our future.
The late Jackie O’Neal is the founder of Jackie O’Neal School of Dance, which first opened its doors in Manchester, Georgia in 1948. Jackie remained in the original studio for 12 years. In 1960 Jackie moved her dance studio to Decatur, Alabama where she taught for 3 years. In 1963 the studio was again relocated to Birmingham, Alabama where it has been successfully running for 45 years. And fortunately for so many, she was a gifted teacher and was able to teach for 50 of those 60 years.
Jackie always had a very professional and well-trained staff beginning with her daughter, Tammy O’Neal Towns. Tammy trained and performed as a principal dancer in the Birmingham Ballet when she was young. She received a full scholarship from Southern Mississippi where she obtained a double major in Dance and Physical Education. She was also a Dixie Darling there.
Upon graduation, Tammy’s first job was a teacher at Vestavia Hills High School. She was hired to start a dance program in the P.E. department. Shortly thereafter, she created the first dance team for the high school which she named the Rebelettes. She taught at VHHS for 26 years. During all of these years, she also taught at Jackie O’Neal School of Dance. Tammy has been an integral part of the studio ever since and has been the owner of Jackie O’neal School of Dance since 2006.
In 2004 Nealey Towns Alonso joined her family’s business. Nealey grew up dancing at the studio until she graduated from Vestavia High School in 1998. Nealey also went on to dance in college where she was a Tiger Paw at Auburn University. After her college graduation in 2002 she moved to New York to continue her dance training and performing in the professional field. She also taught at Broadway Dance Center for the Children/Teen Program. She continues teaching and remains an important part of the studio.
Jackie O’neal School of Dance offers many dance education opportunities for its students:
From 1989 – 1998 the studio offered a unique performance venue. They took students to perform and tour in many different countries across 3 continents. These opportunities included 3 tours in Europe, 1 in Australia and New Zealand and the last one to Venezuela in South America. These were all amazing opportunities for the many students at Jackie O’Neal school of Dance who were able to participate.
In the last 10 years Jackie O’Neal School of Dance has offered its dancers the chance to participate in dance competitions and conventions locally and out of state. The conventions included dance classes taught by professionals from around the country.
Teachers from our studio have also taken groups of serious dancers to New York and Los Angeles to train during the summer. This gave them the opportunity to see what it would be like to train and dance professionally. These trips have been very enjoyable and motivating for our students.
The studio has also offered workshops at Jackie O’neal, taught by professional teachers from all over the United States. Therefore, students did not have to travel to experience professional classes, they could participate in their own studio environment.
Jackie O’Neal, Tammy Towns, and Nealey Towns Alonso are all members of Dance Masters of America. This is a national organization dedicated to the ongoing education and advancement of dance teachers. DMA organizes its own conventions for solo dancers as well as group dances. Jackie and Tammy have served DMA as officers leading chapter 33 through the last 50 years. The studio now employs many teachers that are members of Dance Masters of America. They are very proud of this affiliation.
Jackie O'Neal Company: The intent & goal of Jackie O'Neal is to promote the growth and development of the more serious and well-trained dancers. These dancers are dedicated to perfecting their dance talents and to obtaining a professional quality of performing. They must have a strong ballet background and are required to take ballet as part of their curriculum. Jackie O'Neal Company classes are a commitment that involves a lot of passion and eagerness to learn. There is a strict attendance policy that includes summer classes. Students are evaluated and selected for all Jackie O'Neal Company classes.
Jackie O'Neal School of Dance Recital: Recital is our end of the year performance that takes place the third weekend in May. It is an opportunity for our students to demonstrate all of his or her acquired skills and talents. The dancers are proud to perform in front of a live audience and are quite excited about this event. We feel the recital is an important part of our students training and helps build self-confidence and poise. Hundreds of families are in attendance to see this spectacular performance at the prestigious Alabama Theater, where our recital has been held for almost 20 years. Our recital weekend consists of two performances. The Saturday afternoon performance includes our preschool classes, 1st-5th grade classes, and the 5th grade ballet. The Saturday night performance consists of our solos, our 6th-12th grade classes, and the High School Ballet. The evening show ends with a grand finale that culminates another great year.
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