About
TPDC
Our msision is to educate, encourage, and empower the dance community through quality instruction, informative content, supportive coaching, and products that celebrate diversity in all it forms.
Workshops and Education
Turning Pointe Dance Creations offers a number of workshops and programs designed to help you learn more about the industry, take advantage of great opportunities, and be more successful as a dance student, dance parent, or dance educator.
Beyond The Steps Live Podcast
Turning Pointe Dance Creations and Apolla Performance have partnered to create Beyond the Steps a live weekly podcast that is designed to spark discussion and dialogue around the important issues in the dance community. Each week, we dive into topics and give dance eductaors education and perspective from experts. Topics will cover racism, gender equity, sex abuse and prevention, nutrition and dance science.
Check out past episode of our weekly LIVE series Beyond the StEPS
Establishing a Racially Equitable Dance Studio Culture
This training module on Establishing a Racially Equitable Dance Studio Culture is designed to give studio owners and dance educators a better understanding of why it is imperative to use their platform to fight injustice in the community. Through a series of brief modules, participants will receive suggestions on practical ways that they can establish a positive, inclusive, anti-racist culture in their studios and classes. The course is offered for FREE through the Beyond the StEPS program sponsored by Apolla Performance Wear. Click HERE to access this workshop
Trustep Apparel by TPDC
TruStep Dancewear iby TPDC a unique apparel brand that answers the dance industry's demand for apparel and specialty merchandise that celebrates the diversity of the dance world. Our product line is designed to be a TRUE representation of today's dance community. Click HERE to see our full product line.
Audition Coaching and Critque
We provide our judging services to talent competition circuits, private studios, pageants, and auditions. We also provide audition coaching for individuals that dream of securing a spot on college and professional dance teams. Contact us at tpdc@melissamcdaniel360.com for rates and scheduling
Classes and Instruction
Professional Choreography
We provide professional, unique, and cutting-edge choreography in tap, jazz, contemporary, musical theater, hip-hop, and lyrical. Our team of choreographers is skilled in working with a wide range of ability levels and ages, and all have experience with tours, corporate events, music videos, film, theater, and competitive dance. Contact us at tpdc@melissamcdaniel360.coml for rates and scheduling. Click HERE to see choreography samples
Adult Dance WERKshops
Grab your friends and get ready to WERK as you learn hot dance moves to the music from some of your favorite artists! A private Dance WERKshop is the ultimate, unique, fun experience for any bachelorette party, birthday celebration, friends night out, and much, much, more. Contact us at tpdc@melissamcdaniel360.com for rates and scheduling
Skills Clinics
We provide day-long and half-day technique clinics for dancers of all ages. During our professionally- run clinics instructors work with participants on strength, flexibility, musicality, foundational technique, memory, retention, and style through a series of exercises, progressions, and combinations. Clinics can be customized to the needs of your dancers and can be focused on a single genre or cover multiple genres. Contact us at tpdc@melissamcdaniel360.com for rates and scheduling
Melissa McDaniel
TPDC Founder
Melissa M. McDaniel is the founder of Turning Pointe Dance Creations, a company dedicated to offering choreography, dance instruction, adjudication, e-courses, and apparel, all designed to educate, empower and encourage the dance community. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Masters from Strayer University. She is a veteran choreographer and dance educator, and early in her career she danced with professional sports leagues, in stage shows, in videos, and on tour. She worked as the chair of the dance department and the Director of Visual Arts and Dance at a college-preparatory independent school for close to ten years. She is currently a studio instructor and has served as a competition company director for over fifteen years. Melissa is also a sought-after choreographer and adjudicator, and she travels throughout the United States setting choreography, teaching at conventions, and judging talent competitions. Her professional choreography credits include shows featuring Ludacris and Jay-Z, as well as productions of The Wiz, Cinderella, Carrousel, and many more. Her work has been featured in many notable venues, and she has been the head choreographer for various national corporate campaigns and events. Melissa continues to receive choreography awards for her eye-catching routines, and she was recently honored as a nominee for Dance Educator of The Year by Charlotte Ballet and Choreographer of the Year by ACHI Magazine. In addition to her dance industry experience, Melissa works as a consultant for organizations doing anti-racism and liberation work on the national level. She has developed and managed numerous campaigns to protect voting rights for marginalized groups, eradicate racism, uplift the LGBTQIA community, and fight xenophobia. She combines her passion for dance and social justice by conducting workshops that use dance and movement to ease the trauma experienced by the activists leading the resistance movement and creating educational resources designed to help studio owners create a more culturally responsive studio environment.
