Danielle Ricci is an educator, choreographer, director, and dancer. She received her BFA in Dance Performance from University of California, Irvine in 2006 under direction of Donald McKayle. In 2014 she graduated with an MA in Arts and Cultural Management from St. Mary's University of Minnesota and earned an MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University in 2018. She has studied at The Ailey School in New York City as part of their Certificate in Dance Program studying with Milton Myers, Tracy Inman, Nancy Turano, and Sharon Wong. Danielle has danced professionally in California, Texas, and Minnesota performing with Loretta Livingston and Dancers, Austin Classical Ballet, and Austin City Ballet.
Danielle is the Founding Artistic Director of Borealis Dance Theatre- a professional modern dance company based in Minneapolis. She is also Director of Dance Camera North- International Dance Film Festival and Minnesota High School Dance Festival. She has served as an adjunct professor of dance at Winona State University and has presented work and taught at the American College Dance Festival Association upper Midwest conference in association with University of Wisconsin, River Falls where she has been a guest artist for the past eight years. Her choreography has been recognized as "Best of the Festival" at the Frontera Fringe Festival in Austin, TX in 2010 and 2012. Danielle teaches ballet, modern and contemporary, jazz, tap, musical theatre, improv and partnering, social justice through movement, and dance appreciation and and has choreographed over 30 musicals for highs schools, universities, and professional theatre companies. She currently teaches modern/ contemporary dance at Ballet Royale Minnesota.