Thursday, October 1, 2026
Nearly 50 years after opening Donna Carbone’s Dance Arts, Donna Schaeffer still arrives at the studio with the same enthusiasm that inspired her to first open its doors in 1977.
For Donna, dance has never been merely a business. It is a lifelong calling that continues to shape her daily life, relationships and outlook on the future.
“The best part is going to work and looking forward to going to work,” Donna said. “I never dread going to the studio.”
That passion remains evident throughout the Merrick studio she founded and helped grow into a community institution.
After all these years, Donna no longer demonstrates every movement the way she once did. Following decades of teaching and nine knee surgeries, she now channels much of her artistry through the students she mentors and instructors she has trained.
“I dance through my kids now,” she said.
The business itself has evolved significantly over the years.
Dance Arts recently expanded into additional space next door, creating a second studio, larger waiting areas, new dressing rooms and opportunities for additional programming. The studio now offers camps, dance intensives, birthday parties and specialized dance programs, including opportunities for students with special needs.
Yet despite the physical growth, the culture remains rooted in Donna’s original vision.
“It takes a village,” she said. “By no means is Dance Arts a one-person thing.”
Nearly all the studio’s instructors are former Dance Arts students themselves. Many began dancing there as toddlers, worked their way up to the advanced level classes, became student teachers, and eventually returned as professionals to teach the next generation of dancers.
That continuity has become one of the organization’s greatest strengths.
Over the decades, Donna has watched countless students grow up, leave for college, begin careers, raise families and eventually return with children of their own.
“There’s a ton of them,” she said of the multi-generational families now attending the studio.
The experience can be especially meaningful when former students see their children following similar paths.
“What’s really interesting now is I have kids who are on senior kickline, and their moms were on senior kickline,” Donna said.
The studio’s family atmosphere reflects Donna's leadership style. While she maintains high standards, she also emphasizes joy, creativity and personal growth.
Unlike many other dance programs, Dance Arts does not center its identity on competitions.
“We have tried competition style programming,” she said. “My goal has always remained focused on education.”
Donna believes dance should always be accessible to students who simply love performing, regardless of whether they pursue professional careers.
“Most of the people coming through your door are recreational dancers,” she said. “Education is paramount for me, but it also has to be fun.”
That philosophy has helped sustain the studio through changing trends and challenges, including the pandemic.
Partner and longtime student Carrie Dale assumed a larger leadership role in recent years, as the business successfully navigated that uncertain period while continuing to serve local families.
Donna credits Carrie, her dedicated staff, and supportive parents for helping the studio endure.
“The Merrick community is wonderful,” she said. “Merrick is a wonderful place to do business.”
Her own professional development has also contributed to the studio’s longevity.
Throughout her career, Donna studied with respected dance masters in New York City, including Phil Black, Frank Hatchett, Eddie Wright and Don Farnsworth. She believes Merrick’s proximity to Manhattan provided a tremendous advantage.
“What makes my business successful is my access to what’s current and what’s happening in the dance world,” she said.
Even today, she stays connected to emerging music and dance trends, often surprising people with her knowledge of current artists and popular culture.
“It is important for me to know the music that the kids are listening to,” Donna said. But, perhaps more than anything else, she credits her students for sustaining her energy.
As Dance Arts approaches its milestone 50th anniversary, Donna is increasingly focused on legacy. She takes comfort in knowing the studio’s future is secure with Dale at the helm.
While she jokes about taking things “one year at a time,” retirement remains a far-off concept for someone whose identity has been intertwined with dance for nearly seven decades.
For now, however, Donna has no plans to leave the place that has defined so much of her life.
“Dance Arts is very important,” Donna said. “It keeps me young.”
For thousands of students who have grown up under her guidance, that youthful spirit may be the defining characteristic of Donna herself — a teacher, entrepreneur and artist whose greatest achievement is not the studio she built, but the generations she continues to inspire.
