About Prima

Prima Classical Coaching was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, originating with workshops and small-group classes.

We quickly outgrew this model and now offer comprehensive classical ballet training for dancers of all ages! Our accelerated training program is designed for dedicated students who aim to excel in the world of ballet.

Guided by accomplished instructors, our curriculum emphasizes technical precision, artistic expression, and passion for the art form, ensuring each dancer reaches their full potential.

Meet the Director

Jacqueline McDaniel

Owner and Director

Jacqueline's love for ballet began at the age of seven. She began training at Ballet Iowa, a Vaganova-based school and company directed by former Bolshoi Ballet dancer, Konstantin Uralsky. While attending a summer intensive at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C., Jacqueline was invited to attend the pre-professional program under Ludmila Morkovina, a graduate and professor of the Vaganova Ballet Academy. Upon graduation, she danced with Omaha Theater Ballet and as a guest performer for Central Dance Theater and Iowa Dance Theater. Jacqueline decided to put her dancing career on hold to attend college. She relocated to Chicago where she received a degree in Marketing with an Art minor from Roosevelt University. While attending college, she began teaching ballet, pointe, and creative movement at several Chicago-land studios. After college graduation Jacqueline realized how much she missed dancing. So she decided to return to the stage. Jacqueline went on to dance with: Schaumburg Dance Ensemble, Omaha Ballet Theater, Ballet Theater of Maryland, Metropolitan Ballet, Cities Classical Dance Ensemble, and Saint Paul Ballet. Jacqueline loves encouraging dancers to believe in themselves above all else; to always push for more and not define themselves by one specific talent but pursue their limitless potential.

Meet our Staff!

Noah Coon

Noah graduated from the Chicago College of Performing Arts with a BFA in musical theater and an emphasis in dance. He has studied dance under the mentorship of Jane Lanier, Jumanne Taylor, Sarah Reich, Tammy Mader, Cathy Wind, and Ellen Keane and is currently teaching dance and choreographing across the greater Twin Cities area. Noah has been a company member in Stone Soup Rhythms at the American Rhythm Center, the Ballet Arts Youth Ensemble, Keane Sense of Rhythm’s Youth Tap Ensemble, and Elite Tap Feet. Noah was recently seen in the Twin Cities dancing in Michael Heitzman and Jared Grimes’ production of 42nd Street at the Ordway. When not dancing Noah can be found singing, acting, working on film projects, and playing yo-yo. He has performed with the Guthrie Theater, Park Square Theatre, Children’s Theatre Company, Old Log Theater, History Theater, Porchlight Music Theatre, the Chicago Fringe Opera, and toured nationally with Troupe America.

Ted Sothern

Ted trained with Frank Bourman and started his dance career with Loyce Houlton’s Minnesota DanceTheater. He left Minnesota and began a career in classical ballet, most notably with WashingtonBallet, North Carolina Dance Theater, and American Repertory Ballet. While performing with BalletsGrandiva he had the opportunity to tour Japan, performing comedic and classic ballet works. Since moving back to Minnesota he performed with Ballet MN, MN Dance Theater, Ballet of the Dolls, Continental Ballet, Twin Cities Ballet of MN, and a variety of local choreographers. At St. Paul City Ballet, he danced and was also an Artistic Partner for 10 yrs, producing many full-length ballets. It was at SPCB that he met and danced with Miss Jacqueline. He was AD of Rochester Dance Co. for 8 years and AD of Hopkins Youth Ballet at Hopkins Dance Co, where he also taught ballet for 12 years.

Jennifer Mack

Jennifer’s 20+ year career in dance includes receiving several notable roles, awards & grants for her work as a dancer/performer, choreographer, instructor and adjudicator internationally in dance, theater, opera, music, film, and commercially with numerous companies, competitions, festivals, schools, studios and universities. Favorites include: Alternative Motion Project (founding dancer), Collide Theatrical Dance Co., Continental Ballet, Curio Dance, Eclectic Edge Ensemble, James Sewell Ballet, Kim Robards Dance Co., Live Action Set, MN Opera, Offleash Area, St. Paul Ballet, Milwaukee & MN Fringe Festivals, Rhythmically Speaking, Twin Cities Film Festival, Ballet Academy Youth Ensemble, Children’s Dance Theater, Phipps Art Center & Dance Co., Rochester Dance Company (former Assistant Director), St. Paul Conservatory for the Arts, Zenon Dance Co. & School, Aveda, Best Buy, Cost Cutters, Sherwin Williams Paint & Target. She holds a certification in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), a BFA in Dance, BS in Arts Management & International Studies with minors in Art, Music & Biology (Magna Cum Laude) from UW-Stevens Point under a Bukolt Scholarship.

Sophie Rossmiller

Sophie Rossmiller is a versatile dancer who was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She began studying ballet at St. Paul Ballet, where she studied for 7 years, and has continued to expand her technical and creative fluency in other dance styles since then. These styles include modern, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and exposure to historical dance forms. Her passion for dance combined with her interest in movement and the human body inspired her to pursue a dual-major Bachelor of Arts from Hope College in Exercise Science and Dance. While at Hope, Sophie had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Sharon Wong, Heather Cornell, Matthew Farmer, Tracy Dunbar, and Jasmine Meija. Additionally, Sophie has furthered her development as an artist by attending various summer programs and spending a semester abroad at the Centre de Danse du Marais in Paris, France.

Yuki Tokuda

Yuki Tokuda is a ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher, based in the Twin Cities. She is originally from Japan and was trained under Mikiko Dei, Hideo Fukagawa and Jun Ishii, internationally recognized dancers, teachers and competition judges. She moved to the US in 2000 to continue her training in New York at the Joffrey Ballet School. Ms. Tokuda has danced professionally with USA Ballet, Peoria Ballet, Metropolitan Ballet and she was the principal dancer at Continental Ballet for 7 years. With diverse training in classical, contemporary, modern and jazz, she is an international guest dancer and collaborator with many companies, including James Sewell Ballet and Minnesota Dance Theatre. She has performed many principal roles, most notably in: Le Corsaire, Don Quixote Pas de Deux, Les Sylphides, Pas de Quatre, Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo, Princess Aurora, Lilac Fairy and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty, the Sugar Plum Fairy and Clara in The Nutcracker, Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, Coppelia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the title roles in Romeo and Juliet, and Giselle.

Cierra Dailey

Cierra Dailey (she/her) is a movement artist, stage manager, teacher, and arts administrator located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cierra started her journey as a dancer at a competitive studio as well as a local high school, Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. She found a love for contemporary movement in her teens, and later attended the University of Minnesota pursuing a BFA in dance. She has performed works by many Twin Cities artists including Arena Dances, Ananya Chatterjea, Black Label Movement, Elayna Waxse, and Shapiro and Smith Dance.

Heather Wolf

Heather started taking ballet classes at the age of three and fell in love with the idea of becoming a ballerina. She studied at the school of Canton Ballet under the direction of Cassandra Crowley and enjoyed the opportunity to learn from guest teachers from around the world, including Laura Alanso. In her teen years, she was invited to join the Canton Ballet Company, where she performed roles in various classical ballets such as The Nutcracker, Peter and the Wolf, Cinderella, and Swan Lake. She also participated in original choreography for a Regional Dance Festival. After graduating from high school, she decided to pursue charity work overseas and lived with her family in Tanzania and Kenya. During a short period living in Minnesota between her overseas stays, she established a relationship with the Continental Ballet Company, performing in Giselle and Cinderella. She also taught ballet in Kenya and has continued teaching ballet for the past few years since settling in Minnesota. Her hobbies include hiking with her five children and husband, cooking, studying nutrition, and foraging.

Maddie Nilan

Maddie is a lifelong dancer and patron of the arts who is committed to supporting the next generation of dancers as they enter the studio! Since relocating back from Chicago where she assisted with administration at a major studio, she has been excited to find her way back to the dance community. Stop by the desk to ask her any questions about the Prima Shop, registration, or enrollment options and you'll be greeted by a warm, welcoming smile!

Previous Guest Teachers

Laura Greenwell

Brittany Keefe

Micah Chermack

Lily Conforti

7395 Bush Lake Road

Edina, MN 55439

763-703-6117