Frances Hellens McDonald

Choreographer
Composer
Co-Founder of DancesToGo.com



Frances began her Fine Arts career as a classical pianist at a young age of 11 years. She was asked to perform in front of large audiences at festivals and events through out Southwestern Ontario, Canada. She continued her intensive musical training with the Royal Conservatory of Music faculty at Alma College. While waiting to be old enough to try her degree in music, Frances fell in love with the art of dance. Her dance training with the co-founders and the principal dancer of the London Civic Ballet lead her to be able to study with great master teachers including Boris Volkoff, Brian Scott, Celia Franca, Gus Giordano, Luigi and Le Ballet Jazz.


Frances began her dance teaching career when she was just fifteen years old apprenticing in three major cities in Ontario, doing her high school homework in the restaurant of the C.N.R. trains she rode almost daily. At nineteen, Frances decided she must become a triple threat professional dancer, singer and actress. Her first professional play was with the Toronto Workshop Productions and from there she went on tour as a freelance artist working with many famous choreographers and celebrities.


During Frances’s contract with the professional show Anne of Green Gables she became engaged to be married and left her touring life to teach dance, enter the competition dance world and raise a wonderful son. After forty years of teaching for many dance studios, Frances retired from her own studio, Foot Notes Dance Studio to specialize in choreography and musical activities for Pre- Primary, Primary, Mini and Junior classical dance.