Faculty & Staff
Kathleen Connolly
Artistic Director & Owner
Kathleen began dancing in 1973 with her mentor Linda English. She is a dance department graduate of the High School of the Performing and Visual Arts, where she studied with various guest artists. In 1988, Kathleen became a certified member of an internationally accredited dance organization, Dance Masters of America, and has served on its Board as the Chapter Secretary. In 1990, she opened Connolly Dance Arts to bring her love of dance to dance students in this area. Kathleen has directed her students in many outstanding recital productions, such as The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, and Toy Story. She is the Artistic Director for the award winning CDA Performing Company, whose members have won numerous awards and titles in dance competitions. To keep teaching ideas and techniques fresh, she attends conventions and workshops. Kathleen has taught children and adults since 1983. She is also CPR certified.
Aimee Wendrock
Office Manager
Aimee's daughter Ashleigh has been a CDA student since the age of four and is a member of the performing company and Intensive Dance Program. Aimee's experience as an IDP parent prepared her well for the role of Office Manager. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Houston and currently resides in Katy with her husband James and their two children.
Renata Kingsbury Morgan
Marketing Director & Instructor
Renata has taught dance in the Houston area for over ten years. Her extensive training in ballet technique and contemporary dance allows her to teach current styles while empashizing a strong technical foundation. She attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts and has trained at studios and universities from Houston to New York. As a competitve dancer, she won numerous local and national high score awards as well as scholarships from several major conventions, including DMA and Tremaine. She was also invited to dance with the Houston-based modern dance company Suchu. After graduating with highest honors from the University of Houston, she took a break from dancing to accept a marketing job, but is happy to be back teaching as a member of the CDA staff.
Paloma Bernal
Ballet Instructor
Paloma was born in Mexico City and started her ballet studies at a very early age with her mother Paloma Zepeda Novelo. She has studied different forms of dance and choreographic styles with very prestigious Mexican and international teachers throughout the years. In 1988 Mrs. Bernal became General Director of "Estudio de danza Paloma Bernal", the family dance studio that followed the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus. The studio's classes include ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, and hip hop as well traditional Mexican dances, flamenco, Hawaiian, Tahititan and Polynesian styles. The studio hosts the RAD vocational graded exams every year at its north Mexico City location. In 2005, Paloma moved to the United States and began teaching in Houston in 2007. After more than 30 years teaching, she continues to attend workshops and classes for professional development.
Joeley Fowler
Tap Instructor
Joeley has been dancing and performing since the age of two. She has competed at regional and national levels across the country where she won numerous group, duo, and solo awards. In 2006 she won the title of Miss Star Power at the Starpower National competition in San Antonio. She was involved in her high school dance team all four years and was head captain her senior year. Joeley received four All-American awards, Top All-American her senior year, and an Excellence in Leadership award. She taught for the National Dance Alliance from 2007-2009 at the high school and collegiate levels. She was also a head instructor for NDA. Joeley has taught for studios in both Kansas and Texas. She recently moved to Houston from Austin where she was a member of the professional company Verge. She now resides in Deer Park and teaches for CDA's Katy and Satellite locations.
