Meet the instructors
RM Productions Instructors 2022-2023
Rose McDonough
Studio Owner, Director, and Instructor
Rose began her dance training at the age of 5 studying with Miss Jean Smithers, who was also her mother’s dance teacher. She continued studying dance with such teachers as Connie Percozzi and Donna Dan. Rose was a student since 1979 and an instructor since 1988 for Deanna Hoffman/Deanna’s School of Dance. Rose purchased the business from Deanna in the summer of 1999 and renamed the business Rose McDonough Productions.
She also took classes in modern and tap at WVU. She has continued her dance education through workshops and seminars from such nationally known instructors as Jerry Rose, Gus Giordano, Debbie Dee, Lynda Gauche, David Howard, Thommie Walsh, Jeff Hill and many others. Rose. An alumni of Sissonville High School class of 1987, was involved in performance activities throughout school including flag corp., Touch of Class Show Choir and competitive dance.
Rose worked as a full-time dance teacher for Shawnee Hills Mental Health Center for 7 years in the mid to late 1990’s. She worked at Creative Expressions, which was a day program that served individuals both with mental and physical disabilities. She taught daily classes in tap, jazz, stretching and relaxation in conjunction with the music therapist also on staff. She choreographed, assisted in writing and blocking shows for the Limelights, which was a community performing group that involved staff, community members and performers from Creative Expressions and other day programs in Shawnee Hills. Creative Expressions was recognized multiple times on the state and national levels including taking the performance troupe to Nashville, TN to perform at the National Music Therapy conference and multiple annual shows in the community. Rose was the co-creator of Back to the 50’s that Rose along with other performers of Creative Expressions went into grade schools in Kanawha County, taught the dance numbers to students grades K-5 as part of an Arts in Education grant from the WV Commission on the Arts, that culminated in a unified community performance. Rose’s last position was Artistic Director where she wrote grants and continued to teach dance classes and bring in community artists to share with the program.
Rose went on to work for 12 years as the Coordinator of the Cultural Facilities and Capital Resources grant program, with the WV Division of Culture and History. This grant program was created to rehabilitate and construct facilities to bring more arts to the community. Rose graduated with her Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Development from Wheeling Jesuit University and began her journey in international youth exchange with ICES (International Cultural Exchange Services) where she has been able to travel to Slovakia, Austria, Cancun, Italy Hawaii and Honduras
Rose’s theatre credits include choreography for the following musical theatre productions: Little Abner and Grease for St. Albans High School; and Tommy, Ain’t Misbehavin, Return to the Forbidden Planet and Batboy for the Charleston Stage Company. In addition Rose had the honor of being the choreographer and producer of the WVU foundation fashion show and fundraiser.
From these experiences, Rose has put that knowledge to use through teaching. Since 1988 she has worked with Sissonville Middle and High School, Sherman High School, South Charleston Middle School, McKinley Middle, Greenbrier East High School, Hurricane High School, Cabell Midland High School, St. Albans High School and Capital High School flag corps. She has choreographed for St. Albans (1993-2002) and Nitro High School Show Cats (1999-2005) and Riverside High Show Choir for two years. Also in 1993, she began the first dance team in Kanawha County at St. Albans High School. She is now an active judge for the marching arts judging multiple events yearly including marching, general effect and color guard. She is certified to judge color guard with Cavalcade of Bands and Tournament of Bands. Rose continues her love of marching band through judging every Fall at events around the state of WV.
Rose choreographs the petite, junior and senior teams and creates competitive solos and duets. Her love for dance lives on and grows stronger each and every year. The adult program still remains very near and dear to her heart and is a crucial part of our studio along with every age between 2 ½ to adult. It is never too early or late to let dance be a part of your life. Dance adds so much to ones life not just dance skill, but endless life lessons from learning to take instruction in preparation for entering school, learning to share, follow directions, discipline, confidence, leadership and communication skills and how to be a more well rounded person
In February 2023, Rose lost her best friend and her biggest supporter to cancer and her world is now forever changed. Her mom was the one that put her in dance and supported her through her entire dance journey both as a performer an educator. All of her work both in the past and future is dedicated to her mom, Rose Mary Ray. Rose’s mom raised her as a single mom and knows how difficult it is for families to afford dance and other activities, which is the inspiration behind being the most affordable studio in the region. Rose believes dance should be available to those with the desire to dance. Providing a top notch dance education at an affordable price. A great product with a professional environment where dance is about the art, and becoming a part of a family.
Our Wonderful Instructors
Vivian Raines
Adult Advanced Team
Vivian Raines began dancing at the age of 10. She started as an assistant instructor for Rebecca Ailes at Becky’s Dance Express in 1993 and has been teaching ballet, tap and jazz for over 30 years. She continued her dance education at Marshall University and danced briefly with Leah Copley and River City Dance Company. She started with RM Productions in 2005 and usually teaches adult classes.
Paul Miller
Adult Beginner Team
Paul returns to RM Productions with a combined total of 31 years of dance and colorguard. He began his dance training with Miss Rose in the early 1990’s and continues to broaden his experiences to this day.
Sharayah Joy Jeffries
I started my dance training at the age of 3 at Deanna's School of Dance in 1992. Letitia was my first teacher and one who helped inspire my love for dance. I trained in ballet, tap and then Ms. Beth trained me in baton for two years. Ms. Rose bought the studio in 1999 and it became RM Productions. That is when my passion for dance really blossomed. I trained in ballet, jazz, tap, and lyrical. Ms. Rose has been my teacher ever since. I started competition dance at the age of 12. I competed in acrobatic jazz; it was a mix of my tumbling and dance skills combined. Growing up I tried several different sports like baseball, track, volleyball, I was even a Allstar cheerleader for several years. However, dance was always my go to and my true passion. I have a Bachelor's of Science in Health Science with a focus on Alternative therapy. Dance has always been my therapy, it allowed me to be me without a care in the world. Now I get to share that passion and technique to help our children feel like they belong and fit in somewhere and of course just have fun. I have 3 beautiful daughters who dance alongside me to this day.
Kate Jordan
Kate is a native to Charleston and has taken/studied dance for the past forty-two years. Kate works for the Dept. of Health and Human Resources, doing course design and training. And is very excited to be re-joining the teams at R.M. Productions!
Kate began dancing under the instruction of Pierce McClain and January Johnson (Wolfe) focusing on ballet and tap. During most of her elementary school days Kate took from January Johnson and also became involved in productions with The Appalachian Youth Jazz-Ballet Company which was run by Nina Denton (Passinetti). After having taken from Johnson for some time, Kate joined Denton’s company and participated in numerous productions; Babes in Toyland, The Wizard of Oz, and Beauty and the Beast to name a few, all of which were full scale productions, combining elements of dancing and acting. With Denton, Kate focused her classical ballet training while also involving herself in dance team and flag corps, at South Charleston Junior High. In 1993 Nina Denton retired her company and Kate began taking tap classes from her then flag instructor Rose McDonough. While under the name, Deanna’s School of Dance, Kate took ballet, tap and jazz classes and participated on competition teams with both groups and duets. From 1993 to 1998 Kate was an active dancer, mostly under the instruction of Rose McDonough, competing in tap, jazz and lyrical dance. During those years, Kate also assisted with classes and taught her own classes during and after her senior year of High School at South Charleston High.
During her undergraduate studies at WVU, Kate kept up her dancing, taking various classes from the dance department under the direction of Kacey Wiedebusch. There, she developed an interest in modern dance and continued to hone her skills in classical ballet. She expanded her dance knowledge by joining the African Drum and Dance Ensemble learning various forms of African dance, performing with the ensemble throughout Morgantown and surrounding areas.
Over the years, Kate has also worked with The Charleston Light Opera Guild, performing in A Chorus Line, Grease, Barnum, and Hair. She has also participated as well as choreographed some shows for The Kanawha Players.
While obtaining her graduate degree at Marshall University, Kate instructed teens and adults at Yvonne DeKay’s School of Dance in Ironton, OH. There, Kate was also exposed to various forms of modern and contemporary dance and participated in workshops with Dance Master’s of America. With DMA, Kate has taken classes and teacher workshops with instructors such as, Greg Russell, Debbi D, and Isis Musoud.
Learning from these various teachers over the years has given Kate her own style and direction with dance. Kate previously worked R.M Productions during the 2010 year, then took a leave of absence as she lived and worked in Pittsburgh for some time. During the 2013-2014 year, Kate taught primarily ballet with R.M Productions. Since that time she has also obtained a teaching certificate in English Language Arts and worked in Kanawha Co. schools for a short time. She says teaching in some capacity and form is something that will always be with her, and she is so very happy to be a part of the 25 Silver Anniversary Year of R.M. Productions.
Our Brilliant student teachers
Trinity Means
I’ve been dancing for almost 13 years and I’ve been on the competition team for 6 years, I really enjoy dancing it’s definitely one of my favorite things to do. I’ve taken tap, jazz, lyrical, and ballet, tap is my all time favorite. I’ve been an assistant teacher for almost 3 years. I have 4 siblings so I really enjoy being around and teaching kids. I’m 16 years old and I’m going to be going to HHHS. Outside of dance I enjoy being outside, taking long hikes, and drawing. I plan on going to college to be a counselor for kids I would love to help whoever I can. I’ve grown very fond of the kids I’ve helped and I love all of them, watching them grow as dancers makes me so incredibly happy, and I hope to meet more people that I can help grow as dancers.