Nola began dancing at the age of two in her mother, Miss Holly’s dance class here at VDP. She danced at VDP for 16 years, but the dancing wasn’t just within our four walls. Nola joined the inaugural “Edina middle school dance team” in 6th and 7th grade that Victoria McNamara started, now known as Edina B-squad. Nola then danced on the Edina Varsity Dance Team for 5 years, placing 3rd in the MSHSL state tournament in 2017 for Jazz and tied for first place in Jazz her senior year in 2019. Nola competed at the Miss Dance Team Minnesota competition which gave her the opportunity to compete on Team Minnesota and she was 3rd runner up with her senior solo at the Miss Dance Team USA competition. After graduating high school in 2019, the dancing didn’t stop there. Nola continued to dance at the collegiate level for the national championship winning University of Minnesota Dance Team and won a double national championship her senior year in 2023, bringing home their 20th and 21st national championship titles. GO GOPHERS!

“If I’m going to teach dance, it’s going to be back at home” –Nola

As an alumni, Nola has come back to VDP to share her love for dance with the next generation. She teaches our competition technique classes as well as coaches several solos/duos/trios.