Diana Portes started dancing at the age of three in a local dance studio in Queens, New York. She moved to New Jersey with her family at the age of five, and there she attended Ronnie McLaughlin School of Dance. Diana studied various styles of dance, such as Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Pointe, Tumbling, Hip Hop, and Modern. She was accepted into the Southern New Jersey Academy of Performing Arts at the age of 13. While attending the academy, she focused on Ballet and the Horton technique. At 18 years old, she was accepted into the world-famous Alvin Ailey School of Dance in New York City on a scholarship.

In 2006, Diana was accepted into Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. While in college, she was a member of the Black Diamonds and Belles Dancing team. Through her sophomore to senior years, Diana held titles as co-captain and captain. In 2010, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management with Magna Cum Laude honors. Upon graduation, Diana moved back to New York City to pursue her Master’s of Business Administration at the Metropolitan College of New York, and graduated with honors in 2011. She obtained her MBA in General Management.

From 2012 to 2015, Diana was a member of the Philadelphia Soulmates, a professional dance team for the Arena Football League with the Philadelphia Soul. In 2011, she was presented with her first teaching opportunity at Edge Dance Center and CaRu Entertainment in South and Central New Jersey.

In 2015, Diana relocated to Tampa, Florida, where she started instructing Jazz, Hip Hop, and Competition Choreography classes at Karl and DiMarco. With commitment and dedication to her students, Diana was promoted to the position of full-time Office Manager. She was also a full-time Dance teacher/choreographer. At Karl and DiMarco, she received high-level awards for competitions, including special judges’ awards and overall placement awards.

In the spring of 2017, Diana was accepted as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleading team for the National Football League. 

Diana Alexis Dance Academy was founded in 2020. Since then, she has obtained an Acrobatics Arts Module 1 Certification in 2021 and an Acrobatic Arts Module 2 Certification in 2023. Diana has attended the Dance Masters of America Teacher Training School from 2021 to 2025. She is DMA Certified in Tap. Diana has choreographed the musicals Memphis and BIG at the Grand Theatre in Williamstown, New Jersey, in Fall 2022 and Fall 2023.

Diana is thrilled to continue to nurture and pass down the knowledge and experience she has obtained throughout the years! Sharing her passion for dance allows her to fulfill her dream of contributing to the community.