Wearing an old pair of Roman Jasinski's shoes, native Tulsan Donn Edwards was first introduced to ballet classes with Tulsa Ballet Co-Founders Jasinski and Moscelyn Larkin. Following a year of study at The University of Oklahoma School of Dance with founders Miguel Terekhov and Yvonne Chouteau, he was recruited by Robert Joffrey to attend his school in New York. Edwards's primary training there under Jonathan Watts led to an apprenticeship with The Joffrey, which included dancing with New York City Opera and being a charter member of the Joffrey II with choreographers Arpino, Ashton, Cranko, Joffrey, Joos, Massine, Robbins and Twyla Tharp, who created two roles for him.

Upon the invitation of directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, Edwards joined The Frankfurt Ballet as Principal Dancer, beginning a long association with the classical and Balanchine repertoires.

Returning to the States, Donn Edwards was a frequent Guest Artist with such companies as Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ohio Ballet, Karen, Frank, and Friends, and Stars of the American Ballet before E. Virginia Williams invited him to be a Principal Dancer with Boston Ballet. The company's new production of Swan Lake by Violette Verdy and Bruce Wells was created for Ballerina Elaine Bauer and Edwards. During his Boston tenure he originated many roles by Verdy, Wells and Choo San Goh, as well as Glen Tetly, and Ron Cunningham. In these contemporary works, along with Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, La Fille Mal Gardee, and Carmina Burana his partnership with Ballerina Laura Young was forged. After being chosen to understudy Rudolf Nureyev on Broadway in Boston Ballet's production of the Taglioni/Lacotte La Sylphide, Mr. Edwards was asked by Nureyev to play the title role in his Don Quixote in New York and in tours of Europe, Mexico and North America.

Upon joining the faculty at The University of Oklahoma School of Dance, Edwards began his teaching career, which has produced many professional dancers and teachers. In 2010 he was named Professor Emeritus and continues to be a frequent Guest Master Teacher and character Guest Artist for schools and companies in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Denver, Albuquerque, Seattle and San Francisco.