Katrina Prodan, co-owner of ProDance in Linwood, New Jersey, describes their studio as New, Innovative with a strong emphasis on ballet technique.
In Katrina’s opinion what separates them from other dance studios is their true love for dance. It is more than just a business for them. It is about giving their students the opportunity to learn the art form and passing on their passion for the sport.
Their proudest moment was in their third year at their annual recital. One of their parents captured the moment of the entire company on stage. Watching from the wings, they had not realized how they had grown as a studio and succeeded in passing on their passion for dance to so many young students.
One of the biggest mistakes they see dancers make is focusing on tricks instead of basic technique and movement quality. Dancers need to realize their own individual strengths and strive to be their very best – not everyone else’s best. Make sure you learn at your own pace and remember that ballet is the base of all dance forms.
Their goals for this year are to expand their business, add more styles of dance to their curriculum, and more master classes for their young, eager students to learn dancers.
Katrina and Tara Prodan started ProDance because it has been a lifelong dream of theirs and their mother’s. They come from a long line of dancers. Their grandmother and father 
were both dancers. Their mother danced in the Joffery Ballet in New York. Her ballet career took her around the world. So, they guess you can say they have dance in their blood.
In September, ProDance will celebrate their 7th anniversary. They are currently under construction with their new facility. This year they will be able to offer many more classes such as Tumbling, Contortion, Ballroom, Pure Barre, and Boys Only Classes!
Katrina and Tara’s last name is Prodan which is how they came up with their studio name – ProDance.
Their competition team, ProDance Jemz, is a group of dancers ranging in age from 4 to 18 who are picked to compete in various dance competitions. Membership on the Competition Team is available to those interested dancers who are invited to join the team based on an audition process (which may be accomplished through observation during their summer intensive and/or classes during the year). The competition team is geared towards more serious dancing. The Jemz team understands that dance is an art and that dance competitions are a place for them to gain exposure to, and develop friendly relationships with, dancers and choreographers from other studios. There are two different teams. The competitive team is geared to the students who want to compete but cannot make the big commitment. The professional team is geared to their most serious and committed students. The team ages range from 5 to 18 and they travel on weekends to various dance competition and conventions.
By Becoming a Jem, dancers learn great team work, discipline, creative and innovative choreography, get beautiful costumes, and gain a supportive family – PLUS many, many trophies!
The “regional” competitions are within driving distance. However, depending on the distance and competition schedule, some families may decide to stay overnight close to the venue (for example, if the venue is 60+ minutes away and a dancer is performing late one night and early the next morning, it may be more convenient for that dancer to stay in the area). They do one regional held from March to May and one convention held in January.
It is ProDance’s mission to make dancing a fun and enjoyable experience for you and your child, while still challenging them technically. They offer a variety of dance classes (Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Jumps & Turns, Contemporary, Conditioning, Choreography) to help your child achieve their best. ProDance dance education will provide fitness while building their child’s confidence. The correct development of their student’s skills is very important to them. They offer both serious and recreational training. They opened ProDance Academy because of their love of dance and they want to pass that love to their students. It is their passion to teach and they will be forever grateful to everyone who helped them accomplish their dream.
If you would like more information about ProDance Academy, visit their website at prodanceacademy.com or call them at 609-926-2220. You can also “Like” them on Facebook.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Katrina Prodan of ProDance Academy.
