Generations of EXCELLENCE.
Since our doors opened as the Gerri Stretz Academy of Dance in 1961, the Stretz-Meyer-Hare family has made an impression on dancers throughout the area with it's vision and passion for all dancers for generations. Miss Gerri's vision and passion continue through the heart and direction of her daughter, Ms. Yvonne Meyer Hare, who is the current studio owner and director of Professional Dance Center. Under her leadership, PDC continues to provide and grow the elite level of training, inspiring young dancers to follow their dreams, both on and off the stage.
AWARD-WINNING staff.
The PDC staff is comprised of industry professionals The variety of our staff’s backgrounds contributes to a diverse level of genres of dance performance. Our teachers are trained to provide all children with the love of dance in ballet, tap, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, pointe, hip hop and musical theatre.
Dancer DEVELOPMENT.
Confidence. Strength. Academics. Versitality. Friendship. We strive to build confidence, develop strong bodies and minds as well as bolster self esteem and budding friendships. We encourage and celebrate when our dancers share their talents through community theatre groups and in fine arts productions and on school dance teams.
RECITAL showcase.
PDC's recital showcase is held each year in May. All students participate in the professional show and through this experience gain valuable knowledge and insight into how a production truly operates. The recital showcase is held in multiple shows and students participate in one or more nights. We set the bar high. Our recital is a professional production and is an absolute must see.
PDC Ensemble.
Our competition group is made up of approximately 100 dancers (and families) who commit the additional time and resources to be part of the competition team. Dancers on the competition team commit to spending additional hours of training toward advanced dance performance. The ensemble participates in regional dance competitions, as well as various charity and community based performances. Some local events have included The Teen Talent Show at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, America's Birthday Parade floats, Thanksgiving Day parade in downtown St. Louis, Broadway Kid’s Night at the Fabulous Fox and Variety Club’s Annual Dinner with the Stars. PDC Ensemble has traveled to NYC, Disney World and Universal Studios and other cities to perform as well. Many of these dancers have gone on to top college programs in dance and musical theatre in pursuit of professional careers including University of Michigan, Oklahoma City University, Point Park University, Indiana University, American Musical and Dramatic Academy-LA and NYC. This group provides the avenue for additional training to further develop and enhance a dancer’s performance skills. Currently, we have PDC alumni performing on Broadway, Las Vegas, LA, Disney and in National touring companies living out their performance dreams.
OUTSIDE the studio.
We have several MUNY Kids and Teens who have the privilege of representing the MUNY and perform in various venues and community based programs throughout the year. Our dancers can also be found in mainstage MUNY shows, Team Stages, holiday Nutcracker productions, Dance STL and Joffrey, MO Ballet Theatre, Moscow Ballet, and more. Likewise, dancers participate in community and school-related theatre productions that include Variety Children’s Theatre, STAGES education outreach programs, and Crestwood-Kirkwood Theatre Company. We encourage our dancers to use their gifts to share their love and passion of dance with our community.
