OVERVIEWNow in its twenty-fifth year, the Dance Centre (formerly, "Jane Bittner's Dance Center") has gained the reputation of being one of the Washington Metropolitan Area's finest dance schools. The Centre is under the new direction of Patricia Berrend, former Associate Director of The Washington School of Ballet. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her 28 year association with The Washington School of Ballet as well as from her professional dance career and involvement with the local dance community. Her exceptional ability as a teacher has been nationally recognized by such institutions as the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the National Foundation for the Arts. Ms. Berrend's former students are members of dance companies world-wide and, with her coaching, have received numerous prizes and awards in the most prestigious international ballet competitions.
The Dance Centre offers a full and varied curriculum for students at all levels, an excellent faculty and small class sizes, encouraging the development of talent, confidence and self-discipline through individual attention. The atmosphere is one of enthusiasm for the dance arts as well as dedication to the very highest standards of dance training for all students.
While not all Dance Centre students pursue a career in dance, those that do are well prepared. Students have been selected and, in some cases, awarded scholarships to study at professional schools such as the School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School, American Ballet Theater School, Julliard, Houston Ballet Academy, Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, Ballet Met, North Carolina School of the Arts, Richmond Ballet, Suzanne Farrell's Ballet Workshop (Kennedy Center) as well as receiving college scholarships in dance, becoming professional dancers, dance teachers and working in dance related fields.
