Joan Harris Center For Gifted-Talented

Specialties

Joan Harris Centre is a performing arts School centrally located in Luzerne, PA just of the Cross Valley Expressway. Students come from Wilkes-​Barre, Kingston, Dallas, Back Mountain, Mountaintop, Pittston, Hazleton, Scranton, Tunkhannock, and Pocono communities to study with the studio’s professional staff. Classes offered at the studio include Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Modern Dance courses in levels ranging from beginner to intermediate and advance. Each 8 week course concludes with a full school production. The center stages shows each summer at Knoebles Amusement Resort, productions for Halloween and Christmas, a full length ballet in the spring and professional shows at the FM Kirby Center each June. All instructors are adult professionals. Also on site are various other schools including a music studio, karate dojo and theater company. For more information please visit its website at joan​har​ris​dancers​.com.

History

Established in 1982.

The Joan Harris Centre was founded by Joan Harris a veteran of two Broadway musicals, (Kiss Me Kate and High Button Shoes) and a former owner of seven dance studios located throughout New York City. The school is currently located in the Harris Conservatory for the Arts building in Luzerne, PA. The twenty-​thousand square foot facility is also home to the Dragons Tale Karate dojo, Ripple Effects Music Studio, Back Stage Pass and the Kirby Kidz theater workshops, Joe Ward guitar studio and various other performing arts instructors.

Meet the Business Owner

Jim H.

Business Owner

Jim has been involved with the Joan Harris Centre for the past twenty-​nine years. He is the founder of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Theatrical Alliance (NEPTA), a group of nearly thirty regional theaters, college drama departments and area newspapers from across Northeastern Pennsylvania. He also created the Keystone State Dance Festival which brings professional dancers from Broadway and across the nation to our area in the summer to teach a series of dance workshops at a local college. Additionally he founded the Pennsylvania Choreographers Showcase, an event featuring an eclectic mix of works by professional and emerging choreographers from around the state. He has appeared in or directed literally over one-​hundred shows. Jim has written and directed several one act plays as well as directed the biblical musicals Tales of Wonder, Feast Of Life and The Song of Mark.