(484) 328-3297
Desiree Catania Dance Center
A FUN, FRIENDLY, AND POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
our approach
Welcome! Desiree Catania Dance Center is where dancers of all ages and abilities train at a high level while feeling seen, supported, and genuinely a part of a warm community. DCDC dancers will not only grow in skill-set but also in confidence, discipline, artistry, and character. Our professional instructors, innovative curriculum, and facility make this possible. A concentration on family is a compliment to our approach; it something that our instructors, support staff, and students demonstrate through kindness and support for one another and their community.
Hope to see you soon,
Desiree Catania
Kristin Cortese
Studio Owners
Miss Desiree Catania
Desiree's passion for dance was evident as early as the start of her training at age 7. By the age of 16, she had already discovered her love for teaching, resulting in a lifelong commitment to dance education, mentorship, and inspiring the next generation of dancers.
Desiree is trained in a wide range of styles including Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, Lyrical, Acro, and Contemporary. Her dance education includes training at South Philadelphia School of Dance, Folcroft Dance Studio, Cathie Collins School of Dance, and West Chester University. As a competitive dancer, Desiree performed throughout the region at competitions including StarPower, StarQuest, and I Love Dance. Competition experience gave her the exciting opportunity to perform for the Philadelphia Flyers and at Walt Disney World.
While attending WCU, Desiree continued to expand her dance education and performance experience as a member of the University's Contemporary Dance Company and Dance Production Workshop. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, with minors in Dance and Elementary Education. Desiree remains connected to the university through the West Chester Alumnae Chapter and continues to participate in performances and events.
As the Owner/Artistic Director of Desiree Catania Dance Center and Director of the DCDC Competition Company, Desiree has dedicated her career to creating a positive, supportive, and inspiring environment where dancers of all ages and abilities can thrive. Her years experience as a dancer, educator, choreographer, and studio director have shaped her teaching philosophy and her commitment to providing students with strong technical training and meaningful opportunities to grow as performers and individuals.
One of Desiree's greatest joys is watching her students grow throughout the years, not only into strong dancers, but into confident people. Seeing students begin as young dancers and grow into accomplished performers, teachers, and role models is one of the most rewarding parts of her career. She is incredibly proud of the community that has grown at DCDC and feels fortunate to share her passion for dance with her students and families each day.
Miss Kristin Cortese
Kristin would have never guessed such a meaningful part of her career path would be owning a dance studio and learning things like ballet positions, best methods for cleaning tap dust off a dance floor, or being able to identify a sickle foot. What a beautiful adventure it has been and continues to be!
While Kristin's dance career was very short lived as her early days were filled with softball games and band practices, she brings a breadth of experience working with children and adolescents. She received a Masters degree in Child Psychology from Immaculata University, worked for a local agency as a mobile therapist and behavioral specialist, and loved her work as the Director of College Counseling at Villa Maria Academy HS. Today, Kristin is an account executive for Scoir, a college and career readiness software for middle and high schools. She loves her work because she gets to connect with school counseling teams throughout the northeast and stay abreast of the latest in higher education, while the studio allows her to continue providing support, and mentorship for students and families.