Family and community are important to former professional dancer Liz Jovovich, managing director and co-owner of The Dance Ground in Newtown.
Dance, of course, is another passion of hers and one she passed on to her family. Her daughter, Priscilla Garner, and son, Andreas Jovovich, are both professional dancers and studio co-artistic directors. “Dance has been a passion of mine since I was little," says Liz, "and when you can give that back to others, it’s a great feeling.”
The Dance Ground offers all genres of dance, as well as vocal training, acrobatic classes, choreographed wedding dances and custom-themed birthday dance parties.
Tara Caton expresses why she loves the studio. "I enrolled my then-2.5-year-old daughter because I personally know one of the owners. My daughter struggled with separation anxiety, but Liz made the transition easy by phasing parents out of class and doing fun, engaging activities. She loves the class and learning from Liz. I couldn't be more gracious for their love and support of my daughter."
At The Dance Ground, students are taught by professional instructors. Although they occasionally lose instructors briefly for performance opportunities, the studio supports them fully. “Everything our instructors do professionally, they bring back that knowledge to the classroom," Liz explains.
"My daughter, now a high school freshman, has been dancing with The Dance Ground for 13 years. The entire faculty is inspiring," says Janet Goodwin. “They have taught her not only dance technique and steps, but also life lessons such as teamwork, discipline and time management: tools she uses for school play auditions, modeling for catalogs and performing in community events.”
The 2022 holiday season will be special, with nine dancers from The Dance Ground performing with the Ferko String Band at the annual Mummers Day Parade in Philadelphia on New Year’s Day — an opportunity for these training-level students, some who are also competitive dancers aspiring to go pro — to gain professional experience and exposure. Students at this level train for 15 to 20 hours per week. "It's hard work," explains Liz, "and only they can put in the work."
Liz especially enjoys seeing students transform from shy performers to confident dancers. This skill development is the cornerstone of the program, which emphasizes to students the importance of becoming the best versions of themselves, not competing with others. “At the end of the year," Liz says, "the kids get on stage and feel so special. I love seeing them smile and enjoy what they love.”
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