Hedy Perna - Director

Miss Hedy founded the Perna Dance Center 38 years ago to provide a place to grow dancers and maximize their potential as performers. Before opening the PDC she was a co-director of La Danse studio in Linden, NJ. For more than 40 years, Miss Hedy has stayed active in the dance community, and is particularly well known in dance organizations that promote the education of teachers and students. She is President Emeritus of Associated Dance Teachers of NJ and a lifelong member of Dance Educators of America. Hedy is a Regional Representative for National Dance Week.

In addition to being the Creative Director of the PDC, Miss Hedy’s creative and artistic credits include: Choreographer for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; Founder of Dance Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure; Choreographer for UDMA Costume Show; Founder/Director of the Sun&Dance Festival with Carnival Cruise; Choreographer for PDC in the QVC Christmas Parade and the Annual Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington DC. Hedy was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel for her contributions to our community.

Hedy enjoys networking with fellow dance educators and works to help studio owners work smarter, not harder. As DanceLady CEO, she travels the country sharing her expertise with teachers and studio owners at many professional conventions. She has presented for Dance Teacher Web, Revolution’s Energize Conference, Rhee Gold’s Project Motivate, The DanceLife Teacher Conference, the Dance Life Retreat Center, Dance Teacher Summit, United Dance Merchants of America, The Pulse, Discount Dance Supplies, Weissman’s Dance, and Hollywood Connection. Hedy is proud to be a founding member and on the Board of Advisors of Rhee Gold’s I.D.E.A., the International Dance Entrepreneurs Association.

During the COVID-19 shutdown, Miss Hedy began a weekly Zoom call with fellow studio owners to discuss all aspects of dance and their businesses. As leader of her “DanceFriendz” community, Miss Hedy brings in industry professionals to present on various topics and facilitate meaningful discussion. This group has continued strong since the pandemic and has met virtually every Tuesday night since March 2020.