OUR MISSION
The Cleveland Dance Project is an all-adult dance, fitness, and wellness studio in Independence, Ohio and the largest all adult dance group in the greater Cleveland/Akron area. We provide adults (18+) the opportunity to optimize their wellness, enhance their fitness, train in multiple styles of dance, choreograph, and perform in a fun, yet professional environment, while making art relatable to the community, and bringing people together through movement.
Our wellness family includes everyone from the fitness junkie, to the dance professional, to the person who's always wanted to boogie but never had the opportunity until now. We love our showcase to include every style of dance and every shape, size, gender, religion, color, orientation...because we believe dance is joy, and dance is love, and there is a place for everyone in our dance family!
CDP has 3 major seasons yearly - Fall and Spring (which are performance seasons, open to dancers ages 18+, consisting of weekly rehearsals culminating in a performance showcase), and the Summer season (classes designed to hone our dance skills and overall wellness, open to dancers ages 16+).
“Dance is a unifying force. No matter who you are or what your background is, when you enter a room full of dancers, you’re all friends as you train together, learn tough choreography together, and move your bodies together to create art.”
Our history
Cleveland Dance Project was founded in June 2017 by Anna Cerveny to produce classes for adults who wanted to continue to dance at a challenging level into their adult lives, performance and choreography opportunities, and to bring the dance community together through the mutual love of dance.
Anna had grown up in the dance world - it gave her some of her best friends, her greatest lessons, and a purpose! Even as she completed 7 years of post-graduate work to earn her Doctor of Physical Therapy, she made sure to keep dance in her life through her universities' dance organizations and local classes. Being lucky enough to live in NYC for 3 years, she had constant exposure to dance classes that challenged her, while being surrounded by dancers who were dedicated to training and growing. She traveled around the country through her first job as the PT for the Broadway tour of "WarHorse" and saw these pockets of dance talent everywhere she went. So when she finally moved back home to Cleveland, she thought - why not create that here?
Cleveland already had a blossoming dance scene, full of new professional companies, master classes, and dance studios on every corner...but something was missing. With a full time traditional job schedule, every class she was available to take was full of kids or an adult class held at a beginner level. It was rare to find a room of adults dancing together outside of the professional dance scene. And that's where Cleveland Dance Project came in.
Anna strived to create an atmosphere similar to those in NYC and LA studios, where adults came from all over the area just to take class with other adults and improve their technique and skill. An environment where dancers pushed each other to be better, while building each other up. A place where dance meant family. A group that was all working towards a common goal: a biannual showcase. Weekly rehearsals with the same people who went from strangers, to friends, to family. Rehearsals where you were accepted, challenged, and supported; where much of your time was spent learning and perfecting, but some of it was also spent goofing around and bonding.
Since June 2017, CDP has been just that to hundreds of local dancers and choreographers. Don't believe us? Check out the reviews on Facebook and Google...and then join us for a class, a showcase, or drop us an email/message. We'd love to hear from you and make you a part of our dance family!