About Us

Heartland Dance was founded in 1977 by Nancy Gordon with the mission to offer community members of all ages and abilities the opportunity to experience the joy and benefits of dance in an atmosphere of kindness and discipline. In 1998 Nancy reduced her involvement in the studio, and Patricia Wilson took over as director and chief instructor. She has continued with the philosophy of emphasizing proper dance training and technique in a nurturing environment. We have served over 3,000 students over the years, and our current enrollment has grown to over 80. We put on a major ballet performance every June at the GPHS Performing Arts Center. Heartland has been very happy for many years holding classes at the Grants Pass Community Center, however we have simply outgrown the space. We are currently up to our necks moving to a larger studio (next to Video World on S 6th Street) to accommodate increasing enrollment. We are currently installing a wooden floating floor with a vinyl dance surface, barres, mirrors and more. When we are done, we'll have possibly the best dance floor in Josephine County. Heartland plans to make the studio available to other groups that may want to use the space for dance or exercise activities. We look forward to welcoming more dancers to our ''Heartland Family'' so they to can enjoy the benefits of healthy exercise, while learning life lessons about the value of working hard as individuals and with others to create the awesome performances Heartland puts on every year.