Dancing takes on an entirely different meaning when chatting with local dance teacher Penny Bovelli.

The Dance Centre, at 9 N. Main St. in downtown Lombard, was founded by Bovelli and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Bovelli began her dancing career when she was 6 years old. She is dedicated to the art form of dance, and she shares that dedication with her students.

When she’s not teaching at the Dance Centre, she serves on the Board of Directors for Chicago Tap Theatre and teaches classes at Iowa State University and the Delphi Academy. She was trained by top dance professionals including Lane Alexander and Lou Conte, and continues to take classes and workshops to better her dancing skills.

Bovelli offers all kinds of classes at the Dance Centre - acrobatics, ballet, jazz, tap, pointe, hip-hop and modern, just to name a few. In addition to weekly courses, Bovelli offers advanced dancers the opportunity to participate in performing dance groups. The Lombard Ballet Company, Show Troupe, and “Rhythm on Tap” Tap Ensemble are some of the more popular groups, which require auditions by all dancers.

When asked to name the biggest accomplishment in her dancing career, Bovelli chose the moment when one of her students went on to work professionally.

“For me, it’s not about how much money you make at your job,” Bovelli said. “I feel that I make a difference in the world by touching children’s lives, and to me, that’s more important.”

Notable
Bovelli arranged an International Dance Exchange with twenty Russian dancers. The students came to the United States, took classes and field trips, and all performed together. The Dance Centre then received an official invitation to Moscow.

Quotable
“There came a point in my life where I had to make a decision of which avenue to choose: professional dancing or the teaching end of it. I felt that I loved teaching, and that it was more important than going on "professionally.”

Philosophy
“Dance is an art form which relates to all aspects of life. The Dance Centre strives to balance fun, discipline, and structured learning for all classes. I think that if you love what you are doing and are passionate about it, then that’s going to come through when you are dancing.”

Favorites
Kind of Dance Tap
Music Open to everything
Hobbies Music, both playing and listening