We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anna Harsh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Anna , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
My Most Meaningful Project – By Anna Harsh 2025
In sixth grade, I had an assignment to create a vision board that reflected my goals and dreams. My vision board reflected dancing professionally, traveling to Italy to meet lost family and see the Pope. Fast forward to my senior thesis project in college as a dance major, which led me to a meaningful project that changed my life. My quest was to research and find traditional Italian dances, write my final thesis paper and perform it. This was challenging without the internet in the 1990s. So, I studied with instructors that trained in Italy and had the historical dances I needed to complete my dance degree.
My college dance professors encouraged me to perform these dances I researched in my hometown at an Italian festival to gain community feedback. After just one performance, my Allegro Dance Company was born. My vision board was working. Since that performance, I have been traveling to Italy to study, research and perform for thousands of audiences all over the United States and Italy. I connected with family that still live in Italy. My dance company was blessed by Pope John Paul II and performed for him in Rome. My goals were achieved and more goals were being made.
Through my creation of my dance company, I have found who I am , gained a better understanding of my Italian heritage and have a greater purpose by preserving these dances that will disappear if they are not passed on to the next generation. Allegro offers traditional Italian dances but we also perform Italian stories using other various dance styles like modern, ballet or hip hop. Our show is lively, eclectic and shows the past, present and future Italian culture.
Today, I have written books about my journey, the ancient dances I have found and created a documentary that can be found in libraries across the USA, Canada and Italy. My greater purpose is to share the knowledge and life lessons these dances have taught me. When you dance, you are a living museum and a glimpse into history. These dances have taught me life lessons that I cherish.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Ciao! I’m Anna Harsh. I am an Italian-American born in West Virginia and now living in Pennsylvania with my husband Greg. My grandparents on both sides immigrated from Calabria, Italy in the early 1920’s. Music and dance has always been a part of my family’s daily life.
I started dancing as a very young girl with formal training. Dance gives my life meaning. It is a vehicle for me to express emotions, traditions and share stories. I have been teaching dance and fitness for over three decades. I hold a Master of Arts degree in Communication from West Virginia University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Slippery Rock University. I am also certified as an E-RYT200 in yoga and a Pilates Instructor.
My dance company and choreographic work stand out because of the extensive research I do. I travel to different regions of Italy, study with talented instructors, visit museums, interview archeologists to gain a bigger picture of where the dances come from and why. I learn how the dances reflect the people of that region and the stories behind the movement. By doing this, I gain a bigger picture of time and space.
I offer audiences an immersive experience when we perform. I want them to be entertained, but also to walk away with knowledge of the Italian culture. I want them to see and feel something they have never seen before or knew before. I achieve this through the research, the inspiration I get from stories and historical events. My Italian family gives me the insights of what daily life is for them and how I can share that to offer a different perspective of the culture. The dances I find are thousands of years old. My goal is to share all twenty regions of Italy through dance. I am on the brink of reaching that goal.
How did I get started? My grandparents and parents loved being creative. They loved to sing and dance. I took formal dance lessons at studios, joined a small ballet company in high school and then went onto college for dance. I studied piano, played flute in school and even did several musicals. Today, I have choreographed over 76 musicals for high schools, universities and community theaters. Being on stage or back stage is where you will find me the most.
Services I offer: Since I wear many artistic hats, I offer various services. Allegro Dance Company offers performances, dance workshops, documentary screenings and book signings with talks. Many Italian dance companies don’t offer what we offer. We give people a chance to study dances from all over Italy. From various tarantellas from the south to elegant northern dances, we have a vast repetroire to choose from now. I offer in person classes at schools and various venues as well as online classes for dance and fitness. On tour I offer inspiring talks that fuse together the rhythm of dance, the vitality of health, and the rich heritage of Italian culture.
Problems I solve: I bring communities together through dance. I connect people with their heritage by talking about mine. They are inspired and curious about their heritage, and helping them embark on their own journey of self-discovery brings me great joy. I preserve these Italian dances so that future generations can learn from and enjoy them.
What sets me apart? I am one of very few doing this work in the United States. I started my company in 1994 growing it from just a seed of an idea. My research and passion sets me apart. I take pride in creating choreography, learning traditional dances, and giving people a class to bring wellness into their lives. When the client thrives so do I.
What am I most proud of? I am most proud of building a company that has toured the USA and Italy out of just a thesis paper. Seeing these ideas come to life and the joy it brings to audiences at festivals and venues give me chills. When I receive thanks at a festival it means the world to me. Having my nonna see me dance for the Pope on Television was also a big moment. She was so proud of me and I was proud to dance for her. I am just one person that works everyday to achieve big things. Small steps each day has allow me to achieve big goals. It takes a village and I am proud of the village that I have built.
Main thing you want potential clients to know about your work /brand:
My clients and audiences are in great care. We are passionate about our work and only bring the best to them. Our mission is to preserve these ancient Italian dances for the next generation, and share the life lessons which in turn build community.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
One aspect of my journey as a creative that non-creatives often struggle to understand is the financial side of it all. People don’t always realize how much it costs to run a touring dance company — from purchasing and creating authentic costumes and props to covering travel expenses, accommodations, and rehearsal space. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that requires significant funding, and sometimes it’s hard to explain just how much time, effort, and money go into making sure a performance comes to life. The research alone is expensive. Learning these dances in person is key. It can be frustrating when the value of that investment isn’t immediately visible, but it’s essential to the overall experience. When various venues request us to come and perform, they don’t always have the budget for what it costs. Finding ways to continue this preservation project is challenging. Through selling my books, documentary and online lessons it has helped ease the financial burden. There are many ways to gain funding for festivals and organizations: selling tickets to the event, applying for grants, and getting sponsors. We also provide these solutions whenever an organization wants to hire us.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
During Covid, we couldn’t perform, my dancers couldn’t gather to rehearse or offer classes in person. Pivoting gave me a chance to build my online classes and meet people from around the world. I taught so many people from all walks of life. During this time, I wrote two books: La Danza, Conflict, Passion and Healing, The Italian Dance Quest. These memoirs are about my dance journey, my Italian research in Italy along with advice for others trying to find their way in an artistic career. I also produced a podcast called The Dance Floor Podcast with Anna Harsh and spoke with dance professionals that gave advice on everything from how to get a dance gig, building a dance resume and audition tips. This was a time for pivoting to the point where I created the next phase of my dance career. Using my communication skills, I was able to develop a speaking career that has taken off.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.AllegroDanceCompany.net
- Instagram: @TambourineChronicles
- Other: Website www.AnnaHarsh.com – for online classes and other services
Image Credits
All photos by: Greg Harsh