Meet Diane Dragone

We recently connected with Diane Dragone and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Diane with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

My work ethic comes from a combination of my early training, my passion for what I do, and the experiences I’ve had along the way. Starting to dance at the age of 3, it became my calling, and that sense of purpose has driven me ever since. Over the years, I’ve developed a deep understanding of the industry, the value of hard work, and the importance of staying dedicated to my craft, no matter what challenges come my way.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Diane Dragone has been the founding director, choreographer, and teacher for The Kennedy Dancers Repertory Company and The Kennedy Dancers School since 1977. The Kennedy Dancers is a non-profit organization. Diane Dragone developed the dance curriculum for the Hudson County Schools of Technology, where she taught both gifted and talented students as well as special education dance programs. Hudson County juvenile detention center, Saint Joseph’s school of the blind and special projects in over 15 Jersey City public schools. She is a certified dance teacher in the state of New Jersey. Throughout her career, Ms. Dragone has performed and worked with several esteemed productions and companies, including North Jersey Ballet, New York Opera Ballet, Garden State Opera, Garden State Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra featuring Frank Sinatra Jr., Bob Fosse Productions, and in Equity and regional tours of Bye Bye Birdie, West Side Story, South Pacific, Hello, Dolly!, Pippin, Butterflies Are Free, Sweet Charity, NoNo Nanette & Kiss Me, Kate. She also performed on U.S.O. tours aboard aircraft carriers, at the White House, the Garden State Arts Center, Continental Arena, and many other venues. Kennedy Dancers is recognized as one of the top 100 American modern and contemporary dance companies. The organization is a six-time recipient of Citations of Excellence from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Diane Dragone is also the executive producer of the award-winning cable television program Dance Vista, which has received eight awards and is broadcast across various cable television systems in over 22 states.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

(1) Broad knowledge of many things: Understanding not just dance, but also the business aspects of running a company, world knowledge, and the psychology of working with people in the workplace has been crucial in my success. For those just starting, I recommend building a well-rounded knowledge base. Understand how your art fits into the world and how business, people skills, and psychology come into play.

(2) Love what you do: Passion is essential. For me, creating work, dancing, and performing are not just jobs—they’re ways of expressing myself and connecting with others. If you don’t love what you do, it will be difficult to push through the hard times. My advice to others is to follow your passion and let that drive you.

(3) Persistence: The ability to keep going, even when things are tough, has been one of the biggest assets to my success. In any career, there will be setbacks, but it’s important to keep moving forward. For those early in their journey, my advice is to be patient with the process and persistent in your goals. Don’t be discouraged by obstacles—they’re part of the journey.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

Over 40, one of my biggest challenges has been navigating the political climate as a women-owned business. The culture of many people has shifted—some can be rude, distant, or entitled. In the dance world, many parents feel they don’t need to pay for quality instruction because they think they know more than the teachers when it comes to teaching their children. The reality is, physical learning and teaching dance are completely different from academic learning. To address this, I’ve been working with a business psychologist to guide me on how best to approach these situations. It’s about setting boundaries and communicating the value of what we offer, both in terms of education and professionalism.

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Image Credits

Photo Credit: Tom Horan

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