These under-40 influencers are making their mark. Meet Caitlin Hopple, the dancing queen.
Caitlin Hopple, Age 32
Director of Harrison Dance Studios
Caitlin Hopple grew up at her family’s Harrison Dance studio, literally. She lived above it, starting dance lessons at age three and joining the company at nine. At 18, she traveled to New York three times a week for classes at Steps on Broadway and began auditioning. Starting her professional career at 19, she has performed in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Florida, and New York, and has appeared on America’s Got Talent. Cait has also traveled to nearly every state in the union in her capacity as head judge in a national talent competition.
Now full circle, she returned to West Chester four years ago to run that family-owned studio, which was started by her grandmother in the 1950s and later run by her mother and aunt. “Miss Cait” as she’s known, now bridges a generational gap,teaching the children of former students.Striving to keep traditional classes in place while implementing current and relevant dance training, Cait now teaches those very ballet, jazz and tap classes she took,instructing about 40 students on a daily basis, roughly 20 classes a week, substituting in other classes regularly to keeptabs on the progress of other students.
Cait believes dance is not just about learning steps. It teaches young people how to listen, take direction, self motivate, and work as a team, while in stilling an appreciation of beauty, culture, hard work, discipline, and success with humility,the value of which is highlighted by Cait receiving more nominations for this feature than any other person.
Cait’s goal is to continue not only molding young Chester County women into talented dancers, but into kind and com-passionate women who become strong mothers, business owners, and engaged community members. And she’s doing just that, one pliéat a time
