Culture Shock Performing Arts Center is a small studio on 3rd Street in Hamburg and it is most known for teaching the Polynesian dance style. The director, Anita Doucette, was originally from California and began her dance career performing different types of dance including tap, jazz, ballet, clogging, acro, and modern. She brought her love of dance to Pennsylvania in 1997 where she taught tap and jazz. In 2002 Anita opened her own dance studio, Culture Shock. Her daughter Trina is the assistant director. The dancers at culture shock are called the MaluLani Dancers, which means under God’s protection. Culture Shock teaches many different types of dance, but is most well known for Polynesian. Everyone at Culture Shock is considered Ohana, meaning family. Performers of any age or skill level can join the dance studio.

The benefits of dancing are great in number. The condition of your heart and lungs will improve, and your strength and endurance will increase. Also taking dance classes can improve your school performance. Dance helps with teamwork, increases your memorization skills, and helps with students focus. Taking dance classes is unmistakably a positive. Lina L’Insalata is a performer at Culture Shock, who takes 8 classes. This is her thirteenth year at Culture Shock and she loves it. “It benefits me because I gain teamwork skills and create friendships”
Each class in one night a week, for about an hour. The cost of classes vary. The dancers perform at many events including competitions, recitals, banquets, local festivals. The Excel Polynesian performers recently danced before the Reading Royals game on Penn Avenue. Anita and Trina hope to get Culture Shock’s name out, to perform at more functions and hold more events.

For more information please visit https://www.cultureshockpac.com/