Community Highlights: Meet Paola Hartley of The Hartley Dance Project

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paola Hartley.

Hi Paola, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I created The Hartley Dance Project because I find that there is a tremendous amount of unseen talent within students of ballet and contemporary that later grow up to become professional dancers. I have been teaching in the valley for 24 years and I have seen how talented Arizona kids are. I felt that all the dance studios, teachers and students should be recognized somehow, and that is how I decided to create and produce the Arizona Grand Gala of Stars. The mission of my company is to celebrate Dance Education by producing high quality performances that include international stars as well as current and former students from the state of Arizona. Therefore, a year and a half ago, I decided it was time to do something spectacular, and historic, never before seen in the state and the nation. I thought, “what if we combine all the talent into one performance, where audiences can not only recognize and celebrate each student, but also get to experience world class performers?” This is how it began. I contacted Robbin Holley-Elowe, owner of a prestigious Dance Academy in the east valley called Studio R Ballet, and she loved my project! She became my Co-Executive Director of the Arizona Grand Gala of Stars. I then contacted Paul Seaquist, from Swansea Productions. Paul is the biggest dance entrepeneur this moment, producing Galas worldwide, and managing many stars from the world of ballet. He is also a childhood friend of mine, so this was a wonderful way to reconnect and work together. He became the Artistic Director of AGGS (Arizona Grand Gala of Stars)

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It is always difficult to start a new business, a new project. Convincing people that what you are doing is truly spectacular and historic, and raising funds to produce the performance is challenging, but the response was very positive and enthusiastic, looking forward to something that could be really big.
We encountered a few struggles within rehearsals with the students. Each one had different schedules, and traveling from many places, so getting a full cast together was always a challenge, and we knew that could be a possibility from the beginning. Nonetheless, they were all so thrilled and excited to perform and meet their idols, stars that they look up to, that they worked extremely hard, and their performance was absolutely magnificent.
One of the major challenges we encountered last minute was visa denials. Our stars were coming from many different parts of the world, and for circumstances completely out of our hands, two of our performers got their visas denied. This involved an entire reconfiguration of our puzzle pieces, trying to get replacements last minute, as well as changing the programing of the actual Gala Performance. In the end, we achieved giving the audience a memorable evening, as if nothing had happened!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Hartley Dance Project?
What makes your company different and what sets you apart?

The Hartley Dance Project is unique because it goes beyond just producing performances—it celebrates dance education across Arizona by integrating high-quality performances with opportunities for both current and former students to showcase their talents. What sets us apart is our mission to educate, entertain, and unite the community all at once. We bring a level of artistry to Arizona that has never been seen before, featuring international stars alongside local dancers, creating a dynamic and diverse experience.

The collaboration between students from different backgrounds is a true highlight—performing together as part of the opening acts for these world-class artists allows them to connect, learn, and grow in ways that wouldn’t be possible without this project.

What are you most proud of?

I’m incredibly proud of the sense of unity we’ve fostered. I’ve been able to create an environment where dancers from all over Arizona can come together and form friendships that might never have happened otherwise. Additionally, the partnerships I’ve built with Studio R Ballet and Swansea Productions have been invaluable. These incredible business partners fully understand the importance of both education and art in bringing communities together, and that shared belief has been pivotal in making this project a reality.

I’m also excited to introduce The Hartley Dance Project Award, a scholarship of $2,500, which will be randomly awarded to one school. The award can be used by the school for any students of their choice to further their dance education. This is my way of giving back and ensuring that students continue to have opportunities to grow and thrive in the world of dance.

What do you want the readers to know about your future plans?

This is just the beginning. The Arizona Grand Gala of Stars will become an annual tradition, and I truly believe this is only the first chapter of something much larger. My dream is to eventually expand this celebration of dance education to other states, and ideally, on a national level. If I can accomplish that, my vision of bringing dance education and artistry to communities everywhere will have come true.

What’s next?
Looking ahead, I’m incredibly excited about the growth and expansion of The Hartley Dance Project. One of my biggest goals is to make the Arizona Grand Gala of Stars an annual event that continues to celebrate the intersection of dance education and performance. Beyond that, I see this project expanding to other states, creating a nationwide celebration of dance education that brings people together in new and impactful ways, as well as my home country of Chile, where conversations have started to take this Gala Performance there as well.

In addition to the growth of the Gala, I’m especially looking forward to continuing to provide opportunities for young dancers to shine, like The Hartley Dance Project Award, a $2,500 scholarship that will be awarded to a randomly drawn school. This is a step toward supporting schools and students directly, allowing them to use the funds in any way that will further their dance education. Hopefully, in the near future, that monetary amount can increase with the success of the company.

Overall, I’m excited about continuing to bring together students, artists, and communities in new ways. The dream is to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can accomplish and make dance education a more accessible and celebrated part of our cultural landscape.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hartleydanceproject.com. www.azgrandgala.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_hartley_dance_project/ https://www.instagram.com/hartleypaola/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paola-hartley-478b62148/

Image Credits
The pictures in the studio, during rehearsal are Courtney Vogel photographer

The other pictures in the theatre during performance, are Staci Schonbrun photographer

1. Paola Hartley and Robbin Elowe rehearsing
2. Full Cast bowing after show
3. Student Ava Whalen and Fan Shi (guest professional)
4. Students Bella Randall & Liv Humphrey
5. Students Aidan Lutton and Emrie Knowlton
6. Paola Hartley with students
7. International stars Rachele Buriassi & Esnel Ramos
8. International stars Katherine Ochoa & Marian Walter