Joanne DuBois performed in her first of three Broadway shows at the age of 18. She then went on to become the opening act for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis before performing across the east coast as a hit nightclub act. In 1955, she opened “Joanne DuBois School of Dance” in Philadelphia- and was an instant success. So successful that Joanne put an ad out for additional teachers. One of those teachers was Fred Knecht, and the two became a partnershihp in and out of the studio. When they weren’t teaching dance, they were performing throughout Philadelphia as “DuBois and Kenny.” By 1959, the two were married and moved to Bristol, Pa. where they opened Knecht Dance Academy. Within years, their business expanded locations twice and in 1972 Joanne and Fred built their dream dance studio from the ground up in Levittown, Pa. This is where they won “Best of Bucks County” over twenty times, trained 1200 dancers a week, and became THE place to dance. 

While owning and directing their dance studio, Joanne and Fred continued to rule the dance world. Joanne, the beauty and brains of the business, influenced the way most dance studios run today. Her self developed preschool curriculum is still integrated into our tiny tots program. Fred has been recognized with multiple lifetime achievement awards for his contribution to the arts and education. The two have been honored by national organizations across the United States and Canada, including: Dance Masters of America, Dance Educators of America, American Dance Awards, Dance Teachers Club of Boston, DanceLife Conference, and Bristol Borough arts and education Council. Before Miss Joanne passed away in 2022, The Knechts celebrated 63 years of marriage, raised three children and lived a love story that will live on forever.