At the age of 4 years old, Puerto Rican born dancer, Wanda Holdren began a journey that was a dream her grandmother had for her entire life, to become a professional dancer. When Wanda came to the United States from Coamo, Puerto Rico in 1990, she had years of training intensively Julie Mayoral Dance Academy and Victors Dance Studios. She arrived here with the enthusiasm and spirit to realize her own dreams while honoring those of her grandmother. Sadly, her grandmother passed away 3 years after Wanda arrived in her new life in Reading, Pa. Wanda became more determined than ever to reach her goals, and she focused on establishing herself as a dance instructor in the area.
With a large and growing Latino population in the Reading and Berks County area, she found fertile ground for finding students who were anxious to connect with the dances of their culture, and students of other cultures excited to learn and experience the thrill of Latin dance.
Established arts and cultural organizations learned of her talent and experience and opened their doors to her. “I called the Wyomissing Institute (presently known as the Yocum Institute) and gave them my resume and they were very interested because they never had a Latin dance instructor. I started with 15 to 20 students, teaching the basics of Latin dance,” she explained.
Wanda had more inquiries to teach at other places. “I started working with the Hispanic Center, and at the same time I started working with the Community School of Music and the Arts in Centre Park, in Reading.” The city locations were easily accessible to students and in 2012 when the Community School moved the majority of its campus to the GoggleWorks, Wanda remained at the Centre Park campus, and began to expand upon her dance program with the Latin Flair Dance Team.
After several years, Wanda needed more space and searched for a studio of her own. “I rented a building on Kutztown Road and remodeled and decorated it as a bright and homey place for our dancers to call home.” With room to expand her program further, WH Dance Academy offered classes for every age group, as well as classes in all types of Latin Dance.
“We have the Little Mambos ages 5 to 7, Latin Legacy ages 7 to 9, Little Fuegos ages 9 to 12, Diamond Team ages 12 to 14, and Divas 15 to 17. They learn everything; salsa, bachata, chacha, hip hop, jazz, flamenco, afro rumba, bomba, and plena. Students start taking classes until I see that they are ready to be part of the competition team. Competitions provide opportunities to travel to other places and to see how they rate against other dance teams. We’ve recently gone to compete in Miami, Connecticut, and Puerto Rico. Our dancers always bring home the winning trophies, we have a lot of trophies! We also have an annual showcase every year. This year it will be held on October 25th at the Miller Center.”
With the expansion of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts to the second former factory building, Wanda was encouraged to consider a move to the huge facility which would house her dance programs amidst this active arts community. She decided to make the change and celebrated with an open house on August 9th. All classes will be conducted starting January 26, 2026 where she will occupy the entire third floor of the building. Events at the GoggleWorks are already in the planning stages for next year.
Wanda recently received an award from the World Salsa Congress, which marked an achievement that she has aspired to for her entire career as a dancer. “I have been part of the World Salsa Congress since 1996. I waited 35 years to received this prestigious award from my country. To be recognized as a teacher, dancer, and coach in my native culture was a great honor.”
Wanda will continue to offer instruction which strives to meet the highest standards for students enrolled in her programs. “My students benefit from embracing their culture through dance, which helps them mentally and physically, gives them self-esteem and discipline while also learning to socialize.”
The move to GoggleWorks will increase visibility to the public and spark many opportunities for the young dancers studying within a vibrant arts community. Check out their calendar of events and class enrollment opportunities for all ages at whdanceacademy.com or by contacting 484-797-2944.
Outside of her dance studio, Wanda works in the pre and post recovery at the surgery center of the Reading Hospital. She loves spending time with her family that includes her partner, Felix Mateo, retired Reading Police officer, and their three children and one grandchild. When asked if there was time for anything else, she replied, “I enjoy reading the Bible and listening to Christian music in my free time.”
