About Us

About Us

Clarity. Confidence. Connection.

Collegiate Dance Connection was built to fill a critical need: giving dancers a trusted guide who understands what coaches are looking for, how programs are structured, and what it really takes to stand out.

From skills and style evaluations to audition prep, program insights, and ongoing mentorship, we provide the individualized coaching and honest feedback that's often missing. Most importantly, we meet each dancer where they are, tailoring our approach to their goals, strengths, and future aspirations.

Meet Your Mentor

Meet Julie Berardi

For nearly two decades, Julie Berardi has lived and breathed the world of collegiate and competitive dance. Her journey began as a Division IA dancer with the Penn State Lionettes Dance Team, where she danced for four years before returning as the team's choreographer and eventually serving as Head Coach from 2015 to 2021. During that time, she guided one of the nation's most competitive programs while continuing to build recruiting pipelines and prepare dancers for the demands of collegiate athletics.

At the same time, Julie launched and grew Synergy Dance, a nationally recognized choreography company that serves high school and college programs across the country. In 2021, Julie began the task of building the Cheer and Dance programs at Eastern University from the ground up, where she continues to serve as Spirit Coordinator today. As a high school nationals judge and sought-after choreographer, Julie has worked with dancers coast to coast, giving her a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed at every level.

What sets Julie apart is her 360° perspective. She has experienced this process as a dancer, coach, choreographer, judge, recruiter, and program builder. She knows firsthand what it takes to stand out, what coaches look for, and how to help dancers avoid the common pitfalls of the tryout and recruitment process.

Above all, Julie is an entrepreneur and mentor at heart - driven to help dancers succeed in the classroom, in the studio, on the field, and in life. Through Collegiate Dance Connection, she channels that passion into one-on-one guidance that gives dancers and families the clarity, confidence, and connection they need to find not just a team, but the right home for their future.

Co-founder

Meet Tara Korintus

As co-founder and Head of Operations at Collegiate Dance Connection, Tara Korintus helps bring Julie's vision to life, ensuring that dancers and families have a seamless experience from discovery call to recruitment success.

A former Penn State Lionettes Dance Team captain, Tara understands the dedication it takes to succeed in a nationally recognized collegiate program. While she ultimately pursued her career outside of the dance world, the lessons she learned on the team - hard work, determination, and the importance of standing out - fueled her path as an on-air reporter and three-time Emmy Award-winning producer at Good Morning America and Senior Producer at CBS News.

Today, Tara serves as an operations director and project manager at a leading PR and marketing agency. Her expertise in organization, communication, and execution is the engine behind CDC, making sure that families feel supported, and every detail is handled behind the scenes.

As twins who grew up dancing together, Tara and Julie bring complementary strengths to Collegiate Dance Connection: Julie provides the insider coaching and industry knowledge, while Tara ensures that the process runs smoothly for dancers and their families.