Joan Harris
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Joan Harris was born in Wilkes-Barre in 1933 – or was she? The fact that the general public couldn’t say for sure, by design, is critical to understanding Harris’ story. She was the ultimate entertainer no matter what she happened to be doing, and with that comes a bit of mystery. A show-woman in every sense, Harris’ career was defined by her zest and diligence.
Harris began dancing when she was three years old, and was a professional by five. Before she had turned 10, Harris was already performing in Atlantic City. Her childhood dance experience rolled over into her teenage years. She moved to New York City when she was 17 and was accepted into the American Ballet Theatre, where her budding stardom was overseen by the great George Balanchine.
In New York, Harris performed as a singer and dancer at the most iconic of New York’s nightclubs, the Copacabana. There, she worked alongside her partner, Joe Bari. Bari was a stage name, by the way. Most know him as Tony Bennett. Upon reconnecting decades later, when Bennett performed at the F.M. Kirby Center for Performing Arts, the pair still had a strong rapport.
Harris was a veteran of two Broadway musicals: “Kiss Me Kate,” the first Tony winner for Best Musical, and “High Button Shoes,” which was choreographed by Jerome Robbins. During her time in the Empire State, she passed her expertise on. She owned and operated seven dance schools in New York City during the 1950s. Harris also made a mark on the city’s television landscape, producing and starring in programming for Channel 9, WWOR.
In 1960, Harris moved back to Northeast Pennsylvania, where she began making a direct impact on the Luzerne County arts and entertainment scenes. As was the case in New York, she was a television star and producer for variety shows on WBRE and WNEP. She also established what might be her most memorable mark on the area by opening a number of dance schools throughout the area, one of which still stands and operates in Luzerne Borough.
Harris was a longtime advocate for gifted programs in schools, being closely involved with the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Children and the National Organization for Gifted Children. In the 1970s, Harris became the first executive director of the “College for Kids” program, which offered children additional educational opportunities at local colleges and universities. She subsequently helped areas outside of Luzerne County establish similar programs. For her efforts, Harris received the “A Place to Grow” award from former Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh.
Harris crossed over into publishing as well, co-forming Creative Children’s Publishing in 1980 with Lillian Rifkin Blumenfield. She also authored two books herself, “The First of the Three R’s, Reason,” and the poetry collection “Common Clay,” a reminder of her versatility across the arts.
It doesn’t end there. Harris was chosen to be on a NASA panel that explored a potential self-sustaining colony in space. She served on that board alongside writer Ray Bradbury and architect Buckminster Fuller. For her varied accomplishments and interests, Harris has been listed amongst the Who’s Who of American Women and the International Who’s Who of Women.
Joan Harris worked for decades to help thousands of children and her fellow creatives accomplish their goals. All the while, she accomplished a bunch on her own. How many people can say they performed on Broadway and served on a NASA panel? Joan Harris did both, and her contributions to Luzerne County in-between have brought a special kind of pizzazz to the local arts scene.