BY JESSICA MILITELLO
Look up at the sprawling second-story windows of RIOULT Dance Center by Steinway Street and 34th Avenue, and you’re sure to see dancers at work. It’s an open invitation for dancers of all ages and experience levels to step inside. The center, which opened in August 2018, offers classes including tap, belly dancing, BollyJazz, ballet, yoga, contemporary, capoeira, Zumba, musical theater and more. Whether you’re a lifelong dancer or just looking for a fun way to break a sweat, the center offers something for everyone.
Photos by Jillian Jacobson
FEBRUARY 2020
choreographing contemporary dance performances, the duo decided to come to Astoria to open their very own center. They wanted to to give their company a permanent place to rehearse and to offer the community the chance to tap into their creativity. “Astoria is a very vibrant, up-andcoming community, and we thought it was really on the cusp of having a larger number of artists because of the Kaufman Arts District which was encouraging arts organizations to move here to keep the community alive and growing,” Herring said. “[I]t’s a place where people not only live but have access to art as well.” RIOULT offers classes for children and teens, and even has a parenttoddler class for 18-month-olds.
Photos by Jillian Jacobson
Photo by Tiffany Schleigh
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Founders Pascal Rioult and Joyce Herring first opened the school to give their dance company a place to call home and to offer Astoria’s melting pot a creative outlet. “We really wanted to have a place where we could expand our classes and have a community center as well,” Herring said. “We wanted to have classes for children, adults, nonprofessionals, really for everyone.” The RIOULT Dance NY company was originally founded in 1994 by Rioult and Herring, who both danced professionally with the Martha Graham Dance Company. RIOULT NY has traveled and performed throughout the country, as well as internationally in Europe and Asia. After two decades of directing and
Photos by Jillian Jacobson
A R T S + E N T E R TA I N M E N T
TAPPING INTO CREATIVITY
