Fred Astaire Dance Studios
Eric: Hello everybody. I have a special guest today, Isabella from Fred Astaire Studios in Redondo Beach. Hi Isabella.
Izabella: Hi. Thanks for having me.
Eric: Sure we were just talking right before we started to record, I interviewed Isabella like two years ago. I’ve known her for maybe a up to three years now. And it’s been a pleasure knowing her, knowing her entire staff over at the dance studio in Redondo. And thank you. Just wanted to reintroduce you or to introduce you to new people about you, your business and everything that’s going on these days with Covid. Cause I’m sure that having a dance studio, you know, you have to take some precautions. So tell me what’s going on? How you guys are doing and what you’re doing to get around COVID these days?
Izabella: Well, we have been teaching virtually throughout the quarantine time on zoom. Upon coming back to the studio, Fred Astaire Dance Studios company made a very great and strict protocol about safety for our customers and our staff. So things changed a little bit, as we all know. Everywhere you go, same in our studio, we required facial covering. As well as upon arrival, the temperature is taken.
Eric: Oh wow.
Fred Astaire Dance Studios Safety First
Izabella: day and every single customer and it’s logged in in the computer. We do have forms that are required to sign upon coming in and they’re sent to you by email. Or you can do that upon arrival. Most people like to do it through the email to make sure, to see whether people are in a good health condition. Whether they’ve traveled anywhere recently. And we do that far stuff every single day as well. Sanitize in between every lesson. So we are taking a little bit more time in between each lessons than usual. To make sure that everything is sanitized. We have sanitizers all over the studio. They’re all non-touch to make it very comfortable and safe for people. And recently we’ve opened up another area which is an outdoor area. It’s a parking space where we put on the floors. We have music there.
Eric: This is in the back?
Izabella: Yes
Eric: Not the PCH side, but the other side.
Izabella: So just to feel safe and and being comfortable around, we do keep our social distance. People follow the teacher. The teachers are wearing facial covering and gloves that they change in between every single lesson. So we’re trying to make it as safe as good.
Eric: I know from my experience, I have to stay active. Because I work from home. I go to see clients here and there, but for the most part, I do this. We’re able to do our meetings through zoom and email and text and you know, everything else. And so, but I need some form of exercise. You know, it changes my whole mood. I’m pretty close to the beach. I walked down. I try to do it as often as possible. It just changes my whole way of being, I’m trying to do it twice a day if I can. First thing in the morning and once after dinner. A half hour walk and a half hour walk. I’m assuming that would be good to take dance or to it would be good spiritually, physically, mentally for someone to just kind of forget themselves and take one of your classes.
Good For Your Health
Izabella: Oh, absolutely. I mean, I’m a dancer born dancer. So for me I can speak of the benefits all day. But most of all the feedback that we got from our students, the ones that whether we’re taking it online during the quarantine or the ones that are back in the studio. They really express how essential dance was for them to stay mentally healthy and joyful. I think we all need to feel some kind of sense of normality and happiness. But also help them stay well physically cause dancing helps you to exercise the whole body and mind all at the same time. So it’s not like when you’re in the gym, you work on legs. When you work on something, your exercise the fun form In the safe environment and it’s been proven to actually help people maintaining a great immune system. Strong immune systems, very proud of that. And we highly encourage you to try, again, it’s music. How can it not be fun? Right?
Eric: I mean, I’ve been in your studio a couple of times and I’m, I’m not the best dancer by any means, but you guys are, you made me feel so comfortable and easy. Because when it comes to dancing, I just follow my wife lead and she’s great. Yeah. So it’s a nice experience that your staff there is awesome. Something that’s maybe some people would be concerned is if they don’t want to come into the studio, do you offer something that they can do it virtually.
Classes Offered
Izabella: Absolutely. We offer private instructions and group instruction practically every day via zoom. Well you can visit our social media page, a FredAstaireDanceStudios.com/RedondoBeach. We have zoom links and information there, or go directly to our website. We have quite few people that are still, you know, in the high risk and they’re wanting to continue exercise and they do that daily via zoom. So we do offer all that. We have group classes, whether it’s line dancing or exercising classes or for beginners and advanced dancers, all via zoom. So while they’re happening, live, you can also join us via zoom schedule your private class as well.
Eric: And so this is on your social media and on your website, they can find it.
Izabella: Correct.
Eric: Okay. So what I’ll do is I’ll get you those links from you and I’ll put it on my social media, my blog, so that they can, they can find you easily. Do you have any events coming up in the near future?
Future Events
Izabella: We do actually we have one coming up very good. Beginning of September, September 3rd. We thought that we want to give a goal to our existing students, but also have people which something fun. It’s called the spotlight night is where our students are preparing a special routine and in the costumes full of makeup maybe background, I’m not sure. And each of those routines are going to be prerecorded and we’re going to have a life watch party with a judge. That’s going to make a commentary for each I want to say performer that day so they can have some feedback. But it’s a fun night to kind of like watch with the families. Area in the community, but also how these people get ready, how they stay in a good mental and physical health and they’re all in different age group. So It’s a super fun thing and they’re all into a great music. It’s all through the decades. So each performance will be probably from a different decade, maybe twenties, 1980s or seventies. So lots of fun as well.
Eric: When is this going to take place?
Izabella: This is going to take Blake September 3rd. Again, to get a ticket you can visit our website or our social media page, Facebook page go directly to events and you can click on the link to Eventbrite to purchase a ticket to, to join.
How To Get In Touch
Eric: Sounds good. Well, I’ll put the links for anybody that’s interested. I’ve been, I’ve been to your studio. You’re right outside of like Riviera village. You’re what is it? A PCH and there’s that Buka
Izabella: Yes. in the Palos Verdes Boulevard, if you know where is Buca De Pepe and rock and Brews were right there, like literally next to it.
Eric: Yeah. Awesome. Is there anything else you want to say or plug?
Izabella: Well, I just really am grateful to be here. Always a pleasure. I’m so thankful that we can all help each other during this difficult time. And I wanna just give a shout out to all the local businesses. If there’s anything that we can help out, please feel free to reach out whether their messages on social media or give us a call into everybody else. Give it a try. You know, it’s a great, really a great form of exercise. It will really keep you mentally and physically well, so I highly encourage that. Like I said, I’m a full on dancer so I can speak. I don’t, we don’t have the time, but yeah.
Eric: Well, thank you taking the time.
Izabella: Absolutely. Thank you for having me.