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Dance studio rolls into RB like Greased Lightning
by Jason Dietrich
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Christine Jacobs, "Grease" author Jim Jacobs, and Karyn Kobayashi of Dance With Me strike a pose in Redondo’s newest, and only, dance studio. |
Attention tappers, swingsters, hip hoppers and beauty school dropouts, there’s now a place in Redondo Beach to practice your hand jive before heading down to the Sock Hop.
Dance With Me, Redondo’s newest dance studio, is owned by actor and playwright Jim Jacobs, co-author of the popular musical "Grease." The studio formally opened last week, offering a smourgasbourg of dance and exercise classes ranging from ballet to hip hop, and stopping in between to take on belly dancing and African rhythms.
"The best way to exercise is to have fun. Everyone dreads getting on that treadmill, but being able to try out all these different kinds of dance, it’s like changing clothes. You can do what you feel like that day," said Christine Jacobs, daughter of Jim Jacobs, who runs the studio with fellow dance instructor Karyn Kobayashi.
Jim Jacobs said he hopes that Dance With Me, located at 1882 _ Pacific Coast Highway, develops into the home of a South Bay dance and theater troupe.
"It’s virtually impossible to create exciting grassroots theater here. It’s fine if you want to see Brigadoon for the millionth time, but the big theaters do very safe kind of stuff. Nothing original, nothing that takes a risk," he said.
To stimulate interest in experimental theater, he plans on teaching writing, acting and comedy at the school, offering workshops and seminars with his showbiz pals on the school’s off days. Jacobs hopes to help aspiring writers and performers get their big breaks.
"I’ve seen a lot of people go up and down. Most end up unemployed. That’s why I live down here in Redondo instead of in Hollywood. There I’d end up with someone at my door every other day saying ‘hey, remember when we worked together on…’ and asking for a peanut butter sandwich," he said.
Kobayashi and Jacobs also hope to start a professional Latin and ballroom dance company once the studio gets rolling. But right now they’re busy building the studio into a community where kids, teens adults and seniors can kick up their heels.
Interest in dance, said Kobayashi, is growing, particularly among singles looking for ways to meet new people.
"For the salsa and swing classes, mostly it’s singles coming in, because you don’t stay with the same partners. A lot of people want to know how to dance to be able to go out to clubs to dance swing and salsa. It’s a great way to meet people without having to ask anyone what their sign is," Kobayashi said. ER