TAPPING INTO
CREATIVITY
BY JESSICA MILITELLO
22 FEBRUARY 2 0 2 0
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
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. “It’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.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
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
Photos by Jillian Jacobson
Photos by Jillian Jacobson
Photo by Tiffany Schleigh