FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 30, 2020 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 35
buzz
Photo by Andreas Altmann
Astoria ballet studio
shares a free totalbody
workout video
Astoria bubble tea store off ers DIY kit,
donates proceeds to health care workers
BY QNS STAFF
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
An Astoria tea shop has created a new
way to get bubble tea without leaving
the house.
Tea and Milk created the DIY Bubble
Tea Kit, which allows for customers to
brew their own bubble tea without leaving
Photos courtesy of Tea and Milk
their homes.
Tea and Milk was forced to close its
doors when the COVID-19 pandemic
began but has used some of the proceeds
from the bubble tea kits to pay
their employees, according to a representative
from the company.
Tea and Milk has also used some of
the profit to donate over 1,500 drinks
to health care workers throughout the
city.
Additionally, the store has teamed
up with Pearl River Mart, an Asian
Emporium in Chinatown, and Ten
Thousand Foxes Tattoo to purchase,
donate and deliver PPE to healthcare
workers and hospitals around the city.
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
An Astoria ballet studio is
off ering a free total-body workout
for the fi rst time, to off er an inspiring
and empowering at-home workout
people can practice during the
coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s a total-body workout for
strength, fl exibility and endurance
for non-dancers and dancers
alike,” said Suzana Stankovic,
founder of Astoria’s Wild Heart
Performing Arts Studio.
Stankovic fi lmed the 55-minute
video with her iPad. In the
video, the Astoria native reviews
basic techniques and mental
warm-ups, followed by a fun
cardio warm-up, fl oor exercises,
standing exercises, deep
stretch and meditation. All
that’s needed is an exercise
mat or rug and a chair.
“I wanted to off er a great
workout that went beyond the physical;
that’s why I talk about the importance
of the feeling and essence of ballet
in my verbal introduction and why
I include a mental warm-up,” Stankovic
said. “Without the feeling of ballet, the
exercises are just mechanical movements
limited to the physical body, but with
the feeling of ballet — grace, beauty, elegance,
breath — you rise to a higher level
within yourself; you tap into your potential,
which is of the mind, heart and soul,
or spirit.”
Stankovic believes physical work is
a pathway to something greater than a
toned, strong, fl exible body.
“Th e other achievements are in who you
become as a result of the work, which is
the greatest reward,” she said.
Stankovic opened Wild Heart
Performing Arts Studio in 2017, to provide
world-class dance training with a
holistic approach. Per New York state’s
COVID-19 guidelines, the studio located
at 32-32 Steinway St. is closed.
Stankovic said she paid her faculty as
long as she could in the beginning of the
closures, during which they posted classes
online for their student body, children
and adults. Th e classes, which can be
found on their YouTube Channel, are free
and will be available online for the duration
of the shutdown.
But individuals may also donate $10 or
more for their online classes, if they can.
As a life-long independent dancer-choreographer,
Stankovic said she’s used to coping
with the uncertainty that the pandemic
has created.
“Of course, I’ve never lived through
a pandemic before, but I can choose
to panic or to approach this with the
same creativity and resourcefulness I have
approached every other setback in my
life,” she said. “It is very diffi cult and anxiety
inducing, however, I am an artist and
I will prevail. We are made fi erce and fearless
through adversity.”
For more information, visit www.wildheartpas.
com.
/www.wild-heartpas.com
/www.wild-heartpas.com
/www.wild-heartpas.com
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