The following article includes a Q&A with Alyssa Kleissler, owner of Current Rhythms dance studio.
What year was the business founded and why did you start the business?
February 1997! We’re coming up on our 25th year anniversary. Whoot! I, Alyssa Kleissler, started the business because I had recently moved to Cordova and there were no dance classes at all going on. I’ve danced my whole life and couldn’t bear to not dance!
How has the business changed over the years?
Classes were first held in Mt. Eccles Cafeteria and what was then known as the “Hound Pound”, currently the district offices. Classes began to grow and we branched out to the Bidarki Rec Center. We soon had too many students of all different ages and levels that we had to find our own location. We constructed our home studio on Railroad Row in 2001, which has been our primary location ever since. We still have classes that are too large or the dancers are too tall (!) for this space, so we hold those classes over at the North Star Theater stage. Our dancers are so elated that we have had that facility to perform in! We had been holding performances at both school facilities, but that was always difficult with scheduling and dealing with the limitations of the facilities. Now, at the theater, we’ve been able to host workshops with professional visiting artists for the entire community. I, (Alyssa) had been running the business alone for the first 14 years and was joined by my sister, Marita in 2011. Ever since she moved to Cordova, we’ve been able to offer more classes to more age groups and abilities. In 2016, we had a dedicated group of dancers who formed our very first dance company, the North Star Dance Company. We have 3 founding members still dancing with us; the rest have graduated and moved out of Cordova for now. The company has 7 new members joining and we are excited to share their works with the community!
What are some new items or offerings you’re excited about?
We are excited that Serena Herschleb, my daughter and graduating senior company dancer, will be offering 2 classes this fall – Ballet II on Mondays at 5 p.m. for Grades 4-5 and Contemporary Dance on Thursdays at 4:15 p.m. for Grades 6-12. We are venturing into hybrid adult yoga classes as well as a Stretch and Tone class. Hybrid classes offer our students the pleasure of practicing from home or in-person. We are also happy to bring back our Tenderfoot Ninja class so we can get back to tumbling!
How does your business impact the community of Cordova?
We have been told by many families that we have brought so much joy to their children and the community. People tell us they have learned so much about dance and that they wish classes had been offered when they were a kid. We hope our performances allow our audiences to connect to each other and to their own life experiences. Often we are told that they were brought to tears. We want our audiences to be reminded of their emotions and how that makes us human – it is a shared human experience, nothing quite like anything else.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Thanks for highlighting the businesses around town. We assume that if you’ve been around for a while, everyone must know about your business, but we find that isn’t always true!
Current Rhythms can be reached at 301 Railroad Row, by calling 907-424-3632, or online at www.currentrhythms.com.
Business Spotlights are prepared by the Cordova Chamber of Commerce and published in The Cordova Times to highlight Chamber member businesses. If you are a Chamber member and would like to be spotlighted or would like information on becoming a Chamber member contact Cobilynn at support@cordovachamber.com.
