“After five months of renovations, we are very ready to dance,” says Filippo Pelacchi, co-owner of FLUX + FLOW. Pelacchi and his partner, Russell Lepley, will hold an open house June 25 for FLUX + FLOW their dance, yoga, and movement studio located at the corner of Crestview and Calumet.
Lepley and Pelacchi took over the lease at the former Clintonville Community Market at 200 Crestview last year.
“It has been an intense amount of work,” says Lepley. Patrons of the old co-op will find it hard to recognize the space. The entrance is now on Calumet and features gray-toned floors with foot-friendly carpeting. Furniture custom-made in Florence, Italy shines subtly in the lobby area. “It is metal brushed with fire by my cousin, Damiano Costagli. It is so sturdy for function, but so elegant also,” says Pelacchi.
The formerly cramped market space has opened up into two large studio rooms. Special wooden tiles will “spring” the floor. A sprung floor is much kinder to a body’s joints than the concrete-covered-with-fake-wood floors prevalent in Columbus. Two separate bathrooms will be available.
Lepley and Pelacchi have planned a full slate of drop-in dance classes at FLUX + FLOW as well as other movement classes, such as yoga. They have lined up dance workshops from among their many acquaintances in the Chicago and the international dance world. Healthy living workshops, such as one based on herbal teas and healing, are also in the works.
In addition to the movement and lifestyle classes at the studio, Lepley and Pelacchi want FLUX + FLOW to be a real gathering place for people interested in all types of art. Local artists can arrange exhibit space on the lobby walls. The first artist will be Lepley’s long-time friend, Columbus artist Lorenzo Doyle. They plan to include an enormous bulletin board for the community to post art and dance events.
“Art is what everyone needs to really live,” says Pelacchi.
“We want this to be a friendly, community space for everyone who loves dance and art,” says Lepley. Lepley and Pelacchi met when they were both dancing professionally in Europe. Aside from their activities at FLUX + FLOW, the duo will also lead “dance karaoke” nights at Wild Goose Creative.
The open house for FLUX + FLOW is June 25 from 3-6 p.m. at 200 Crestview Road. Besides refreshments and views of the studio, there will be informal dance performances throughout the event. Drop-in dance and yoga classes begin on June 26, 2017.
For more information, visit flux-flow.com.
