Dance instructor Linda Facciponte sees herself as both a choreographer and a philosopher.
“My goal is that the student, through process implementation, will grasp the spirit of life, manifestation of feelings, consistency of learning and the ability to create from their own personal level,” she says.
Facciponte will host an open house and in-person registration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, for her Dance Arts Studio, which has relocated to Koinonia, 6800 E. Genesee St., across from Wegmans.
The Dance Arts Studio — which has served Central New York for 30 years — had previous locations at East Circle Drive in Cicero and on Route 11 in North Syracuse.
Facciponte lives in Manlius with her husband, Robert, a restaurant consultant currently serving as food and beverage director at Bellevue Country Club in Syracuse.
With her studio now at Koinonia, Facciponte plans to teach all styles — ballet, tap, pointe, modern, jazz, hip-hop, tiny tumblers and creative dance — for children as well as college students and adults. She also teaches courses in pilates and body alignment.
An alumna of SUNY Brockport, she studied there with Garth Fagan, director of the “Bucket” dance company and choreographer of Broadway’s “Lion King.” Facciponte went on to earn a master’s degree at New York University, and over the years she has developed and taught dance programs in New Orleans, La., Jacksonville, Fla., Rochester, Syracuse and New York City.
She stresses that her classes are nurturing and non-competitive.
“Through the language of movement, I hope the student will be able to recognize energy, texture, line and emotion,” she said. “It is of the utmost importance that each student understands that they can perceive and create without judgment.”
Other services available at the Koinonia — which will also welcome open house visitors this Saturday — range from acupuncture to breath work to chiropractic treatments and also include massage, meditation and yoga. The full-service gym includes saunas, boxing facilties, an indoor track and self-defense courses along with an organic juice bar and café.
The building at 6800 E. Genesee St. formerly housed the Track and Racquet Club, Fitness Forum and Aspen Athletic Club.
Koinonia owner Theresa Grosso thinks her varied facility makes it much more than a gym or health club. She points out that Koinonia is a Greek word for “community.”
“For a gym to succeed in here, the regular business models won’t work,” said Grosso. “It’ll take a community effort for it to work, and people get that.” Grosso has been at the helm at Koinonia since it opened in November 2013.
For Dance Arts information, call 454-0054 and for more information on Koinonia, call 251-2580 or visit centerofhealth.co.
