Dancing in Ancona

I am lucky enough to be teaching in what is the most fascinating and wonderful dance studio I have seen yet!  La Luna Dance Center, located in Ancona, Italy, (on the eastern coast) is owned by Cristiano Marcelli and Simona Ficosecco who live for dance.  They are open to all forms and styles, and they see the importance in studying a variety of movement in order to educate your body and soul.  The energy in this studio is amazing, and it is a real honor to be able to be here for the next week.  The building itself is a redone community center that had been abandoned years ago.  The structure is all cement and steel, but once inside, the studios come to life.

The vibe of this whole place is exactly what Cristiano and Simona live by - equal opportunity for students and for teachers.  Everyone is welcome and everyone is given the tools to find their truest potential in dance.  And these kids are fantastic!  Martha Graham, hip-hop, pizzica, Bollywood, contemporary ballet, aerial dance, and more, all in one magical place.  Even the courtyard is a space to admire!And being in the region of Le Marche, the food here is a wonderful change in diet for me - fried stuffed olives, various assortments of fattier prosciutto and salumi, cheeses that are milder, etc.  I'm sure that throughout the week I will be tasting even more varieties of this region's culinary spectrum - I cannot wait for the fish!

La Giuggiola, the agriturismo villa where I am staying, is right out of a story book, surrounded by sunflower fields, Italian pines, fig trees, and the villa itself, originally an old family-owned farm house that now serves food that is grown right from its own property to travelers and locals .  And yes, those are ALL sunflowers - I know, a sight to make even Van Gogh jealous!