D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
September 2009
Right in Step
Silver City's Conservatory of Dance offers classes, costumes, a chance to perform and lessons to live by. Plus: Music Express arises, Walmart remodels, a.i.r. Coffee expands, Walgreen's waits, Backwoodsman changes hands and more business news.
In a micro-short, gauzy black-and-white wrap skirt, her white-blonde hair pulled back tight — save for her carefully curled bangs — Melinda Shaner looks as if she might have just stepped off the set of The Nutcracker. She rises from a chair and stands erect with no effort, it seems — her perfect posture the natural result of years of dance discipline. She trained in classical ballet with Paul Maure, who danced with the Paris Opera Company.
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Melinda Shaner shows off the dancewear available at Conservatory of Dance. |
Eyes snapping with excitement, Shaner talks about the myriad benefits she believes youngsters gain from studying ballet.
"It's so many things," she says with a warm, genuine smile. "It's exposure to the arts. They learn how to follow direction. Oh, they gain music appreciation. And confidence!"
Her enthusiasm is infectious, magnetic. It's enough to make a grown woman want to pull on toe shoes and a tutu.
Indeed, dance lessons aren't just for children, Shaner insists.
"Yes, it's especially good for the little people," she allows. "They learn so many life lessons on the dance floor. And teens, it's so good for their posture, their poise, for developing grace." But she adds, "Our main purpose is to get dance out there to everyone — fat, thin, young, old. It doesn't matter. Everyone can dance."
Shaner owns and operates The Conservatory of Dance on Cottage San Road in Silver City. The school has just begun its third year, offering a full slate of classes for young and old, beginners and old hands.
Shaner opened her first studio in 1975. When she left California to relocate to New Mexico, she sold her thriving business — with 650 students — to one of her assistants.
"I've always loved the Southwest," she says, explaining the move. "We'd been coming here for years and finally decided that it was time to live here."
She was lucky to have a great Realtor and to find just the right house, she says. And soon after landing in Silver City, she found just the right building to start up her dance business. She strides elegantly through her two dance studios — large, airy rooms with mirrored walls and ballet barres. She flings open the door to a warehouse-sized space with brightly colored costumes hanging neatly on long, long racks.
"This sold me on the place," she says excitedly. "What a wonderful space for all the costumes!"
She leads the way past the dressing rooms where dancers can change in and out of their tights and spangles. A small bevy of little girls changes their clothes, excitedly preparing for their first ballet class of the new season.
Winding around to the front of the building, Shaner shows off her dancewear store, Studio II Dancewear. The store carries all the major lines of dance attire — Danskin, Leo's, Sansha and more, along with Capezio and Pointe shoes — for all ages.
"Well, the little girls' stuff is the really cute stuff, but we have leotards and things for grown-ups, too, things for all ages," she says. "Our inventory is reasonable. We want things to be affordable for families."
She endeavors to keep prices down for classes, too, she says. "We want them to be able to come — sisters, brothers, whole families!" Open class rates start at $8.
The school's main class offerings are in ballet, jazz and tap.
"That brings in musical theater," Shaner adds. She has directed and choreographed local productions, partnering with Theatre Group New Mexico and the Expressive Arts department at WNMU. Currently she is working on Theatre Group New Mexico's production of Oklahoma!, set for the first two weekends in October.
Shaner teaches many of the classes at Conservatory of Dance herself, but also has other specialists on board: Local dentist Gail Willow teaches salsa and Latin dance (see "The Dancing Dentist," August); Judith Lawrence teaches modern dance; Elizabeth Edwards teaches "Dance in Depth," a stretch class that emphasizes and enhances movement awareness. And Crystal Netz-Arenivar offers Pilates, an exercise system that builds balance and strength, two things that are beneficial to dancers of all styles.
Shaner's own specialty is ballet, which also is her favorite and the foundation for all dance, she says.
"I'm not going to be a professional ballerina. For one thing, I don't have the body for it. My size is all wrong," she says with a laugh. "But ballet is important. It is the base of all of them. You want to do other things? Like jazz or musical theater? That's fine, but you still need ballet."
As if on cue, that clutch of little girls — now attired in their own gauzy, short skirts and tights — is lined up at the ballet barre in the big dance room, eager to begin their first ballet lesson of the new season. Shaner bounces into the room to meet them, calling each by name.
They stretch and warm up their legs, the students watching and doing their best to follow their teacher's movements, occasionally catching their own shy reflections in the mirrored walls. They start out tentative, then flex and bend with some amount of grace as they remember their steps, the accompanying arm gestures.
In between calling out steps, Shaner asks her students what they've been up to over the summer. She listens with genuine interest. A student in the group about 11 years old, now in her third year of classes, exhibits a fluid ease that Shaner notices and comments upon.
"Wonderful! That's just right," she says. The student smiles back and stands a little taller, with even more poise. Shaner beams. After all, this is just the sort of thing — poise, grace — that she's been talking about.
Conservatory of Dance, 2020 Cottage San Road, Silver City,
538-5865, ConvsDance@aol.com
Back in Business
Like the metaphoric phoenix rising from literal ashes, Music Express is reopening at 1302 N. Bennett St., near the New Church of the Southwest Desert by the Silver City RV Park. Dave Murphy's music store was the site of a break-in and arson on July 24, the fire spreading throughout the Hudson Plaza strip mall on Hwy. 90 in Silver City and displacing Music Express and a dozen other tenants. Murphy's inventory was also destroyed. But Murphy, who also owns a music store in Safford, Ariz., says the kindness shown him by the community persuaded him to stay in town. He plans to be back in business at the new location, behind the Food Basket, on Sept. 1. 388-9405.
On the Move. . .
The Wellness Coalition is moving to a new location, right in the heart of downtown Silver City. The non-profit agency is taking up residence at 409 N. Bullard St., former home of the recently defunct Star Mountain Trading Company. (See "Going, going, gone. . ." section below.) A spokesman for TWC says the new quarters are larger and that the storefront windows on Bullard Street are appealing to the agency.
Moonstruck Art Gallery also has a new home. The gallery has just moved a couple doors up the street from its old location to new digs at 106 W. Yankie, the former location of Elemental Art. Moonstruck will celebrate with a grand opening Sept. 19, 2-5 p.m., in conjunction with the Gila River Festival Art Walk.
Wally World Update
Deming's Walmart is hiring approximately 70 associates to help with a massive remodel, begun last month and expected to be completed in October. Communications from corporate headquarters say the Deming store is to receive a full remodel from the inside-out and will represent the latest in Walmart's store design and customer experience. The new design will feature an "open" look, with wider aisles, low-profile shelving, bright interior paint and easy-to-read signage to help customers find the products they need. The store's new layout is designed to make shopping for everyday items easier and faster by putting products customers purchase the most right at hand. The store will remain open during the renovations; maps of the store layout will be available at the entrance and directional signage will be located throughout the store. The majority of construction and moving will be completed during the overnight hours to make shopping easier for customers.
At news of the Deming Walmart renovation, the Silver City rumor mill promptly kicked into high gear, saying that Silver City's Big Box on Hwy. 180 would shut down by the end of this year, consolidating local operations into Deming. No way, says Silver City Walmart manager Johnny Williams. Though Williams says he, too, has heard the rumor, Deming's remodel is routine and the Silver City store soon will get its own facelift to bring it up to the new Walmart appearance and shopability standards. "Las Cruces had theirs, now it's Deming's turn, and they're working their way up to us," Williams says. Silver City: 538-2222; Deming: 546-1094.
Waiting for Walgreen's
Though some work has begun at the site of Las Cruces' new Walgreen's, to be located at the intersection of Picacho Avenue and Motel Drive, the store will not open in November as planned. The opening has slid all the way to the summer of 2010. A spokesman at the company's Deerfield, Ill., headquarters says that Walgreen's East Lohman Avenue location, also currently under construction, will open sometime in the fall, but also definitely later than the originally projected September opening.
Bigger and Better
Louis Baum, owner of a.i.r. Coffee Company, in Bayard, checked in to say he's hired a manager. Baum worked with Devra Mattes, who hails from Sacramento, Calif., for four years, prior to her move to Bayard. Mattes has a strong background in retail and marketing, and her presence at the Bayard shop will enable Baum to focus on the wholesale aspect of the business. In addition to Mattes' first official day on the job, Sept. 1 marks the day Baum bought the business, now 15 years old, three years ago. "It's our third anniversary, going into our fourth year," Baum says. "One of the comments I got when I purchased a.i.r. was, 'Are you crazy? You're opening a coffee shop in Bayard; you must be out of your mind!' Well, three years later we are still here and 'perking,' as they say in the coffee business!" The independent coffee business that roasts in-house is helping the Mimbres Region Arts Council celebrate its own 30th anniversary this year with two special, proprietary blends created for the occasion. 208 Central Ave., 537-3967.
Got game? Game Production Services has expanded, opening a Las Cruces location. The Albuquerque-based company describes itself as "a developer of games and immersive mixed-reality environments," and is working with NMSU's Arrowhead Center and its National Security Technology Incubator on a variety of advanced technology projects. The Las Cruces GPS is located in the Genesis Center, also home to Arrowhead.
Las Cruces Orthopaedic Associates, based at 675 Avenida de Mesilla, has expanded its services and reach into the community by opening its After Hours Orthopaedic Quick Care Center at 1205 S. Telshor Ave. A spokesperson for the professional group says the new center offers an alternative to the emergency room, with treatment for acute injuries, minor strains and pains and acute back pain. In addition, the group has purchased the Las Cruces Surgical Center at 1205 S. Telshor.
Milestones
Jeremy and Jamie Lewis, owners of Furniture Gallery, 1300 Silver Heights Blvd., recently celebrated their fifth anniversary of owning the Silver City furniture store. This month also marks the one-year anniversary of Furniture Gallery's new Deming location.
Single Socks, the community-run thrift store at the T-intersection of Pope and College Streets in Silver City, has disbursed its first grants to two local organizations. Founded by Jeff Goin and Kathleen Wigley to fund local anti-hunger projects, Single Socks has awarded $500 each to the Bayard and Silver City Community Gardens projects. The non-profit store is staffed by more than 50 volunteers and three paid staff. Goin and Wigley chose the community gardens projects as their first recipients to boost production of local, fresh food.
Next month, the Red Barn Steakhouse will celebrate 30 years of business
in Silver City with a special dinner on Friday, Oct. 16, beginning at 6 p.m.,
and a community event the next day. At the Friday dinner, speakers will recall
highlights from the past three decades.
Under New Ownership
Richard and Tonya Cass are the new owners of Backwoodsman, Inc., the
well-established, 17-year-old outdoorsy business at 213 W. College Ave. in
Silver City. The Casses are long-time residents and report they are happy to
be sinking their teeth into this popular established business. They have dramatically
extended the hours their shop is open: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 10
a.m.-5 p.m. 538-2147.
New in Town
Billie Behrens has opened Southwest Medical Solutions, a Silver City business offering pre-collection on physician's bills and problem-solving on insurance payments via computer and telephone. The long-time resident has nearly 20 years experience troubleshooting and facilitating the insurance payment process. 388-4987.
Got hair? Selena Alcorta (Salas), Georgia Rizzera and Jocelyn Rodriguez — all formerly of Sheer Reflections Salon — have joined forces and opened their own shop, Innovations, at 202 E. 11th St. in Silver City. In addition to the 'dos the gals are known for, the full-service salon also will offer waxing, nails and pedicures to make you feel beautiful all over. 534-9344.
Chastidy Sanchez is operating Diamond Glass at 3100 Hwy 180 E. in Silver City, providing auto, commercial and residential glass products and service. 388-8787, 388-8777.
Daniel Garcia, DC, has opened A New You Chiropractic Revitalization Center at 2909 Hillrise Dr. in Las Cruces. In addition to chiropractic services, the office also will offer massage therapy and laser hair removal. 522-5999.
Zia Clean, providing residential and commercial cleaning services throughout the state, is up and running at its new Las Cruces location. The company also has partnered with Cleaning for a Reason, a non-profit organization providing free housecleaning services for women undergoing cancer treatment. Zia Clean can be reached at 915-5015. More information about Cleaning for a Reason can be found at www.cleaningforareason.org
Going to the dogs? John Gaskill has opened Arrow K-9 Academy, a mobile dog training business, in Las Cruces. Gaskill says he goes to the customer's home, "where the discipline problems began and where they need to end," offering basic training and beyond. This dog whisperer on wheels evaluates both the canine and the interaction between owner and four-footed friend. 680-2775.
Going, Going, Gone. . .
After 14 years in downtown Silver City, Star Mountain Trading has closed its doors. Owners April Redbird and Gregory Jaekel cited a shrinking local population and economy for the business' demise and added that they are moving to Albuquerque, in hopes of finding a more business-friendly climate as well as to be near their 16-year-old daughter, Jasmine, who will start college there in the fall. In addition to being a jewelry artist, Redbird is a mental health consultant who has served on numerous state boards over the years. Jaekel has written several books, for which he looking for a publisher, and is writing music. Both feel they will have more opportunity for those pursuits in a bigger city.
The Rio Yamaha store on North Main Street in Las Cruces has closed. The company reports on its Web site that it has consolidated dealerships, merging with Sunland Park Yamaha into a "new Yamaha Superstore" at 159 Sunland Park Dr., Sunland Park. www.sunlandparkyamaha.com
Send business news to donna@desertexposure.com