By: Dina El Dessouky

Variety and style add spice, panache, and allure to what can otherwise be monotonous or average. Pleasure Point Fitness and Dance radiates with both, from its groovy logo to its exuberant instructors. Even in a coastal town teeming with eclectic characters, random acts of public art, and vibrant backdrops, this snazzy studio stands out. Its logo—designed by Juliette Rhys (www.rysdesign.com)—balances together the silhouettes of a bellydancer, a yoga practitioner, and a longboard (which doubles as a flower petal) to create a contemporary image with a hint of flower-power to disco era flare. But as professional dancer and bellydance instructor Janelle Rodriguez explains, there is significance behind this eye-catching image. “My studio’s philosophy is that everything is connected. We’re all connected as a community; Santa Cruz has a very strong spiritual awareness. I think surfing, dancing and yoga are all very spiritual. I like active meditation and spirituality, which go along with the beautiful flower in the logo holding each of the elements together; the roundness of the lotus ties into the yin and yang symbol, the circle, and the idea that everything that goes around comes around and is connected,” she explains.

Rodriguez founded the studio in June 2008, along with former business partner, Jennifer Moore. The two women bought the former Masala Imports space with the idea of offering yoga, dance and alternative fitness classes (i.e. “not just going to the gym and lifting weights or doing aerobics,” says Rodriguez) to those living in and around the active, ocean-oriented neighborhood of Pleasure Point. “My original business partner surfs, I enjoy the ocean, and the neighborhood that we’re in is predominately a surf culture community,” says Rodriguez. In addition to a range of bellydance and yoga instruction, the studio also offers Indian Odissi Temple Dance, Flamenco, Hula, GoGo Fitness, Nia Technique, and Zumba. New to the studio’s schedule is Ballet—taught by lifelong local Kirsten Livingston—which begins May 26. As Rodriguez explains, each of her instructors shares a strong attachment to the local community. “Most of our instructors are Santa Cruz locals, born and raised, and others gravitated here because they felt that that’s where their heart was when they visited. What I found when I moved to Santa Cruz about twelve years ago was that my heart was here and that I was home—I really appreciated the attention on that alternative lifestyle of being aware of your environment, being aware of nature and your own personal, informal spirituality. A lot of the teachers here have that same connectedness—being connected to art, music, movement, the nature around, surfing, hiking, biking.” In addition to the studio’s regular local instructors, Rodriguez periodically invites renowned ethnic dance and alternative fitness instructors from around the world to conduct special workshops. “It’s an ever-evolving and ever-changing lineup of instructors” she says.

Held inside the cozy, clean, unpretentious studio, the classes can be described as ‘weather-resistant,’ making them a great alternative to outdoor activities and exercises on chilly, stormy, or otherwise un-motivating mornings and evenings. When those fogged-in, flat-day summer doldrums hit, surfers looking for a great workout that will also fulfill and inspire creative impulses should consider checking out the studio lineup. Rodriguez recognizes yoga and dance as excellent forms of cross-training for surfing and similarly demanding sports, a claim which many of the studio’s surf-inclined participants can attest to. “An alumnus of my dance company, Brandice, feels like as a surfer, when the waves are not doing what they’re supposed to do to help her get through her day, she is always excited to know that dance is going to come through for her. In my class, because I focus a lot on the training aspect—we do yoga, pilates, and strengthening exercises to prepare our bodies for the bellydance training itself—she got to do the other exercises she would do to keep her body strong for surfing; any form of dance is a really great complement to surfing, because we focus on balance,” Rodriguez explains. Those looking to simultaneously discover new musical rhythms and new muscle movements will delight in glut squeezes, and those seeking a top-rate, thigh-burning, core-engaging exercise will enjoy the challenge of straddle-squat presses; each exercise is part of Rodriguez’s bellydance innovative warm-up routine.

The studio’s classes abound with physical and mental benefits for men and women, neophytes and pros alike. Rodriguez says that each of the classes encourages, “getting movement in our bodies, which can pull us out of depression, get us ready for the day, or get us ready to end the day.” She adds, “dance and yoga keep the body and the mind moving in a positive way.” With that in mind, Rodriguez has the following recommendation for newcomers who are skeptical or intimidated to walk into a dance or yoga class: “everybody in the room feels the same way, even if they’ve been there for a while. In my class, it is always a challenge; even when you conquer a movement or a position, there’s always something new to achieve. It’s okay to be intimidated and scared because it is something new and it’s going to be a little hard, but it’s also going to be fun!”

A complete schedule of classes offered at the Pleasure Point Fitness and Dance studio can be viewed online at http://pleasurepointfdc.net .

Mention Santa Cruz Waves at Janelle Rodriguez’s Tuesday or Saturday classes at the 41^st Ave. studio and try your first class for $5 (drop-ins normally $13).

Dina El Dessouky is co-editor at Kurungabaa: a journal of literature, history, and ideas from the sea http://kurungabaa.net