Danceworks moves to new studio in Soundview

Luke Torrance
The new Danceworks in Soundview Marketplace. (Courtesy of Tricia Gargani)

Danceworks is leaving Manorhaven and moving … a couple hundred yards away.

The Port Washington-based dance studio for children and teenagers is moving into a new space at the Soundview Marketplace in Port Washington North.

“We look forward to being a business in this town for many more years to come,” Trish Gargani, Danceworks’ owner and director, wrote in an email.

Gargani, a Port resident for more than four decades, said that Danceworks had outgrown its studio on Manhasset Isle in Manorhaven. In the six years since she took over as the owner of the studio, the number of dance students has grown “tremendously,” she said.

The Manorhaven studio was located in a neighborhood that consisted mostly of homes and marinas. With a growing number of classes and students, space was limited. There was also a lack of adequate parking, an issue that has affected all residents of the densely populated village.

To also keep up with the growing demands of our clients, we felt this move was what we needed to do,” she wrote.

The new facility at Soundview Marketplace will be approximately 1,850 square feet. It will have two large studios for dance practice, each with visibility from large front windows. There will be a large bathroom, a separate changing area for the dancers, and a more spacious waiting room. Soundview Marketplace offers much more parking than the previous location and the studio will be visible from the busy Shore Road.

Danceworks was founded 13 years ago; Gargani, who previously worked at a public relations firm in New York City, has been working there for eight. Starting out as an instructor, she took over the business in 2012 and added new curriculums, boosted the teaching staff, built competitive teams and doubled enrollment.

Members of her dance studio take part in numerous events in the Port community, such as Pride in Port and Harborfest. Teams have also performed prior to a Mets game at Citi Field and at Madison Square Garden.

The dance studio is one of several new businesses moving into Soundview Marketplace. The Port Washington North Board of Trustees recently signed off on plans for a new T.J. Maxx and a couple of restaurants. Last year a Target opened at Soundview.

“You’re going to have a very vibrant shopping center,” Port Washington North Mayor Bob Weitzner said during a recent meeting. “It’s very exciting.”

He mentioned recently that the owners of Soundview were in the process of selling the shopping center, and the new owners would be a better fit.

A sign for the dance studio has already been placed on the front of the building and on the Soundview’s pylon sign along Shore Road, but work on the inside of the building is still underway. The new location will have its grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 15, from noon to 4 p.m.

Reach reporter Luke Torrance by email at ltorrance@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 214, or follow him on Twitter @LukeATorrance.

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