Becky Gillette – The Melonlight Dance and Yoga Studio has developed a loyal following since opening in the summer of 2014. That includes not just students, but the many people who have enjoyed watching dance and theater performances. Recently the studio relocated from The Quarter on US 62 to The Space downtown across the street from the post office, accommodations that will give them ample room to do both dance classes and theater productions.
The owners of Melonlight Dance and Yoga Studio, Emma Anne and her partner, Raymond Ulibarri, moved from Denver in March 2014 and established the dance studio in July.
“We were dead set on leaving Denver and initially had no idea where we wanted to go,” Emma Anne said. “Our intention was to get some land and get closer to nature. We began shopping for land on eBay, and found several listings that highlighted the Ozarks. We didn’t know the area at all and came out to see a listing. We ended up passing through Eureka Springs late one night, and distinctly remember feeling the magic buzz of the town. Later it occurred to us this was where we wanted to be. We really fell in love with Eureka.”
Some of their Colorado friends were dubious. Are you crazy, they asked? You are moving where? And then there were locals who cautioned them about how small Eureka is, and that the economy is seasonal.
“None the less, we felt strongly this was the place and we would make it work,” Emma Anne said. “We were met with open arms. A lot of people were excited we were here and creating something new. All that positive, warm loving energy very much outweighed the other comments warning us about the slowdown of the economy in the winter. We ran the Melonlight Studio in Denver for several years. So, while we were starting from scratch in Eureka, we had confidence that we knew what we are doing and would make it work.”
They knew they couldn’t rely entirely on tourists for customers, and that it was the locals coming to class each week who would be their stronghold. They have had enough local students to make it through winters, and have worked with the Crescent Hotel since their early days providing entertainment on New Year’s Eve and for other events.
“Oddly, winter becomes a busy time for us prepping for New Year’s Eve and Mardi Gras events,” Emma Anne said.
This past fall Melonlight had a lot of support for their production at the Auditorium of Anna: A Haunting Theatrical Experience, a blending of scripted theater, dance and haunted house. The audience moved through the stage as the show occurred.
“It was a shift in our model,” Emma Anne said. “We would encourage people to come to Summer Salsa Nights at the Aquarius Taqueria on Main St., and also check out our show when in town.”
Other members of the Melonlight’s ensemble include three dancers who relocated from Denver with them including Emma Anne’s sister, Maggie Mae, Caia Claire and Jerry Watson.
While they loved their original studio, they found it was too expensive to rent both their studio and the Auditorium. They are now planning a six-month show, I Dreamt of Tango. The new venue is large enough to host classes, and can be quickly transformed into a theater. Currently they are crowd funding at www.IndieGoGo.com to purchase theatrical lights, curtains and technical equipment.
“We have just hit more than a third of our goal,” she said. “We have had a lot of support from here in town and former students and supporters in Denver. Our next show is being designed specifically for The Space. We hope to open the show in late summer.”
The Melonlight owners said The Space has a big open room with tall ceilings and authentic hardwood floors “just aching to be danced upon. Our vision hasn’t budged an inch, even though we uprooted our business and moved 900 miles from the Rockies to the Ozarks, the heart of the goal remains the same. The theater is, in a word… versatile. Every fixture is mobile, transportable, and transformational.”
Also ahead this year the popular Salsa Summer Nights will be held again the second and fourth Thursdays May through September at a cost of only $5.
Emma Anne and her fiancé, Raymond, met in junior high and starting dancing together in high school. They have now danced together for 15 years, and the chemistry between the two makes for riveting performances.
“After 15 years together, it is easier to communicate,” Ulibarri said. “We have a connectivity no one else can share. I feel very connected to music. It illuminates my body. Dancing is sometimes easier than speaking. It puts life back in my veins. And being able to do that in a partnership dance adds a whole new level of excitement to the dancing.”
Ulibarri said they have many diverse types of students. Most are looking for a way to stay physically active doing something they enjoy.
“Getting out of a sedentary lifestyle has a lot of benefit,” Ulibarri said. “In any culture, dancing and music bring people together. And that is very healthy.”
The couple are hoping to bring more activity to the corner of Spring and Pine Streets. Classes taught include ballroom, Latin, swing, Argentine tango, salsa, yoga and more. There are classes for youths, as well as adults.
Dr. Dan R. Jones, a local physician, said he and his wife, Alicia, had wanted to take ballroom dancing for a long time, but previously there wasn’t a good place to learn around here.
“It is real gem for a small town to have a professional dance studio like Melonlight,” Jones said. “My wife and I started taking lesson about a year ago and have really enjoyed it. It is something fun to get out and do one night a week. It is good exercise, good for your body and good for your mind. It gets you out of your house if you are hermits.”
Jones likes the new location for Melonlight, which has twice as much space as the old location. “It really gives you plenty of space to cut loose without running into the walls,” he said.