Dancer takes next step in opening a studio
After running her own competitive and performing dance teams for nearly a decade, Stacie Freda took the next step and launched her own dance studio.
Freda opened Lights, Camera, Dancin' at 209 E. Irving Park Road in Roselle. The studio offers beginning to advanced classes in jazz, tap, hip hop, ballet, point, jump and turn, poms, zumba, musical theater and combination classes. Adult hip hop is also offered.
In the first month of operation, Freda has enrolled about 100 students and recently held auditions for the competitive and performing team.
Freda and five instructors teach at the studio where she has attempted to create a relaxing atmosphere where it's easy to learn.
Freda started dancing when she was 8. She was on the cheerleading squad and on the orchesis dance team while at Addison Trail High School. She also danced as a Star Lite Dancer in regional and national competitions.
She went on to graduate from Elmhurst College with a degree in business administration and professional communications. "I thought I was going to be a CEO of a big company," said Freda, who resides in Addison. "But dance is all I wanted to do."
Freda, 24, says she's now using her degree, but not in the way she originally though she would.
Freda is engaged to high school sweetheart Jason Figueroa who assisted in getting the business going.
For more information, check out lightscameradancin.com.
On top: Bill Wykle was recently promoted to the position of president of Associated Heating Group dba American Comfort Heating and Air-condition Companies and One Hour Heating.
The company serves commercial and residential heating and cooling requirements.
He joined the company in 1998 as an installation department apprentice.
A new look: Blue Ribbon Hospitality acquired the Holiday Inn Itasca, 860 West Irving Park Road.
The new owners have made immediate improvements to the hotel and an aggressive renovation plan is being put in place for the entire property. One of the immediate changes was to install a new property management system to enhance the guest experience and to improve staff productivity. The owners also installed flat panel televisions in the bar area and lobby area, and created new seating areas.
An open house has been slated for 4 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16.
The overall property improvement plan includes renovations to the rooms, banquet and meeting facilities, pool, lobby area and other guest amenities. The renovation will wrap up with the exterior of the Holiday Inn, scheduled to be completed early in the second quarter 2009.
The restaurant and bar also have exciting new plans to improve the menus, adding daily lunch specials and bar appetizers.
The kitchen food production team under the direction of Martin Munoz is working on new banquet menus for the holiday season and into 2009. As part of the new banquet menus, new ethnic cuisines will be introduced, beginning with South Asian and East Asian cuisines.
kmikus@dailyherald.com