PITTSTON, Pa. — Tucked behind Main Street in Pittston is Broadway on the Boulevard, a dancing and performing arts studio that opened in 2018.
Co-owner and co-founder Rachel Leandri says the past year hasn't been easy for her or her students.
"The virtual thing was super-hard. If we can do that, we can do anything, like to turn everything on to Zoom with all my instructors and passwords and parents and technologically not savvy people. And you know, kids were dancing at home, and they were like, 'Look at my cat,' and I'm like, 'OK, let's get back to what we're doing,'" Leandri said.
Leandri credits her team's creativity on outlets like Zoom for keeping the business afloat during the pandemic and also expanding it so that the business will be moving to a bigger, better location on Kennedy Boulevard in Pittston.
"We never kind of suffered that loss, which is crazy because you know we just filed our taxes, and we're like, 'Oh, my God.' Like, we could have been filing for bankruptcy right now, and it's so sad. What happened to the economy and small businesses, not only in the country but in NEPA. And here we are, you know, we just played it smart we played it safe."
The new location for Broadway on the Boulevard allows for more visibility, more space and allows the studio to keep its original name on Kennedy Boulevard in Pittston.
"Our name is significant Pittston. If you can see my shirt, it says, 'Bringing the Big Apple Broadway to the tomato capital's boulevard.' So that's kind of like our slogan. We love Pittston. We're Pittston proud, very big into what they're doing with art initiatives."
Leandri says what makes this more special is that it's a sign that the arts provide the community with something it needs during difficult times.
"I actually lost my dad to COVID in December, right around the shutdown. If anything, this place that I've created has helped me more than anything. I try to make it an outlet for my students and my families, but really it's just changed my life, and it's my livelihood, and I feel like if anything, it's really starting to pay off and, you know, I'm going there for an escape, just like I want my students to," Leandri added.
If you would like to learn more about the studio, you can get more information on the website.