There is something very special, charming, rustic, some might even go as far as to use the word "magical" when describing Yello! From the moment you walk into this space, it’s bright atmosphere and friendly staff make you feel right at home. Macaroni Kid Fort Lauderdale was so excited to sit down with owner, Marisa Hormel and studio manager and instructor, Amber Dorsky and instructor, Cassandra Cardenas, to learn all about the history, and what is in store for the future of Yello...
1.) Hi Amber! It’s so nice to meet you. Tell me about you, your history, your background and how long you have lived in Fort Lauderdale? Hi! I moved to Fort Lauderdale 8 years ago from New York City. I was suffering from a debilitating foot injury that saw me in a cast or a boot for the better part of my last year in NYC. I was miserable. My boyfriend took me to visit his grandfather in Sunrise in October 2009. We were sitting at a restaurant on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. The weather was spectacular. I looked at him and said, “I could live here.” He said, “Okay.” We made the move in February 2010, on my birthday. That boyfriend is now my husband and we have a 5 year old son. I am the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.
I studied ballet professionally throughout my youth at Dance Theatre of Harlem and National Ballet School of Canada and performed regionally in my home state of California. When injuries finally took their toll, I set my sights on New York City and moved to the Big Apple at 25. There I had the good fortune of being mentored in public relations where I built a career working with artists from around the globe. Saying good-bye to my career was tough but it was time. I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t fueling my body with what it needed – which is to dance.
I live down the road from Yello. I had seen the studio and got a chuckle out of the name. My grandmother always answered the phone with a friendly “Yello” so it reminded me of her. I’d pop into class every now and then when the studio first opened. I love the energy the place gives off. It just makes you feel happy when you walk in here. In 2017, I took an Adult Ballet Class with Vanessa. Vanessa gave off such warmth and generosity of spirit that I felt good taking a ballet class for the first time in many, many years. She encouraged me to give my resume to the manager. I wasn’t looking for a “job” at all. I was really enjoying motherhood but the thought of returning to my roots excited me so I did. Now, I am the happy recipient of an awesome job doing what I’ve always loved most… Ballet. I feel very lucky and deeply grateful to have the opportunity to share my love of ballet and performance with anyone who cares to join me.
2.) That is incredible Amber! Ok, Marisa, how did the idea or concept of Yello! Come to life?
My life has been immersed in dance, theater, and art. My sweetheart is a painter, musician, and composer. My journey through the arts has been one of confidence building and self-empowerment. Through health challenges, I discovered the power of plant-based food. I wanted to share all the benefits that I found through food and the arts with the community. Through Yello, I created a space that melds the vegan culinary art with the performing arts and visual arts. Our studio offers a variety of different dance disciplines from ballet and tap to breakdance, ballroom, and belly dance. Studio Z, our event space, is home to First Friday Piano Bar and the Food for Health Foundation’s (FHF) free classes the Third Thursday Vegan Cooking Series. Yello has hosted FHF’s brunch with author and physician, Thomas M. Campbell on Breast Cancer and Food, Does It Matter? We look forward to a joint effort this August with Big Brothers Big Sisters bringing Lils to a musical theater workshop with Tony Award Winner Eugene Brancoveanu! We are thrilled to host Fort Lauderdale’s Electric Car Show this September 8th from 10am-4pm at Yello!
3.) Amber, tell me a little about the studio and what all you offer? We strive to offer something for just about everyone – children and adults. We are a very inclusive studio. For children we have classes in a variety of disciplines including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and even Breakdancing (which is ridiculously fun). For adults, our offerings include tap and lyrical, adult ballet, Zumba, belly dance, and an African fusion class called Ethnodance. We are beginning to attract more serious students too, so this year we are offering a pre-pointe and beginning pointe class along with a fairly intense ballet technique class. Cassandra leads a youth performance troupe called Yello Elite, which is growing significantly. This group of dancers have additional opportunities to perform at area events such as Christmas by the Sea and at sporting events. It’s a great experience for everyone involved. This past summer we started a new summer camp program called Passport to the World. It was an incredible experience and we’re still pinching ourselves at how well the program was received. It was a blast.
4.) Cassandra, what’s your favorite thing about Yello!?
My favorite thing about Yello, is the freedom to explore new ideas with my students and fellow instructors. This past year was an incredible year of growth for the studio. The studio introduced new classes and performance opportunities. We had our very first Showcase in the spring. I, with the help of Amber, created a performing dance troupe that dances at community events; it’s really propelled us for this next dance year and I love that I’ve had the opportunity to try new concepts with the support of the other instructors and studio manager.
5.) Wow, your story truly is inspiring and the journey to where Yello! has grown to today is amazing. We feel so fortunate to have such a fun and creative place to bring our families right here in our community. Thank you for sharing this with us! Do you have any additional thoughts?
We hope that anyone that has ever thought about dancing makes this the year that they try. Yello’s supportive staff is happy to work with experienced dancers and beginners, no matter their age. Everyone is welcome and we hope to meet new dancers this year at our 2018 Open House taking place on August 11!
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