How Firebeat Got It's Start

Leading up to our 10th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, 6/8, our #FBF series will be a stroll down memory lane - revisiting the story of Firebeat.

Firebeat found its first home in Allston on the top floor of an old firehouse. The studio was encased by a large Plexiglass dome where the fire pole once hung. The entire studio was only 1000 sqft - smaller than the size of Studio Cali!

Allston was an "up and coming" neighborhood, but really it was still pretty gritty then. There was no parking; we would find drug paraphernalia behind the building and sometimes, there would some drunk college kid asleep on our stoop. But it was perfect - it was home.

We put a fresh coat of paint in the stairwell to brighten up the space (see our stories for behind the scenes pics) and commissioned an artist, Autumn Ahn, to create a mural for the studio. The mural was the theater curtain that framed the dancers in the space. It was perfectly uplifting and dramatic.

The first sparks of Firebeat included one group class and private lessons with Andre’ as the sole instructor. But within just a few, short months, the dance floor was flooded with couples and Pro/Am students. During its five years in Allston, Andre’ also formed several successful professional dance partnerships and achieved significant competitive milestones. With Agnieska Kaniowska, Andre’ placed in the semi-finals of Blackpool R.S. Latin, and with Tatiana Banko, Andre’ was a finalist in the UK Open R.S. Latin and in the U.S. Open to the World Latin Championships.

Firebeat stands on the shoulder of many great people, for whom we are indebted. Stay tuned for next week when we share how Firebeat got its name.