From dance schools and yoga studios to rock climbing gyms and martial arts centers, people across a wide range of ages and stages are embracing movement in Fishtown, which speaks to the distinct health-consciousness in Philadelphia’s trendy zip code.
In Fishtown, the Philadelphia Argentine Tango School, exemplifies the interconnectedness of wellness and community. Upon their retirement in 2023, Ross Alexander, 73, and April Dunleavy, 66, moved to the neighborhood, in part to continue learning tango.
For about five years before the pandemic, they had been students at a tango school in New Jersey, but once COVID-19 hit, Alexander and Dunleavy started taking Zoom classes held by Meredith Klein and Andres Amarilla, the founders and directors of the Philadelphia Argentine Tango School. They quickly got hooked.
“Tango trains us to listen, to connect, to build community,” said Klein. She explained that the steps in tango are based on walking, so people can learn at any age. Their school includes dance students that range from their 20s to their 90s, and she says they’re always looking for chances to get kids and teens involved.
According to Klein, part of the appeal of tango is that it requires dancers to “learn to arrive into the moment and listen deeply to another person.” While social media gives us the illusion of connection, it doesn’t actually fulfill the human need to be seen and heard by others, she said.
Alexander and Dunleavy attend classes twice a week. “Dancing — and tango specifically — is one of the best exercises for maintaining physical and mental health as you’re aging,” said Alexander, who is also involved in the Tango Therapy Project, which is focused on working with patients with Parkinson’s Disease. Tango, he added, is a discipline that helps with issues that come with the disease.
“When it all comes together, there is a level of calmness and satisfaction we haven’t felt in other disciplines we have participated in, including Tai Chi,” Alexander said. He added that when two tango partners are moving in sync, a magical “tango high” can last for hours.
Another hub of activity is the Fishtown location of Philadelphia Rock Gym (PRG), which has built a passionate base of climbers. The gym has a small-neighborhood feel, despite the fact that it has five locations throughout the city as well as a buzzing climbing group called the Philly Climbing Community.
Ryan Hayes, a 30-year-old cyber security engineer, started climbing five years ago, shortly after he moved to Fishtown. He notes it’s an activity that makes you strong in a way you can maintain. It’s “a really cool sport for anyone who feels like it’s too late in life to pick up a new sport,” he said.
“You see people who are a lot older than you climbing, especially outdoors,” he said. Sometimes he brings his mom along to the climbing gym.
Hayes said that he started as a complete beginner, who was interested in the technique, but that he soon became obsessed with the sport. What makes climbing unique among sports, he said, is its “big problem-solving element.” There’s a real challenge to tackle.
“When you climb, the solution isn’t to be stronger,” said Hayes. “Oftentimes it’s about developing a new approach to overcome” the problem of the climb. He relishes having that “eureka” moment. Many of his friends are people he met at the gym. “You work to solve a problem with other people,” he said, and friendships naturally form.
Dan, 40, a Fishtown resident of 12 years who asked to be identified only by his first name, noted that Pacific Yoga — a small studio known for its intimate class sizes — is really helpful for helping its members to decelerate in a busy world. “Everyone comes from sitting at a desk all day,” he said, recounting the mental and physical benefits that come with slowing your mind down for one hour per class. Yoga works on muscles you don’t get to address in other wellness practices, he said.
Dan, who also wrestles, finds yoga to be a perfect complement to that sport. “Wrestling feels like the opposite of wellness, it’s bad for the body,” he said wryly. “But there’s a mental benefit to it.” He added that yoga was an activity that was on the opposite end of the spectrum. Wrestling has “a high-impact dynamic and involves a lot of jumping,” and he’s heard about wrestlers who have gotten into yoga to ease back pain.
Emily Romick, 43, a Pacific Yoga student of 10 years, described the studio as a consistent source of support across different life stages. From doing prenatal yoga to mama-and-baby classes, she appreciates the continuity the studio has offered and how it has helped her headspace through the different physical and mental states she’s been in over the years.
Romick also reflected on the importance of finding that community during early motherhood.
“It was a good opportunity to get out as a new mom and try to move and learn to adapt to living your life with a little one. It was a little community at a vulnerable time,” Romick said
Brandon Dempster and Kat Jedziniak, Fishtown locals for nearly a decade, opened Birdies Barre and Fitness Studio on January 5th.
One of the ways Birdies Barre and Fitness Studio is unique in the wellness realm is its focus on women’s movement, offering pre- and post-natal-friendly classes. Jedziniak, 32, who is also expecting, asked, “How can we find an outlet to move safely and comfortably? We want to create a space, gather resources, and partner with pelvic therapists and lactation consultants where moms get their time.”
“I love moving in any shape and form,” she said. “And I love that I can share that spark with other people.”
“Fitness can be an intimidating space to bond with people,” added Jedziniak, noting the sense of belonging she hopes to create with Birdies. She is optimistic that she’ll be able to build a positive and welcoming community. “Fishtown is fabulous, diverse, and has a lot of cool people.”
Brielle Saracini, 35, is a brand-new member. She works at Future Days Beer Company and attended Birdies’ first-ever morning barre class with her husband. She enjoyed it so much she quickly signed up for a class-pack membership after class. A Fishtown-Northern Liberties resident for nearly three years, Saracini was drawn to the studio’s welcoming atmosphere and inclusive style.
“Birdies is creating a space for community and inclusion,” she said, noting that she met many of her best friends through barre classes.
Earlier in her life, Saracini said she wasn’t a big workout person, but she noticed the impact barre classes make on her mood and motivation.
“After classes, I’m way more bubbly, outgoing. The endorphins stay with me for a couple days and boost my spirit and feeling fresh. No matter how difficult it is to get off the couch, I’ll feel so much better.”
She also appreciates the flexibility and accessibility of the workout and loves that barre is a “choose-your-own-adventure activity.”
According to Dunleavy, the tango student, the mental and physical wellness that Fishtown offers is unique. But what’s really striking about the neighborhood’s offerings — which also includes SAS Jiu Jitsu and Burning Spirits Muay Thai Boxing — is the sense of community that these classes offer. Fishtown is “alive and vibrant,” according to Dunleavy — which is exactly how movement, at its best, makes you feel.
