Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaun and CJ Evaristo.
Shaun and CJ, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Shaun: I started when I was young, watching and listening to pop artists and hip hop music. Around ten years old, I created a dance group with my cousins and family friends which lead us to perform all around the Bay Area. At some point, I would make routines for my high school rallies, teaching my friends brought me so much joy. I believe that really sparked my passion to make movement my life. From there I would teach at local studios, grow to work with professional dance companies. Eventually, the idea of moving to Los Angeles stemmed from trying to figure out how to make dance into my career. LA seemed to be the right place where all the things I wanted to accomplish or achieve were at.
mL came a little later on in my career but it happened because I could feel that there was a disconnect between the community of dance and the dance industry. My goal was to provide an environment where people that love dance can connect and feel at home. People travel from all over the world to train in LA but at that time, there were not many places for community inside of the industry. So that is the basis for the start of mL but it wouldn’t be what it is without the foundation of family, which I had as a child.
CJ: I was more into sports and geek culture going up but had an affinity for hip hop culture. Growing up, Shaun and I had very different interests and would fight a lot as most siblings do. Shaun’s interest in dance was something that I wasn’t into due to the trends of my generation but because his dancing was to hip hop music, I learned to appreciate the art form. As Shaun grew as a dancer, I would pick him up and his dance crew members to take them to their rehearsals and performances all over the Bay Area. I guess you could say I was more of their road manager. lol
When Shaun moved down to LA to pursue his dance career, I stayed back in SF working for different corporations like AT&T and BabyCenter (Johnson & Johnson) due to my IT & accounting background. During the recession in 2008, I was unexpectedly laid off and made the decision to move to LA that same day. Shaun was the first person I called. As I was trying to find my footing in LA, Shaun had told me that he had an idea and asked for help with his thoughts. We met and he brought a notebook that had a bunch of scribble and doodles of ideas that i couldn’t fully grasp but understood what he was trying to accomplish. Together, we talked about how it could become a business and prioritized the ideas to figure out what we could make a reality and when.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Shaun: Definitely not straight and narrow, It’s been one of the most difficult challenges I’ve faced. I like to say that mL is one of the biggest shows I’ve ever had to choreograph and the show is still going. From financial struggles, longevity uncertainty, downsizing to company expansion. We’ve experienced it all. Let’s just say, any time that the company had a set back we’ve had to dig deep and find a way to push through and beat the odds. For me, the company is a constant teacher, not just about dance, but more about life. It’s the company ethos, Move = Life.
CJ: Definitely not a smooth road. lol As Shaun said this also has been one of the most difficult challenges I’ve faced in my life. Building the company was just the tip of the iceberg as I later found that maintaining the business for longevity was more of a challenge. I personally can attribute a lot of our success to our amazing team as none of what we wanted to accomplish could not be done without them. One hurdle we had to face in the early years of the company, we decided to start the business as an artist booking/management company with the idea to standardize their field. It was sort of the wild wild west for traveling instructors at the time. One of my first bookings for an artist was with an organizer that had the wrong intentions. Long story short, I had booked an artist to travel to New Zealand to tour and teach classes in the country, and the organizer we worked with made lots of promises – most of which they did not keep – while the artist and i were almost stuck in a foreign country. Lesson learned. I will say after having experienced that, we did meet some great people that helped us along the way who I will never forget. Thank you to Phoebe, Joe, Pat, Daryl, Nauna, & the New Zealand dance community!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Movement Lifestyle – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Shaun: Movement Lifestyle is a brand rooted in dance. We provide platforms for artists to grow and cultivate educational experiences that help movement lovers further their passion for dance and take their training as far as they want to go. We are more than moves, mL is about culture, community and craft.
CJ: To add to what Shaun said, Movement Lifestyle to me is a home for dancers. We aim to provide great customer service for new and current dancers who walk into our establishment. We want you to feel welcome and ensure that you know what you’re getting into when you take classes here. It’s the place where you meet new friends from all over the world and receive top-notch training. When we first opened our studio, this was the first thing you see and still believe in the statement of what our company is:
Movement Lifestyle is more than just dance moves and online videos; more than a company of people running a business; and more than the three bars and an L.
mL is an idea and a thought from within that empowers and encourages growth by sharing each others’ creativity. It is a stand made to show the world that this is what we do – this is who we are. Movement is our lifestyle, and it’s what moves you that should show you how to live yours.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Both: Our plans are to continue to provide good honest service to our community, to uphold the respect for our art/artists and to spread our ethos to the world. We hope to bring our brand beyond dance and bleed into other lanes, movement is everywhere and in our every day lives, it applies to all people from every walk of life. All that is living, moves.
As for big changes, none yet. We’re just happy to celebrate ten years of us.
Pricing:
- $15 for single class
- $70 for 5 class card
- $130 for 10 class card
- $240 for 20 class card
- $370 for unlimited class card
Contact Info:
- Address: 11105 Weddington Street
North Hollywood, CA 91601 - Website: www.themovementlifestyle.com
- Phone: 818-359-1260
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @movement.lifestyle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/movementlifestyle/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-movement-lifestyle-north-hollywood?osq=movement+lifestyle
Image Credit:
Jino Abad & Jordan Sotero
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
