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Shop Talk
- Berkeley City Ballet celebrates 50 years of ‘serious training’
- Berkeley Animal Hospital was designed with pets in mind
- Photography matters at Photopia Studio
- Kiss That Frog holds their last Le Marché Pop Up at their Fourth Street warehouse
- The BreakRoom brings billiards back to downtown
- That for-sale sign doesn’t mean Karim Cycle is closing
- Biz Buzz: Three Berkeley nonprofits welcome new Executive Directors
Berkeley City Ballet celebrates 50 years of ‘serious training’
In the Spotlight Central Berkeley
In 1974, the ballet teacher Jane Stamps and a group of East Bay parents came together to create a nonprofit ballet company for young dancers who wanted to train like professionals.
The company, the East Bay Ballet Theatre, was kickstarted with a $600 grant from the Albany Soroptimist Club, and was run out of the Stamps School of Classical Ballet on Solano Avenue for its first four years with Stamps serving as its artistic director.
In 1979, Grace Doty, a former prima ballerina at San Francisco’s Pacific Ballet Academy, took over as artistic director and moved the company to Berkeley into a studio her husband, the architect Jack Johannes, designed and built on Dwight Way. It was renamed Berkeley Conservatory Ballet. The school changed its name again in 1992 to Berkeley City Ballet (BCB).
Over the past 50 years, the school has trained thousands of dancers in its rigorous pre-professional program.
“It’s serious training, it’s not just ballet for fun,” said Tai Vogel, who began training at BCB when she was five and this month will become its new director.
“I’ve seen multiple generations of students come through,” said Elizabeth Godfrey, who has served as artistic director since 2000. “So it’s an accumulated, kind of progressive program that develops a dancer to an excellent skill level, allowing them to compete in the professional ballet world.”
BCB also offers classes for beginners including their “Dance With Me” class for children ages 2-4 along with their guardians, and several pre-ballet, child ballet and adult ballet classes.
This month Vogel and Godfrey are deep into rehearsals for their annual spring concert, which will take place at their Dwight Way studio on April 27 and 28.
But the big event of the year is their performance of the Nutcracker, a centerpiece of the school since the days of Grace Doty. During the pandemic the performances took place at the BCB studio, but for its fiftieth anniversary Vogel and Godfrey are hoping to find a large venue in Berkeley where the entire community can come and celebrate.
In December 1980 the Berkeley Gazette featured a piece about the school as they prepared for that year’s Nutcracker performance. In it, Karen Portner, a Berkeley High sophomore said, “Sometimes I wonder if so much work is worth it, but I never want to quit.”
Later in the article, Doty reflected on the amount of hard work and discipline that her students face.
“They think the ballet slippers are pretty, and they like the ruffles and shiny crowns,” she said. “It’s quite a shock when they find out what hard work it is.”
That hard work, according to Godfrey, not only prepares dancers for the stage, but for life. And for her, that is the real value and legacy of BCB.
“Students learn so many things when they’re in ballet, not just ballet skills,” she said. “They learn how to be dedicated and committed and how to persevere through the different challenges that come along. And it serves them well throughout their life.”
Berkeley City Ballet, 1800 Dwight Way, Berkeley. Connect via Facebook and Instagram.
Open West Berkeley
Berkeley Animal Hospital was designed with pets in mind
When Dr. Jessica Holliday entered Louisiana State University as an undergraduate, she had dreams of becoming a cultural anthropologist. But that all changed when she received her dog, Tomba, for her nineteenth birthday. For one, she couldn’t imagine leaving him behind for weeks at a time while she was doing field work. And secondly, Tomba’s health problems meant that she had to advocate for him to get him the care he needed, which inspired her to leave cultural anthropology behind and set her sights on becoming a veterinarian.
Holliday graduated from veterinary school at LSU in 2007 and worked in a variety of clinics across the country. But none of them operated in a way that she felt put the client first. She realized she had a vision for the type of clinic she’d be proud to work for, and that vision became a reality last June when she opened Berkeley Animal Hospital on San Pablo Avenue.
“My guiding light throughout my whole veterinary career is, what would I do for my own dog?” Holliday said.
Berkeley Animal Hospital follows the “Fear Free” model of veterinary medicine which takes certain measures to reduce the stress and anxiety in animals.
“I just really felt like we were not gearing our medicine towards our patients properly, meaning the exam rooms, the floors, the environment, the sounds.” said Holliday. “So I wanted to create a clinic where the animals’ needs and wants and desires come first.”
They do this by giving lots of treats, doing examinations on the floor, and by using things like pheromone diffusers.
“A lot of clients tell me, Oh my goodness, my animal hates going to the vet, but they love coming here,” said Holliday. “They might not know what we do behind the scenes to kind of make that happen, but those comments always make me smile.”
Berkeley Animal Hospital also embraces alternative treatments, such as acupuncture, which again was inspired by her dog Tomba.
In old age, Tomba got very sick, and though Holliday tried a variety of different treatments, he was not getting better.
“It was at the point where he wasn’t responding and I was like, ‘Well, I have to put him down. This is horrible,’ ” said Holliday. But then she tried acupuncture, which seemed to work.
“He ate for the first time in three days and then I got three more years with him and it was amazing,” she said. “I was very western-minded before that happened to him. And it really opened up my mind towards more different modalities of holistic medicine.”
Holliday’s approach seems to be working. Business is booming. Since the clinic opened, she’s been able to hire another full time doctor and a part time doctor. And she’s already making plans to expand.
“I put a lot of hard work and all that stuff, but I did not do this alone,” Holliday said. “The staff is amazing. The community is amazing. Everything just kind of came together in a beautiful way. I’m very grateful.”
Berkeley Animal Hospital, 2709 San Pablo Ave., Ste. A, Berkeley. Phone: 510-455-2226. Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Connect via Facebook and Instagram.
Open Solano Avenue
Photography matters at Photopia Studio
Annie Frantzeskos, the owner of Photopia Studio on Solano Avenue, was bitten by the photography bug not once, but twice.
The first time was when she was a student at King Middle School. That’s when she first picked up a camera and realized she was good at it. But she didn’t set out to make it a career until she fell in love with photography a second time.
Frantzeskos, who was born and raised in Berkeley, spent a decade living with her husband and children in Eugene, Oregon.
“I was driving up to Portland to go to the airport,” she said, “I saw this hawk come and land on a fence post. And that was it. It was so breathtaking as I was driving. I was just like, that’s it. It just came to me just like a flash. I was like, I have to do this. I have to do this.”
Seeing that hawk on the fence post led her to buy her first digital camera. She started shooting and before she knew it had a big show at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene and a big write up on the front page of the arts section of the Register-Guard with the headline, “Behind seemingly everyday images, a touch of menace creeps in.”
After returning to Berkeley and moving back into the house where she was born, she set up a studio in the backyard cottage. But opening a professional portrait studio was always in the back of her mind.
“I decided to become a businesswoman and make a go of it,” she said. “I wanted a place to print my work, display my work, display other people’s work, make photography matter.”
And while Photopia focuses on portraits, that doesn’t mean she’s leaving her fine art photography behind.
“I really am trying to do more artistic photographs beyond the more basic headshot,” she said. “I want people to understand that you can do a portrait that’s not just the most obvious, you know, face value portrait. That it can actually be a work of art.”
Being a new businesswoman, it took her a while to figure out her pricing.
“I couldn’t figure out what to charge. And then all of a sudden it dawned on me that I didn’t want to charge anything for the sessions.”
Instead, she charges for the photos themselves. She does suggest a minimum purchase, but if clients don’t like the photos, they’re not obligated to do that.
“If it’s a headshot, I ask that they buy three images for $75. So that’s $225. So if it’s a family of six, then I ask them to buy more.”
Not charging for the sessions makes the shoots more fun, she said. Especially when kids are involved.
“With kids it’s really fun because they have costumes, and they just lose themselves.”
Frantzeskos feels incredibly lucky to make her living as an artist.
“That’s all I wanna do,” she said. “That’s what I’m happiest, when I’m shooting.”
Frantzeskos’ husband was worried about her opening a photography studio in a day and age when everyone essentially walks around with a camera in their pocket, but he was pleasantly surprised when Photopia started drawing in clients.
Frantzeskos herself was not surprised.
“People do still value a real portrait versus a snap from an iPhone,” she said. “Art matters. Photography matters. That’s my core belief. Photography matters.”
Photopia, 1607 Solano Ave., Berkeley. Phone: 510-965-5782. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Closing Fourth Street
Kiss That Frog holds their last Le Marché Pop Up at their Fourth Street warehouse
Le Marché Pop Up has some good news and some bad news.
The bad news is that this twice-annual marketplace that caters to “deal-seeking Francophiles” is moving out of the 4th Street warehouse in Berkeley that they’ve occupied for more than 20 years.
But the good news is their “biggest ever Le Marché Pop Up” will be held at the warehouse on April 26-28. There will also be a virtual sale from April 11-18.
Le Marché Pop Up, also known as Kiss That Frog Warehouse Sale, is “a marketplace that curates ethically made products for the modern home with timeless French touches,” according to its website. Kiss That Frog was founded by Guy Orban, who began importing European children’s books in 1996, and soon moved on to importing and designing tabletop goods.
“Our landlord has been incredibly generous, accommodating us in so many ways,” said Orban. “But the lease is up end of July and we do not see a way to maintain a warehouse in Berkeley any longer.”
The Le Marché marketplace will feature glassware, linens, cutlery, ceramics, and other home goods, along with French soaps, candles, greeting cards, mesh market bags, French harvesting baskets, and more.
It will also have a large one-of-a kind section, “imagine a French flea market in Berkeley,” said Orban, along with “some old French paintings and some last minute surprises.”
Peet’s coffee and pastries from La Farine will be offered each morning.
The event is free, but registration for both the virtual sale and the in-person sale is required.
As for the future of Le Marché, that remains to be seen.
“We do not know what is next, where and when,” said Orban, “but it is fairly certain it will not be in our beloved city of Berkeley.”
Le Marché Pop Up, 2310 Fourth St., Berkeley. Virtual sale: April 11 through 18. In-person sale: April 26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., April 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., April 28, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Connect via Facebook and Instagram.
Open Downtown
The BreakRoom brings billiards back to downtown
When August Wagele found himself the owner of a billiard hall, he looked to his past for inspiration. His ties to the East Bay go back four generations; his great-great grandparents owned a small market and bakery in Oakland. But when he came to design the BreakRoom, his new downtown pool hall which opened in February, he looked to another ancestor in another part of the country.
His great grandfather on his mother’s side owned a speakeasy called The Mint, in Utah.
“He looks like your old 20s gangster style guy,” said Wagele, describing his relative. And the BreakRoom, with its large downstairs space decked out in an art deco style, feels very much like a prohibition era speakeasy.
“It’s kind of fun to think of that heritage,” said Wagele.
This is Wagele’s first time running a business of this sort. He’s been a real estate agent for 25 years. A longtime pool player, Wagele used to play at Draw Billiards, the previous occupant of the BreakRoom space, which shut down during the pandemic.
“I drove by all the time and I always wondered why it didn’t reopen,” said Wagele. “And I contacted the prior operator and then I contacted the landlord and negotiated back and forth with him and ended up renting it out.”
The BreakRoom, which Wagele describes as “classy and clean” and “a little bit upscale,” has twelve pool tables in its 8,000 square foot downstairs space, along with nine TVs, and a large seating and lounge area.
“Everybody that walks down the stairs is so surprised, and they say, Oh my god, I had no idea it would be like this down here, and it just opens up into this huge space.”
There’s also an outdoor patio, which Wagele is ready to activate now that the winter rains have passed. The BreakRoom also has two full bars, and a kitchen that serves pool hall mainstays like pizza and wings and fries, but also nicer items like a charcuterie boards and mushroom risotto.
Pool table rentals are $15 per hour.
Wagele has big plans for the BreakRoom. He’s already holding Tuesday night tournaments and will soon host karaoke and stand-up comedy. And he plans to put his nine TVs to use showing local sports. To that end, he’s crossing his fingers that the Warriors finish the season strong.
“If they make it to the playoffs, that’ll be a lot of fun for people to come here,” said Wagele.
The BreakRoom, 2021 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. Phone: 925-209-9173. Hours: Sunday through Wednesday, 4 p.m.-12 a.m., Thursday through Saturday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Connect via Instagram.
Not Closed Telegraph
That for-sale sign doesn’t mean Karim Cycle is closing
Adlai Karim has put the building that housed Karim Cycle shop up for sale, but he still plans to keep selling used bikes online or in other ways.
Karim, who has operated his bike shop at the Stuart Street location since 1986, said he decided to sell the building after a development deal fell through. Now Karim and his broker, Ninous Beitashour at Century Properties, are looking for a new buyer.
But even after the building is sold, Karim plans to keep selling used bikes.
“I don’t need a building anymore,” Karim said. “I have a cell phone. I could meet people. I could sell used bikes. The building has become a burden.”
Karim’s first location was a 250-square-foot space on Dwight Way which he opened in 1981. He then moved to two different locations on Telegraph before landing at his current location at the corner of Stuart Street in 1986.
“I’ve been in business a long time,” said Karim. “I’ve sold thousands and thousands of bikes to college students. I am in the business of selling used bikes. I don’t know what else to do. That’s what I know how to do.”
Karim Cycle, 2800 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley. Hours: daily, from 2:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
In brief
Biz Buzz: Three Berkeley nonprofits welcome new Executive Directors
- The Berkeley Food Network (BFN), a nonprofit founded in 2016 with the goal of ending hunger and poor nutrition, welcomed new executive director Andrew Crispin in January. Crispin, who’s worked with BFN since 2022, grew up in a low-income household in New Hampshire, and has “lived the reality that many of our community members face every day, making him a passionate and empathetic leader for our organization” according to the organization’s website.
- In February, the Berkeley Symphony announced that Marion Atherton will take the helm of the fifty-three year old Berkeley institution. Atherton, a lifelong Berkeley resident, was previously Chief Operating Officer and Interim Head of School at the Crowden Music Center. “I am thrilled to lead Berkeley Symphony in its next chapter,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the Symphony’s outstanding team of artists, staff, and Board members to continue its history of building community through world-class performances and educational programming.”
- Waterside Workshops, the Berkeley nonprofit located in Aquatic Park that offers local youth hands-on training in bicycle maintenance, boat building, and outdoor education, welcomed Rebecca Grove as their new executive director in June. Grove brings more than “20 years of experience in fundraising and programming for nonprofit organizations dedicated to social justice,” according to a post on the organization’s website. “She is a writer and editor who delights in language and gives voice to Waterside’s vision, progress, and impact. And, most importantly, she enjoys riding her bike, boating, and spending time with youth in the great outdoors.”
