Jenna Lombardo, owner/director of A Chance to Dance Studio, is shown with her staff. Left to right: Sabrina Ankenbrand, Kim Lombardo, mother/business manager, Jenna Lombardo, owner/director, K-Lynn Rostkowski, media manager, Melanie Yozwiak, Jamie Lombardo, sister.
Submitted photo
It’s all in the family for A Chance to Dance Studio owner, Jenna Lombardo, at the recent ribbon cutting ceremony at the new location. Left to right: John Lombardo, brother and Luzerne Co. Council chairman, Kim Lombardo, mother/business manager, Jenna Lombardo, owner/director, Jamie Lombardo, sister, Jim Lombardo, father/stage crew.
Submitted photo
A Chance to Dance Studio held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Waterfront Warehouse complex, Kennedy Blvd., Pittston on Saturday, Jan. 20. The studio’s owner, Jenna Lombardo, cut the ribbon with family and friends attending. The photo shown, left to right, Ellie Bartoli, Kamryn Conway, Jackson Teixeira-Sowden, Emma Teixeira-Sowden, Jenna Lombardo, owner/director, John Ankenbrand, Kayla Roselle, Giada Teixeira-Sowden, Haley Karboski, Maddy Calabro, Lyla Nayavich, Izzy Argenio.
Submitted photo
A Chance to Dance Studio owner/director Jenna Lombardo poses with her uncle, City of Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo.
Submitted photo
PITTSTON – Jenna Lombardo has been dancing since the age of 3 and now at 21 years old, she is a dance studio owner/director at a Chance to Dance Studio.
A Chance to Dance held a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 20, after being delayed 24 hours due to inclement weather.
Family, friends and members of A Chance to Dance Studio gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Waterfront Warehouse, 350 Kennedy Blvd, Suite 9.
A Chance to Dance Studio is Lombardo’s very first studio; prior to that she held her dance classes at various locations.
“We practiced in so many different locations such as a fire hall, my house, the library and even at school when I was a student,” Lombardo admitted.
“Ever since I was younger I always wanted to do something with dance and be a dance teacher and some of the dancers that have always been with me, I always promised, we would find home and I wanted to do it somewhere special like Pittston, since I grew up here.”
She continued, “As I got older, I learned a lot of people came to A Chance to Dance to get away from issues in their lives and I always felt everyone deserves a chance to dance and I give all my dancers some special role in each show.”
Lombardo said she currently has 26 dancers from 6 years old to 25 years old and is always looking for new students.
Lombardo created A Chance to Dance six years ago while in high school at Pittston Area as a National Honor Society Project. After COVID, she decided to make it a legitimate dance troupe.
“I wanted to donate proceeds of our dance events back to the City of Pittston donating to the Pittston Police Department’s K-9 Unit,” Lombardo said, of the first dance show she put on as A Chance to Dance. “We found The Slope behind the (Pittston Memorial) Library and with the help of family and friends and Mary Kroptavich (Pittston’s Main St. manager), we were able to put on a show.”
Lombardo, a junior at Drexel University majoring in Phycology, has been dancing for 18 years. She started at David Blight followed by Spotlight, but in Pittston. Eventually, she found her way to Power Surge, Philadelphia.
She’s been with Power Surge for the last seven years, more off then on in recent years, but while with Power Surge, she has able to perform at the Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Parade, the 6-ABC-TV Thanksgiving Parade and at Disney World.
A Chance for Dance has scheduled a few shows for 2024, according to Lombardo.
“We do a summer show around the end of June and a Halloween show a few weeks before Halloween and a Christmas show a few weeks before Christmas,” Lombardo said. “We will also do all the parades in Pittston and any event that will benefit people.”
Lombardo said with every show A Chance to Dance holds, they donate some of the proceeds to a local cause.
The first show scheduled is the summer show to be held at The Slope Amphitheater on Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23.
Lombardo said she is working on putting together a website for A Chance to Dance, but can refer to their Facebook page for the latest news and scheduling.
If anyone is interested in dance, call Jenna at 570-706-0394.
