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In order to better serve our community and create a peaceful and safe environment, we are pleased to announce that all our front desk and custodial staff are now CPR/AED and First Aid Certified. Just one more way we care!
Celebrating Women's History Month!

From Marie Curie to Sally Ride, from Ella Fitzgerald to Joan Rivers, from Queen Elizabeth to Elizabeth Warren, heroines of science, politics, exploration, and art are in our hearts this month as we commemorate their contributions to peace and knowledge, often under extreme prejudice and against staggering odds. Here's hoping that we can move forward into a future where women of every society and culture get their seats at the table, for the good of all!

     
Happy Spring everyone!  Happy St Patrick's Day!  Happy birthday Pop!  Happy birthday Johnny! (my beagle).
  Over Winter break in February,  I went to Belize in Central America with my parents, my dad's sisters, and their husbands. It was my first time in Belize and I had a great experience. We went hiking in ruins, ziplining, snorkling and cave tubing..  We went for a flight over the 'Blue Hole'.  It is a beautiful country and I hope I can visit  there again.
 On February 27th,  I went to an R5 concert at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan.  It was one of the first "assigned seating" concerts for the band.  A big step.  Sold out.  I also went to the VIP meet and greet for R5 and also for Ryland (the youngest brother of the R5 family)  He is a DJ.
 As a class project in my IB Film class, I made my first film (I want to be a filmmaker) called "The Heist" starring myself, my friend Chole, my brother and my father.  My mom was the producer.
 On Wednesday the 4th my English class took a trip into Manhattan to go to the matinee perfomance of "The Crucible"   I love to go to Broadway shows.  It was opening week and the audience was mostly students.  It was great , and it starred one of my new favorite actresses,  Saorise Ronan,  (she was nominated for an Oscar for "Brooklyn" which I saw last week).  She is only 21, Amazing.  I am going to the stage door today, Saturday to see if I can get an autograph, we had no time on the school trip.  Tonight we are celebrating a surprise birthday party for Scott Eck, Ripley-Grier Studios first manager ( in the 80s).  Later,  Jeannie RG 


Jeannie Ripley-Grier is the 16-year old daughter of RG founders Butch Grier and Patricia Ripley 
March 2016
Happy Spring!
Hope you all had a lovely Easter and St. Paddy's. We didn't get much of a winter, but I think I can live with it. If I ever miss bitter chills, I can always google images of Donald Trump. Speaking of tragedies, I've had the theme song to "It's Gary Shandling's Show" in my head for the past week. A true comic's comic, and gone too soon. 

Big shout-outs to our March babies! Michael Dimen, Tatiana, Nakeya, Jaye and Harouna, as well as out fearless co-founder, the one and only Butch Grier!

And a VERY happy 10 year anniversary to our Operations Co-Ordinator Shakira Moran, and 5 year anniversary to 72nd street Location Manager Cynthia Ramos! Whatever would we do without them??

me and boys
-John
Director of Ops
Ripley-Grier Studios
Client Spotlight:
Alicia Cruzado

There is something about the sparkle in Alicia Cruzado's eye that suggests she might know a thing or two about dance, adventure, and mystery. Very appropriate for a master of an artform like the Tango.The diminutive Argentine talks about the Tango like it is a secret society:"It is highly improvisational, and you have to learn the code, to know how to respond." Tango is a thoroughly South American artform, having started more or less concurrently in Argentina and Uruguay, on either side of the Rio De La Plata. Tango lost the attention of the Argentine youth to Rock and Roll in the 1960's, but the tradition was kept alive in the social clubs and in places like Paris. It is now enjoying a much-deserved re-birth. Alicia was born in Argentina in 1945. She bagan studying ballet as a child "Tango was something my parents did", she says.  Alicia worked for 32 years with the "Ballet Estable de Tucumán", Argentina fulfilling roles as Soloist, Principal Dancer, Choreographer, Ballet Mistress and Director.
Alicia's teaching career began at age 18 at the Official School of Dance.  She served as Associate Professor at the National University of Tucumán, and founded and served as Principal at ESEA The High School of Performing Arts in Music and Dance of Tucumán, Argentina.
 
Alicia has toured the Americas, Europe and Asia with various Ballet, Flamenco and Argentine Tango dance companies, serving variously as Dance Captain, Ballet Mistress, Choreographer and Artistic Director. She teaches Tango at RG520 and RG939, including her "Tango Workout", which focuses on the biomechanics of the Tango, and training the muscles required for the dance. "When my students come", she says, "they know they are going to WORK and SWEAT!"

You can find more information about Alicia's classes on her website: aliciatango.com
She can also be reached via email at aliciatango@aol.com or by phone at 917-344-0441
Patricia Ripley
Feng Shui and Fitness 


Greetings and Happy Spring!! feng shui color chart
 The days are longer and warmer,  the anticipation of more outdoor activities and the onset of our glorious Northeast Summer is upon us.  March is Women's History Month!! Celebrate the amazing women in your life.
  In February, for the President's week holiday, we took a  relaxing trip to Belize with Butch's two sisters and their husbands.  We went to a resort called Xanadu.  It was very serene and calm. This was a more laid back vacation than other places we visited.  I recommend this resort. lt had about 10 units and most of them were large two and three bedroom eco-domes with full kitchens, baths and multiple common areas and decks overlooking the Caribbean.  The resort is set in a lush tropical garden atmosphere, very Yin. It is on Ambergris Caye. The resort was 5 minutes from San Pedro ( the only town) via golf cart.  Belize is a major dive site and has the 2nd or 3rd (depends on who you ask) largest reef in the world.  Great fresh food, especially fish,  fruits and vegetables.  The locals are very friendly.  It was surprising to see the Queen on the money, ( a former British colony). English is the native language with Spanish being 2nd. Due west of Jamaica there was an abundance of Reggae music. Just my style.   We went snorkeling, hiking, zip-lining and cave tubing as well as a trip to Mayan ruins near the Guatemala border.  We will return.
 In March Butch and I celebrated our 33rd year together and his birthday, so it was a very auspicious month.
 Spring is accelerate your fitness regime season so we are amping up our outdoor activities, biking, walking, gardening, etc.  I am thinking of starting a fitness class at RG 520  this Spring.  It would be an afternoon class on Saturday.  Researching the room availability, times, etc.  I will announce the class in the newsletter by May 1st.
 So how is the Red Fire Monkey doing so far this year?  From now until May 5th advice is:  "Think before you act.  Don't overextend yourselves to others. Good deeds will  pay off and money should be abundant, but don't lose any helping others." Attend happy events.

 See you in April!    
Better and better every day in every way.   
~Patricia



Patricia Ripley is the Founder and CEO of Ripley-Grier Studios and a certified Feng Shui consultant.