Rooted in Movement Ballroom and Wellness Steps into the Spotlight

Owners of Rooted in Movement Ballroom and Wellness Matt and Jenny Stehle

Until now, Rooted in Movement Ballroom and Wellness has been flying under the radar in the Pittsburgh area. While the studio’s official opening in Cranberry was in January, owners and husband-and-wife team Matt and Jenny Stehle have been teaching dance for 25 and 18 years, respectively. Jenny has been dancing since she was five, then began ballroom dancing in her 20s. Matt has been dancing since he was young and also majored in dance in college, then later toured with several professional dance companies.

The couple first met doing ballroom dance almost 20 years ago. “Matt and I learned pretty much everything together. It's just such a gift to be able to dance together and just have that connection. We’re able to go to any event, any wedding, any party, and if there's music playing, we can get up and just dance together,” said Jenny. They previously taught ballroom dancing at open studios around the Pittsburgh area as a way to continue their passion, but it soon became clear, with the demand they were facing, that they needed their own studio space.

“Teaching dance was something fun for us to do on the side, just because we really enjoy it. Now it has definitely become more of a passion project for us,” said Jenny.

Matt and Jenny aim to run Rooted Ballroom and Wellness a little differently from other studios in the area. They want to offer couples a more affordable alternative to private ballroom instruction by teaching a ballroom dancing class for wedding-focused couples only. “We’ll work on all of the things that they’ll use for their wedding, including dips, lifts and partnering,” said Matt, who primarily does all of the teaching for the studio. He added that there will be traditional classes, where you come in and rotate partners, but also classes where you might come and dance on your own, almost like a Zumba or choreography class. “Students can jump in at whatever level they feel comfortable,” he said.

The classes will have a boutique feel and be capped at 20 people, so everyone has room to move. Their wedding-focused class isn’t limited to the bride and groom and is available to the parents of the couple as well.

Couples who have taken the class have had nothing but positive reviews, both about the class itself and the camaraderie among the couples.

“Not only did all of our wedding couples say this class was the most fun part of planning the wedding, but they also got to develop a little sense of community. We had one wedding, and then they gave a lot of ideas to the next couple, and then they gave their ideas to the next couple. So they really loved the community, as well as getting ready for their first dance,” said Matt.

The studio will offer a package for unlimited classes, then private instruction can be added on for an additional fee if the couple wants to work on their dancing skills even more. Students will be able to book classes, private instruction and check in through the app Spark. Eventually, as the studio grows, there will be a full dance video library so that students can practice at home in between classes. Matt said this will help students make the most of their time when they’re in class.

Matt and Jenny Stehle with their children

In addition to the wedding ballroom classes, Rooted will offer beginner and advanced ballroom classes, yoga, Pilates and kids’ competitive Latin dancing. Matt and Jenny have developed great relationships with different professionals over the years of sharing studio space. They’re excited to bring in guest instructors and have people try new things in their space.

The couple highlighted that they want to provide a more casual environment so students feel relaxed and ready to learn. The couple believes the affordable, one-time purchase unlimited class model is the key to taking pressure off the students. “This is a way for us to make it available to everybody, whether you’re a beginner or you're advanced. We can make it more of a social atmosphere than any type of high-pressure dance lessons. We just want people to come and dance because it's what we love to do,” said Jenny.

“We want students to definitely gain confidence from learning how to dance and also gain a better connection with each other,” Matt continued. “Not even just the ballroom, but with the yoga and meditation and Pilates, it's just about that journey of self-discovery and of bettering yourself physically and mentally.”

Beyond expanding the digital dance video library and helping students grow, the couple has plenty of other plans and goals for the studio in the coming year. “We really just want to establish a community within our studio walls and then obviously have a community presence within Cranberry as well,” said Jenny. The Stehles hope to collaborate with other small businesses within the area and give the North Hills community a space to dance and have a fun night. More than anything, the couple hopes the space can be a place to come in and forget about the outside world. “We want to use the space overall to be just a very comfortable, welcoming place for people to come in and dump their stress off,” said Matt.

Jenny wants people hesitant about trying ballroom dance to know that at Rooted “there’s no pressure to know anything prior to coming in.” Matt added, “All of the classes are designed for people that have never danced before and are not comfortable dancing. We take our time. We make it fun.”

For more information on buying a class package and signing up for your first class at Rooted in Movement Ballroom and Wellness, visit the studio’s Facebook page, email them at rootedballroomandwellness@gmail.com, or scan the QR code.