BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A former New York City Ballet dancer continues to grow her business – offering ballet and Pilates classes, locally made clothing and more – in the Lehigh Valley.

SteelCore Studio, offering private and small group dance and fitness instruction along with locally made dancewear and athleisure fashions, has expanded into a neighboring space at 432 W. Broad St. in Bethlehem. 

The original studio, which opened two years ago, continues to operate next door at 434 W. Broad St.

Owner Marisa Cerveris, a former professional dancer with New York City Ballet, was seeking more space to provide instruction to a wide range of students, from individuals just beginning their dancing and fitness journeys to devoted Pilates enthusiasts and serious ballet students.

The additional studio space, occupying a renovated former restaurant location, is utilized primarily for private and duet Pilates reformer classes.

“It’s a more exclusive, intimate space,” Cerveris said.

“For example, I work with a lot of seniors, who are rehabilitating and need a certain level of individualized attention. In many cases, they are recently out of surgery, physical therapy or both, and they want to get back to working out, but they need someone to help them. So, we’re able to offer that one-on-one service.”

In its original space, SteelCore features five Pilates reformers and six Pilates springboards. The business also is expanding its class offerings, which are currently offered Monday through Saturday.

“We currently have classes going on from 7:30 in the morning until 6:30 at night, and we’ve brought in more teachers to accommodate the demand,” Cerveris said.

“Now, we have four teachers, including myself, and I’m looking to bring on more teachers for yoga, meditation and qigong that would likely be offered on Sundays.”

SteelCore also features dancewear and athleisure fashions designed by Cerveris.

Three lines include ByMarisa, which focuses on unitards and other dance clothing; SteelCore, which incorporates today’s fashions into studio-to-streetwear; and SteelCore Planet, which uses organic and sustainable fabrics.

“This studio represents me – all the stuff that I like to do,” Cerveris said. “Even back when I was dancing, I was making my own clothes. So, I started with the ByMarisa ballet clothes in 2004 before launching the SteelCore athleticwear line in 2012. It’s all manufactured locally.”

Cerveris, who lives a couple of blocks away from the studio in Bethlehem, has been dancing since she was 8 years old.

She began her professional training at The North Carolina School Of The Arts, continuing her instruction at George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet in New York City. She was one of the last two dancers hand-picked by Balanchine to join his company.

After enjoying the many European tours with the company, Cerveris decided to move abroad, joining the Compañia Nacional de Danza in Madrid, Spain and later, The Ballet du Capitole in Toulouse, France.

Upon returning to the United States, she danced in Broadway musicals, including “The Phantom of the Opera,” before retiring from performing and moving with family to begin a new life in Bethlehem in 2001.

For several years, she operated a similar studio on Schoenersville Road in Bethlehem, but a desire to combine her love of ballet, pilates and fashion into one space required more room.

“This is the perfect spot to combine everything that I’m passionate about,” Cerveris said. “I love fashion, I love being able to help people through dance and Pilates and I’m really looking forward to bringing new life to this part of Bethlehem.”

SteelCore Studio features a sprung floor, with 1-inch by 3-inch white pine wood laid in three levels, which allows for shock absorption and provides a softer feel when dancers jump, Cerveris said.

It also features top-of-the-line Pilates equipment, including springboards, reformers and a Cadillac.

Individual, duet and group pricing varies, with drop-in and various class package options available.

SteelCore will host a grand opening of its new space during an open house, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 3 at the studio, 434/432 W. Broad St. in Bethlehem. 

More details will be announced soon, but the event will feature “bubbly, festive cheer and some shopping, too,” Cerveris said.

SteelCore is expanding its local footprint after recently gaining national attention on CNN.

A CNN team, led by John King, visited SteelCore studio earlier this year to conduct an interview with 95-year-old SteelCore client Pat Levin about the 2024 presidential election.

Levin shared her insights on aging and its intersection with politics.

The interview aired as part of King’s “All Over the Map” series, a project tracking the 2024 campaign through the eyes and experiences of the voters.

“[Pilates] is important for – to keep me vertical,” Levin told King. “At my age, I need all the help I can get.”