You are reading

Astoria Dance Company Permanently Closes, Casualty of the Pandemic

Rioult Dance Center at 34-01 Steinway St., Astoria

May 7, 2021 By Allie Griffin

An Astoria-based dance company is closing due to the toll the pandemic has taken on its business.

Pascal Rioult Dance Theatre announced Thursday that it is dissolving the organization and closing its dance center — effective immediately.

The company was founded 27 years ago and opened its Rioult Dance Center at 34-01 Steinway St. in Astoria just over two years ago.

The center served as both a home for the dance company and a space for dancers from across the city to take classes, rehearse and choreograph new performances. It also offered community-based arts programming for the local community in Astoria and western Queens.

“On behalf of the Board, we’re saddened to announce the dissolution of the organization and the closure of the RIOULT Dance Center,” said Hope Greenfield, former Chairman of the dance company board. “We had expected many great things for the future of the Company, especially with our new Center in Astoria, but the pandemic has sadly brought an end to our plans”.

The dance company component of Pascal Rioult Dance Theatre has performed at venues and festivals all over the country and world.

“I am sorry that my dream of establishing a home for the company and a school that celebrates the diversity and richness of dance has come to this unfortunate end, and has necessitated the closure of the dance company,” Pascal Rioult, the founder of the company, said. “I am proud of the reputation RIOULT Dance NY has garnered over 27 years.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
Anonymous

they should get in touch with Mr. JVB he should be able to do something

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Catch the fall vibe at these western Queens breweries

Sep. 3, 2025 By Jessica Militello

September rings in the start of Oktoberfest from mid-September through October, featuring special brews, fun events and more fall fun. Western Queens is filled with breweries to enjoy seasonal brews, fall flavors and the start of cooler weather as Autumn approaches, making it a perfect time to meet up with friends at these local spaces.

Op-Ed | Four years after Hurricane Ida, Queens deserves real climate resilience

Sep. 2, 2025 By Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas

Four years ago, Hurricane Ida tore through our neighborhoods of East Elmhurst, Corona and Jackson Heights, leaving behind devastation we will never forget. We lost neighbors to the floodwaters. Families saw their homes destroyed, their basements wiped out, their lives upended. Immigrant families—so many of them undocumented—were hit the hardest, often excluded from relief altogether. Ida was not just a storm; it was a wake-up call.