Schiano-Gonzalez Honored for Supporting Businesses and Beautifying Rosebank
By Danielle Wiseman, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Larissa Schiano-Gonzalez, owner of Be Yoga and Dance, helps Staten Islanders heal through the art of movement.
Schiano-Gonzalez, a native Staten Islander, has been involved in movement since she was two years old. She started her journey taking dance classes at Miss Theresa’s Danceland in Westerleigh, where she continued to dance for another eighteen years. Schiano-Gonzalez immediately began to immerse herself in the sport at every opportunity that she was given. “I’ve always had a passion for dance, specifically modern dance, and I wanted to expand my realm,” says Schiano-Gonzalez. “I’m an artist and a creator, and I thrive in creative spaces; I realized very early on that I was meant to work in movement.”
Upon graduating from the College of Staten Island, Schiano-Gonzalez began working as a recruiter at a local staffing agency. However, she found herself unfulfilled as a recruiter and instead decided to pivot to the non-profit world. In 2008, she began working for the Henry Street Settlement, a not-for-profit agency on the Lower East Side that provides social services, arts programs, and healthcare services to New Yorkers of all ages.
“I loved working at Henry Street because I’ve always been drawn to being of service, and Henry Street is exactly that: providing services to those in need,” says Schiano-Gonzalez. “In 2008 when the stock market crashed, Henry Street received a grant to help people re-enter the workforce. Using my skills as a recruiter, I became a Job Developer there and started seeing between 20 and 25 clients a day.”
“Even though I loved Henry Street, I was definitely experiencing burnout from the high client volume and the commute,” adds Schiano-Gonzalez. “There was a gym around the corner from my office, and I started working out on my lunch breaks to relieve stress. I had never taken yoga before, and I was curious about it, so I took a class, fell in love, and kept going. After taking classes consistently for some time, I had this pivotal moment when I realized that yoga was my calling and I wanted to teach.”
Following her epiphany, Schiano-Gonzalez left her job at Henry Street and began completing her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at a studio in Brooklyn. Schiano-Gonzalez completed her training in December 2011 and immediately began teaching yoga and dance at various movement sites across Staten Island, including her son’s karate school and Evolution Dance Company, her best friend Heidi Besett’s studio. Just a few months later, Schiano-Gonzalez started practicing yoga at 5 Boro Power Yoga, a New Dorp-based studio focused on Baptiste power yoga, where she eventually became a teacher and after some time, their Director of Teachers.
While teaching at 5 Boro Power Yoga, Schiano-Gonzalez also worked part-time in the recreation department at Clove Lakes Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, where she provided recreational and movement services for residents throughout the facility, particularly those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Inspired by her grandfather who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Schiano-Gonzalez created Living Through Movement, a not-for-profit organization that serves senior citizens with limited mobility and movement disorders, as well as low and moderate-income individuals, those dealing with trauma, and disenfranchised youth. Pre-pandemic, Be Yoga & Dance served as a hub for movement for Living Through Movement, offering free movement classes for all ages every Sunday. Schiano-Gonzalez then went on to obtain her Dance for PD Certification, an internationally acclaimed teaching program that offers dance classes for people with Parkinson’s disease.
“After teaching at 5 Boro for about five years, I decided that I needed a change,” states Schiano-Gonzalez. “I wanted to create a movement community that focused on the philosophical and inclusive aspects of yoga. I had a ten-year-old and a five-month-old at home, and I knew that I wanted to open my own studio, but it was my husband who really believed it was the right time. He found our current location in Rosebank, and on January 9, 2016, I opened Be Yoga and Dance.”
Be Yoga and Dance was founded with the intention of creating a supportive community that teaches powerful, inspiring, skillful yoga classes where students can begin to deepen their understanding of themselves and the ancient practice of yoga. The studio, which offers yoga workshops and events, teacher trainings, and mentorship programs, quickly became a neighborhood institution, with more than 45 attendees visiting its very first class.
“Almost all of my teachers have been my student at one point. It’s always been important to me that the people I hire are in alignment with my belief that yoga should be an inclusive community. No one is ever turned away from the studio,” emphasizes Schiano-Gonzalez. “My mission is to make sure that every person who walks through the door is seen and acknowledged and that when you come in to practice yoga, you are working with a teacher who hears you, sees you, and can be helpful to you.”
Today, Schiano-Gonzalez still teaches around seven classes a week. She also leads teacher trainings and yoga workshops at the studio, coordinates and leads yoga retreats, designs and leads Professional Development Mindfulness workshops for businesses and educational institutions, and leads a movement program at Clove Lakes Healthcare once a week.
For her accomplishments, Larissa Schiano-Gonzalez is being honored with a Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award, which she will receive in the Master Businessperson category. The awards, which are presented by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Advance, honor the memory of Louis R. Miller, a businessman and West Brighton resident who was also a community leader.
Schiano-Gonzalez is the embodiment of a community leader, not only through dedicating her time to Staten Islanders in need but also by inspiring others to pursue their passions. Schiano-Gonzalez has breathed new life into Rosebank, constantly encouraging other women to join the tight-knit business community. Two of Schiano-Gonzalez’s students, Loren Gregory and Caileen Gonzalez, credit their entrepreneurship to Schiano-Gonzalez, who pushed them to open their own businesses.
As a trio, Schiano-Gonzalez, Gregory, and Gonzalez serve as a catalyst for change in Rosebank. The trio, in partnership with the SIEDC, organizes monthly community cleanups with the goal of cleaning and beautifying the corridor.
Gregory and Gonzalez are clear: their businesses, the neighborhood improvements, and the evolving community in Rosebank are all due to Schiano-Gonzalez. “It’s the potential and love that we found in our classes with Larissa that created the opportunities for me and the rest of this community that continues to grow,” says Gonzalez. “She’s had an incredible impact on all of us.”
For Schiano-Gonzalez, watching her friends’ businesses grow is the ultimate reward. “Creating a place where people can learn the tools of yoga, feel at home, find themselves, and make their passions a reality was always the intention. When I see Cai and Loren follow their dreams, it’s truly a realization of that goal.”
Questionnaire:
Current occupation AND title: Owner of Be Yoga & Dance
Hometown: Port Richmond, Staten Island NY
Past occupation/s and titles: Recruiter, Job Developer, Weight Watchers Leader, Clove Lakes Recreation
Community involvement: American Parkinson’s Disease Association leading Dance Classes for people with Parkinson’s Disease, My own not for profit Living Through Movement , I created a movement program for seniors with Dementia, this was funded by SI Arts , Offering free yoga through organizations in Staten Island , Volunteer my time in NYC Public Schools teaching Yoga, If a student walks into Be yoga and they cannot afford yoga I will gift them free yoga.
Some of my life goals include: being at peace with myself and others, spend as much time as I can with my family, travel the world with people I love , continue to be a student and grow personally & spiritually, to keep Be Yoga going, to always be helpful.
The best part of my job: Connecting with all people and sharing yoga with all people.
The most difficult part of my job: Fitting in my own self care
My life philosophy: Everything is workable when you approach any situation with a kind, grounded, open heart.
I am most proud of: My Children
Something that no one knows about me: I am a pretty good roller skater ( I have hot pink roller skates)
The quality I like best about myself: I’m generous and always do my best to be kind
Personal interests and hobbies: Dance, Surfing, Rollerskating, Traveling, My Family, being in nature, meditation, writing
I laugh at: Myself, My son Aidan, Paul Rudd, Adam Sandler
I am really good at: Writing & Poetry, making people feel comfortable
I admire: My Parents and their beautiful marriage. They are a beautiful embodiment of partnership. I admire my husband and his calmness. And my daughter, for her confidence and speaking her truth.
Some important thing/s I would like you to know about me: I believe all people deserve freedom & equality. I am a believer in listening and understanding. I do my best to make people feel warm & welcome. I believe that addressing and healing my own pain and suffering creates space for me to hold space for all people to heal themselves.