Syiedah and Tim Walker came to Frankford in 2013 and opened a day care center at 4454 Frankford Avenue. You probably have seen the big purple sign “All Star Kids Learning Factory”. The couple had careers before day care but they saw the opportunity to build something of their own in this community. Even though they live in West Oak Lane, they jumped right in to Frankford.
Syiedah and Tim Walker
In the competitive day care environment of Frankford, the business has been successful. The Walkers strive for a family atmosphere and treat everyone, children and parents of this multi-cultural community, with respect.
The building that houses the day care was known to generations of Frankford residents as Schwarzman’s dry goods store where they bought their linens and curtains. The ground floor houses the day care and the large second floor room overlooking the El is the dance studio.
When the Walkers first set eyes on the second floor space that is what they had in mind for it. So in the summer of 2014 the All Star Movements School of Dance started up with another dance school providing the services and ran successfully all Summer. This year they decided to do it on their own.
They have hired a Christina Castro-Tauser as Artistic Director. She has most recently been Junior Company Director for the Gainesville, Georgia Ballet Company and a principal instructor with the Gainesville School of Ballet.
The school will offer a summer dance camp from June 22nd to August 14th with Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, Jazz and Musical Theater. Michael Nguyen, West Chester University graduate, will be the Hip Hop instructor. You will find more information at this link. If you read this after the date the camp has begun and are interested, give them a call anyway. It is never too late to dance.
So the arts are coming back to Frankford and much of it is happening on 4400 block of Frankford Avenue. Over at St. Mark’s you have the Garden of Eden theater company and the Philadelphia Community Arts Network. Not to be forgotten is the drama class up at McIlvain playground at Pratt and Penn. Sometime next year, we should be seeing live performances by some of our arts groups at the Frankford Pause park at Paul St. and Frankford Ave.
