When Life Hands Us Lemons . . . Watch What FADS Folks Can Do!

On November 9, 2012, the inspirational message on the left appeared on the facebook page belonging to Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Beirut, owned by Marwan Jammal. And the message isn’t just lip service. When it comes to positive thinking (as is the case with so many other FADS folks), Marwan and his staff are notably, remarkably upbeat.

 
Well, we’ve had Marwan and his staff on our minds quite a bit during the past 3 days as they’ve endured the worst storm in their region in a decade (some reports say the worst of all time). Like Hurricane Sandy’s devastating effects on FADS folks elsewhere, this weather event has been highly destructive, resulting in widespread power outages, traffic nightmares, over-flown rivers, and saddest of all, fatalities, throughout major portions of the Middle East.

Now that the storm is finally loosening its grip on the area of his studio, Marwan has been able to send us these photos to share with you. We’ve also included a link to news about the storm. 

We wish Marwan and his staff, as well as all who are affected, a rapid recovery. And we’re pretty sure it won’t be long before FADS, Beirut, makes something positive come from it all, like teaching students how to dance in the snow. . . .

Read more about the Storm at The Daily Star

FADS in Beirut, Lebanon!

The corporate office of Fred Astaire Franchised Dance Studios is pleased to announce the grand opening of the Beirut, Lebanon franchise.

CEO and President Jack Rothweiler says the opening “is an important milestone for both the company and Beirut.” As the capitol and cultural center of Lebanon, the city has a thriving night life and a vibrant social and ballroom dance scene (as evidenced by the numerous independent ballroom dance studios) which is something the organization wants to tap into.

Marwan Jammal, a native of Beirut, will run the daily operations of the studio along with his business partner, Guitta Dabdab. A competitive ballroom dancer for over a decade, Jammal taught dance for a number of years and has an extensive background in fashion retailing. As the newest studio owner and franchisee in the FADS organization, Jammal initially was attracted to the company’s philosophy, teaching methods, and naturally — its iconic namesake.

The new studio’s website is: www.fredastairelebanon.com