Business & Tech

Burglars Steal Dancing from Barbershop

Phil's Barbershop no longer offers dance classes after burglars stole his music supply and equipment last June. Dance will return to the barbershop Thursday for a brief dance session for Phil, his friends and former students.

Phil Fedalizo's love for dancing started as a teenager in the Philippines.

"My passion is dancing," he said.

After retiring from the Navy, Fedalizo went to barber college and took dance lessons.

When he opened Phil's Barbershop and Dance Studio in 1998 he taught merengue, lambada, the Waltz, tango, the west coast swing and many other styles.

"We cut hair in the daytime and cut a rug at nighttime," he said. "This kind of thing gave me motivation because people keep coming a while back and they are happy, we are happy, we look like a family, and those were the days you know?"

Among the clippers and barber chairs, disco balls still hang from the ceiling and a glass mirror for instruction still lines the wall, but dance classes are no longer held at Phil's Barbershop.

Last June burglars used a crowbar to break in the back door of his barbershop and stole thousands of dollars in turntables, old records, hundreds of compact discs and more, he said.

"It was unbelievable," he said. "They took it all, unfortunately. Since I lose all those items, I lose my interest [to teach]."

Though teaching lessions are over, Fedalizo will celebrate his 74th birthday Thursday with a dance class and potluck with friends and old students.

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If people enjoy themselves, the group may continue to meet on a regular basis to work on their skills and stay in shape.

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