Fitness news

New boutique yoga and dance studio flows feel-good vibes into Fair Park

They want everyone to go with the flow.

Photo courtesy of Movement Loft

Spring of 2020 was not a particularly auspicious time to debut a new group fitness studio in Dallas. Ellen Hoffman learned that the hard way when she opened the doors to The Movement Loft, a yoga and dance studio in Fair Park, in early March — and then closed them two weeks later due to COVID-19.

After several months of virtual classes — the only way Hoffman and her staff of seven instructors could introduce themselves during quarantine — Movement Loft took some cleansing breaths and reopened in August with a mission that continues into the new year: to offer holistic stress relief to anyone and everyone who needs it.

"A place for self-care is really important right now," Hoffman says. "All we can do is continue to pour into everyone who walks through our doors. We're building community, and I think people need community more than ever."

The Movement Loft aims to help busy professionals of any fitness level get a mood-boosting physical and mental workout, without breaking the bank. Popular weekly classes include Revitalizing Gentle Yoga, Hip Hop Dance, Yoga Flow + Tone, Candlelight Restorative Yoga, Stretch, and Buenas Vibras Latin Dance Choreography, which is a nod to the owner's heritage.

The studio offers memberships at $69 per month for unlimited classes, with the first month at just $45. Drop-ins are available for $20 per class, with bundles of five and 10 also available. They also offer occasional workshops focused on holistic wellness, such as Acupuncture Yoga or Self-Care Yoga, which run about $30-$80.

Accessibility and community are the central tenets of their mission, "so you'll see a pretty diverse range of faces, ages, skin tones, and body types," Hoffman says. "We see all levels of clients. I love being someone's first-time yoga experience."

Fostering community is also why she opened the studio in Fair Park, in an old two-story, 1,600-square-foot space at 824 Exposition Ave., #9. Hoffman configured it into a large main studio, open-air meditation area, and lofted library, where guests can drink immunity-boosting herbal tea, enjoy chilled aromatherapy facial towels, read a book, or mingle with others as COVID protocols allow.

"I really like the eclectic nature of the neighborhood," says Hoffman, 31, a former dancer who launched the business after a decade in corporate marketing. "There are a lot of artists and creative professionals. It reminds me of some of what it was like growing up in Oak Cliff, older buildings with creaks and cracks and crevices that all tell a story."

Given all the starts and stops of 2020, the studio still considers itself a "new" business, even though it will celebrate its one-year anniversary in March with special programming and events.

Hoffman says despite the obstacles, she's grateful to have had the chance to offer some relief — both physical and emotional — to those who have needed an outlet.

"Yes, you're going to burn calories. Yes, you're going to get a great workout," she says of group classes. "But you're also going to get so much more than that. The overall experience is designed to make you feel good."

fitness health

Pestilence News

New invasive pest in Texas is destroying grasses and pasture

TAMU

Mealyworm is small but damaging.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has issued an urgent alert to farmers to inspect their pastures for a newly detected and highly damaging pest: the pasture mealybug (Helicococcus summervillei).

According to a release from the Department of Agriculture (TDA), this invasive species, never before reported in North America, has been confirmed in multiple Texas counties and is already causing significant damage to pasture acreage across the southeast portion of the state.

The pasture mealybug causes “pasture dieback,” leaving expanding patches of yellowing, weakened, and ultimately dead turf.

This pest was first detected in Australia in 1928; its first detection in the Western Hemisphere occurred in the Caribbean between 2019 and 2020.

The TDA is working with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to coordinate a rapid response and protect Texas producers.

Mealybug history
Although the mealybug is just now being spotted, researchers suspect it may have been introduced before 2022.

Since mid-April 2025, southern Texas pasture and hay producers have been reporting problems in their fields. These fields show grass patches becoming brown or necrotic, or patches that are completely dead. Originally, it was presumed that symptoms were caused by another mealybug called the Rhodes grass mealybug, which has been reported in the U.S. since 1942. However, further investigations confirm that it's this new pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei).

It has devastated millions of acres of grazing land in Australia and has since spread globally. Its rapid reproduction, hidden soil-level feeding, and broad host range make it a significant threat to pasture health and livestock operations.

MealybugTAMU

Adult females are approximately 2-5 mm long, covered in a white, waxy coating. They are capable of producing nearly 100 offspring within 24 hours, resulting in several generations per season. While adult females can live for up to 100 days, most damage is inflicted by the youngest nymphs, which feed on plant sap and inject toxic saliva that causes grass to yellow, weaken, and die.

“This is a completely new pest to our continent, and Texas is once again on the front lines,” Commissioner Miller says. “If the pasture mealybug spreads across Texas grazing lands like it has in eastern Australia, it could cost Texas agriculture dearly in lost productivity and reduced livestock capacity. TDA is working hand-in-hand with federal and university partners to respond swiftly and protect our producers from this unprecedented threat.”

Houston has a problem
The estimated impact area currently covers 20 counties, primarily in the Houston area, including: Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, Refugio, Calhoun, Victoria, Goliad, Dewitt, Lavaca, Fayette, Jackson, Matagorda, Brazoria, Galveston, Wharton, Colorado, Austin, Washington, Burleson, Brazos, and Robertson. AgriLife entomologists have submitted a formal Pest Incident Worksheet documenting significant damage to pastures and hayfields in Victoria County.

Research trials are underway to determine the best integrated pest management options. Currently, there is no known effective labeled insecticide for pasture mealybug.

Affected plants include: Bermudagrass, Bahia grass, Johnsongrass, hay grazer (sorghum–sudangrass), St. Augustine grass, various bluestem species, and other tropical or subtropical grasses. Damage can occur in leaves, stems, and roots.

Symptoms:

Yellowing and discoloration of leaves within a week of infestation
Purpling or reddening of foliage
Stunted growth and drought stress despite rainfall
Poorly developed root systems
Dieback starting at leaf tips and progressing downward
Premature aging, making plants more vulnerable to pathogens

How to spot it

Scout regularly for mealybugs on grass leaves, stems, soil surface, leaf litter, and under cow patties
Focus on unmanaged areas such as fence lines, ungrazed patches, and roadsides
Look for fluffy, white, waxy, or “fuzzy” insects on blades and stems
If plants appear unhealthy and insects match this description, investigate further

“Early identification is critical, and we need every producer’s eyes on the ground,” Commissioner Miller added. “We are working diligently with our federal and state partners to determine how to best combat this novel threat and stop it in its tracks.”

If you observe suspicious symptoms or insects matching the descriptions above, contact TDA at 1-800-TELL-TDA immediately.

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