In conjunction with the Boneyard Arts Festival this coming weekend, the new Amara Yoga & Arts will debut with an art show in its new space on the east of Lincoln Square Village in Urbana.

Amara aims to showcase work by local artists, offer art workshops and art therapy for kids and adults. Yoga classes also will be offered. Yoga begins in May. The owners plan to have a variety of different yoga classes available, including classes for children, plus Pilates and meditation courses.

The people behind the venture are Theresa Brandabur, yoga studio director, and Kathryn Fitzgerald, the art director. Both are Champaign-Urbana residents who met in San Francisco, where Fitzgerald ran an art gallery.

Both eventually moved back to the area and decided to open a "dual-use" space, and they loved the space available in Lincoln Square. They renovated the area to include a studio, dressing rooms and a bathroom.

Amara's inaugural art show, "Somewhere Else – Paintings and Photographs by Lyosha," will be on display from April 18 to May 18. The opening reception is from 6 to 8 p.m. next Saturday.

The studio and gallery is located across from Cardinal Fitness and just south of the Great Impasta restaurant.

More information is available at www.amarayoga.com, 328-9642 or info@amayoga.com.

Capoeira

If you heard about or attended one of the capoeira shows in Champaign-Urbana last weekend and were inspired to learn more about the Afro-Brazilian art, you can drop by the Cordao de Ouro or Capoeira Academy in Champaign.

The academy opened in the space at 32 E. Springfield Ave. last fall. Last week it hosted capoeira players from across the U.S. and Latin and South America and held several events across campus.

The owners, husband and wife Aisha and Denis Chiaramonte, offer a variety of different classes for people, Aisha Chiaramonte said. Children can start around 3 years old. In addition to classes for children, the academy offers beginner and advanced classes for adults, and music classes.

"It's a really great workout," said Aisha Chiaramonte, who trained while pregnant.

Created in Brazil by African slaves, capoeira is done while participants are standing in a circle.

"It's kind of a conversation you have with each player," Chiaramonte said about the game. And some players are more playful or aggressive than others, she said. Capoeria can be used as self-defense, she said.

Class enrollment is ongoing. The first class is free.

The academy is just across the street from Rock's bar.

More information is available by calling 721-0887 or visiting www.cdoillinois.com.

Creative class

Danville native Sara Ortiz has started offering creativity workshops and creativity parties for kids and adults and businesses.

She calls her business Buttons & Rainbows. The name was inspired by how young children first learn how to button buttons and how they learn their colors by painting rainbows, Ortiz said.

A little more than a year ago, the 26-year-old, self-taught artist started a children's clothing company, painting colorful designs on T-shirts and making felt bookmarks and other items. Late last fall, she decided to switch gears a bit.

"I realized that simply making a product for somebody wasn't really satisfying to me," she said.

Ortiz wanted to teach creative thinking through workshops, parties and retreats. She has been designing exercises that help people learn how to think creatively and promote creative thinking in workplace teams.

New law firm

University of Illinois College of Law graduate Alex Tsiavos opened a new law firm in Urbana this month. He is focusing mostly on bankruptcy and debt issues.

While a UI student, he worked in the law school's clinic with debt-stressed clients, providing them with legal counsel on dealing with debt collectors and, if necessary, filing for bankruptcy.

His new office is at 1606 Willow View Road, Suite 2H, U, and he can be reached at 344-3331 or www.c-u-law.com.

Details, details

If your car is as messy as mine, maybe you need to schedule a spring cleaning.

Derrick Winfield recently opened a new car detailing business in east Urbana.

Winfield and the staff of Beyond Clean Auto Detail offer basic exterior car wash and vacuum to a more detailed job of waxing, plus shampooing of interior carpets.

And here's something handy. They offer a pickup and delivery service, so you can have your car detailed while you're at work or at home.

The shop is at 708 E. Main St., U, and can be reached at 722-8733. It's open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Wish list

Given the brevity of this week's column, I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask readers what businesses they would like to see in Champaign-Urbana. If you were in charge of retail development, what would you want to see open in your neighborhood?

On my list: a DSW shoe store, a Trader Joe's and a Nordstrom Rack.

Last week, I visited the Milwaukee Public Market, an interior marketplace in the Historic Third Ward. There you could buy (surprise, surprise) cheeses and meats, but also local produce and sandwiches, and you could sit with friends and sip some wine or take cooking classes.

Could something like that work here in C-U?

Send me an e-mail with your thoughts and I'll post some results next week.

Are you opening a new business or changing an existing one? Christine des Garennes can be reached by phone at 351-5388 or 800-252-3346; by e-mail at cgarenne@news-gazette.com; or by regular mail at The News-Gazette, c/o It's Your Business column, P.O. Box 677, Champaign, IL 61824-0677.