Ending 2022 with Good Changes

Change. Change is one reality of life that is constant. Without change there would not be growth. And without growth we stagnate. Within change is also the opportunity for creativity and seeing things one never thought possible. There are big changes happening for Aroha Afro Latin Dance.

First, we are changing locations. I will be closing the downtown location in December and in January we are moving to The Healing Arts Exchange, a location we have taught out of before. We will be located at 617 West Palmetto Street Florence, SC. Lesson learned; in Florence, when you have a business that doesn't serve food or drinks and is open only in the evenings, it is hard to get folks inside the space. The public's assumption is that nothing is happening because people don't see it. So the next space I open for my organization will have a couple of daytime options. These plans are in the works.

Second, we experienced a steep drop in new dance clients so I will no longer offer 4 week classes on a regular basis. We are moving to:

- monthly Saturday classes,

- monthly dinner and dance,

- every 3 months a guest instructor on Saturdays,

- and every 3 months a 4 week foundations dance class.

Third, for my dance students who are loyal and have continued to come, I am offering an invitation only class. This class is for people who want to go beyond checking a dance class off their bucket list and want to advance their skills. Students in this class will also have the opportunity to join a dance team I am forming. The dance team will do performances as well as have a show that focuses on social justice themes that will be used to create spaces to have dialogue and conversations with the public.

I have loved having my own space. Lots of wonderful things have happened out of the space. I have met awesome people and some of them are coming with me to the new location which does my heart good. The studio has been a place of peace, warmth, joy, connection, and beauty. Although I was sad at first, this sadness was replaced with excitement as I will not stop teaching and dancing. This new move will actually allow me to reconnect with the joy that dance brings me and reduce the stress I was feeling.