Help Diane cover the cost of stepping down from Ringstar

I'm Diane Barbeau, founder and soon-to-be former owner of Ringstar Studio. And frankly, I could use some help.

I opened Ringstar in 2013 alongside my partner Chris as a place for his stage combat troupe to rehearse and store equipment. The goal was for the studio to pay for itself, and pretty soon it succeeded. By offering aerial classes, open gyms, and renting to other teachers and events, Ringstar grew into its own unique presence. I was very proud to be part of the "weird" culture of Ann Arbor.

Fast forward to the post-COVID closures era and the studio was thriving. I invested a lot of time and effort into growing it, embracing it as an aerial fitness facility first and foremost. We started presenting showcases. We had a whole roster of amazing instructors. Things were going great, and the future looked promising.

And then I left Chris at the end of 2022.

Caught up in the entanglements that come with the end of a marriage/long term relationship, Ringstar went into financial decline. For various reasons, starting in January of '25 it will become Chris's studio, and I won't be involved anymore.

Unfortunately, while the studio will become someone else's, the debt it has accumulated will not. I’ll be making payment plans to take care of things over time for the most part, but there are some more urgent expenses that my last month of ownership won't cover, which is why I'm asking for a hand.

This GoFundMe will take care of the remaining utility bills, and a business credit account I haven't been able to keep up with these last few months. With this last bit covered, everything else will gradually get sorted out and I'll have some room to breathe.

The community of aerialists, acro yogis, dancers, etc have already been incredibly kind and supportive during this time of transition, and I'm bummed to be asking for even more. I've been proud of how I've been able to manage things mostly "on my own." But this will help me close out this chapter with a little more grace and a little less baggage, and move into the future- where I'm hoping aerial classes will still be happening somewhere else!

Thank you so much for reading, for sharing, for donating, for sending well wishes, whatever the case may be- it’s all appreciated. I’m extremely grateful, and so incredibly lucky.