Save Artistry In Motion Performing Arts Studio
Donation protected
A plea to the universe...
As I sit slumped over my computer today trying to figure a way out of this overwhelming position I am in my 15 year old daughter walks in. Knowing the struggles I am facing my daughter asks me if she can do anything to help. I said, "Thank you, but don't worry I will figure this out". After a few minutes her and her sister come back in and says to me... "Mom, you can't get any help if you don't ask... that's what you always tell us, right?"
So this is me asking the universe for help...
My name is Erica and I am the director/owner of Artistry In Motion Dance Studio in Vero Beach Florida. I am a wife to a wonderful man and mom of two extraordinary girls. I believe strongly in education and enhancing our knowledge through music and the performing arts. I started AIM in 2008 with my youngest daughter strapped to the front of me and 18 dancers. The studio has grown so much over the last 12 years. We offer multiple styles of dance, a full theater department and a family friendly environment for young humans to learn and grow. I love what I used to do and all the dancers that became part of my heart. This is my story and journey through this pandemic.
I had to close our doors on March 13th, 2020, two months before our end of the year show and play due to the covid crisis. For the first time in 12 years of teaching young humans how to perform and feel confident in their own skin, I had to cancel the remainder of our season. I felt the struggle our families were facing so I immediately froze all accounts and did not remove any additional tuition. My staff and I reached out to all of our dancers. Sending video messages and placing phone calls to check on them and make sure they were handling all the changes ok. We also made bracelets (respecting social distance requirements) and hand delivered them so that the dancers would know that we were still there for them even though we could not see them. I knew the cancelation of our play and show was going to hurt all the dancers in some way and I hated making that decision. To quote Forrest Gump "Thats all I have to say about that"
The other thing that keeps me up at night is that I have not been able to pay any of our staff members over the last several months. We received the original assistance but did not qualify for much because most of my employees are 1099. The studio did not qualify for any additional assistance after that. I have applied for numerous SBA, PPP, consolidation loans, grants, etc... The studio was denied assistance at every turn. The studio either did not have the right pieces of paper or did not have enough employees to qualify. The studio also had established a line of credit several years ago through On Deck, when I attempted to use the line of credit, I was told that all lines of credit were frozen and were not available to use at this time. So I sit and wait.. wait for permission to save my business... this was very difficult for me to comprehend. I considered virtual classes but that is a whole other subject for a whole other day. Shorten version I teach and inspire through human interaction. Plus, I didn't sign up to teach to a phone and try to hold a young humans attention while their dog runs by and licks their face in the middle of a split. While wildly amusing... not the way to teach anything affectively.
Jump forward several weeks and we finally get the go ahead to reopen at the end of May, Yeah baby! So excited and head straight to the studio. When arriving that same day, I was devastated to see we did not have a road, parking lot or any access to our building due to the county relocating the water main because of the widening of a road near the studio. So now I can't even open if I wanted too... what? I was told that the work would be completed by the middle of June but arrived last week to see that they are still working on the site. And to wrap up the heavy... because we had to cancel our end of the year show, I chose to do the right thing by our families and apply credits on every single account. These credits were for costumes, photos, videos and recital fees that were never used. Although I can not write refund checks, all of our families can use the credits towards tuition, camps, costumes, etc... But the total for just that part was $24,672.00. The debt that has been incurred over the last several months of being shut down (costumes that were ordered, tickets, theater rental, bills, etc) and the money it will take to reopen is how I came up with the figure listed above.
I never thought I would be sitting in this space right now. I take pride in not asking for hand outs and working hard for something you believe in. Growing up in southern Illinois, I was taught that if you worked hard and did the right thing by people that you would succeed in life. We have a logical business plan, summer camps, private lessons and our new season in the works. The whole staff can't wait to get back to dance, but with things changing by the minute, numbers going up and the media fueling fear, I just don't know what the future holds for the studio. The studio has quite the mountain to climb and I am not ready to give up... I am not ready to bring more disappointment to these young humans that call our studio home... I am not willing to live in fear, however I am wise enough to know that this is a mountain I don't believe I can conquer on my own. I am putting it out into the universe that I need help to continue what I was meant to do. I truly believe that I was meant to teach dance, theater, life and love to our next generation of humans. They need our love and support but most of all they need a world that they can be proud to be a part of in the future. Please give me the opportunity to continue to cultivate good humans. Thank you for your time.
As I sit slumped over my computer today trying to figure a way out of this overwhelming position I am in my 15 year old daughter walks in. Knowing the struggles I am facing my daughter asks me if she can do anything to help. I said, "Thank you, but don't worry I will figure this out". After a few minutes her and her sister come back in and says to me... "Mom, you can't get any help if you don't ask... that's what you always tell us, right?"
So this is me asking the universe for help...
My name is Erica and I am the director/owner of Artistry In Motion Dance Studio in Vero Beach Florida. I am a wife to a wonderful man and mom of two extraordinary girls. I believe strongly in education and enhancing our knowledge through music and the performing arts. I started AIM in 2008 with my youngest daughter strapped to the front of me and 18 dancers. The studio has grown so much over the last 12 years. We offer multiple styles of dance, a full theater department and a family friendly environment for young humans to learn and grow. I love what I used to do and all the dancers that became part of my heart. This is my story and journey through this pandemic.
I had to close our doors on March 13th, 2020, two months before our end of the year show and play due to the covid crisis. For the first time in 12 years of teaching young humans how to perform and feel confident in their own skin, I had to cancel the remainder of our season. I felt the struggle our families were facing so I immediately froze all accounts and did not remove any additional tuition. My staff and I reached out to all of our dancers. Sending video messages and placing phone calls to check on them and make sure they were handling all the changes ok. We also made bracelets (respecting social distance requirements) and hand delivered them so that the dancers would know that we were still there for them even though we could not see them. I knew the cancelation of our play and show was going to hurt all the dancers in some way and I hated making that decision. To quote Forrest Gump "Thats all I have to say about that"
The other thing that keeps me up at night is that I have not been able to pay any of our staff members over the last several months. We received the original assistance but did not qualify for much because most of my employees are 1099. The studio did not qualify for any additional assistance after that. I have applied for numerous SBA, PPP, consolidation loans, grants, etc... The studio was denied assistance at every turn. The studio either did not have the right pieces of paper or did not have enough employees to qualify. The studio also had established a line of credit several years ago through On Deck, when I attempted to use the line of credit, I was told that all lines of credit were frozen and were not available to use at this time. So I sit and wait.. wait for permission to save my business... this was very difficult for me to comprehend. I considered virtual classes but that is a whole other subject for a whole other day. Shorten version I teach and inspire through human interaction. Plus, I didn't sign up to teach to a phone and try to hold a young humans attention while their dog runs by and licks their face in the middle of a split. While wildly amusing... not the way to teach anything affectively.
Jump forward several weeks and we finally get the go ahead to reopen at the end of May, Yeah baby! So excited and head straight to the studio. When arriving that same day, I was devastated to see we did not have a road, parking lot or any access to our building due to the county relocating the water main because of the widening of a road near the studio. So now I can't even open if I wanted too... what? I was told that the work would be completed by the middle of June but arrived last week to see that they are still working on the site. And to wrap up the heavy... because we had to cancel our end of the year show, I chose to do the right thing by our families and apply credits on every single account. These credits were for costumes, photos, videos and recital fees that were never used. Although I can not write refund checks, all of our families can use the credits towards tuition, camps, costumes, etc... But the total for just that part was $24,672.00. The debt that has been incurred over the last several months of being shut down (costumes that were ordered, tickets, theater rental, bills, etc) and the money it will take to reopen is how I came up with the figure listed above.
I never thought I would be sitting in this space right now. I take pride in not asking for hand outs and working hard for something you believe in. Growing up in southern Illinois, I was taught that if you worked hard and did the right thing by people that you would succeed in life. We have a logical business plan, summer camps, private lessons and our new season in the works. The whole staff can't wait to get back to dance, but with things changing by the minute, numbers going up and the media fueling fear, I just don't know what the future holds for the studio. The studio has quite the mountain to climb and I am not ready to give up... I am not ready to bring more disappointment to these young humans that call our studio home... I am not willing to live in fear, however I am wise enough to know that this is a mountain I don't believe I can conquer on my own. I am putting it out into the universe that I need help to continue what I was meant to do. I truly believe that I was meant to teach dance, theater, life and love to our next generation of humans. They need our love and support but most of all they need a world that they can be proud to be a part of in the future. Please give me the opportunity to continue to cultivate good humans. Thank you for your time.
Organizer
Erica Ogle
Organizer
Vero Beach, FL