Save our studio, Save Candy Jazz

**ESPAÑOL**


Hola a todos; somos Candy Machado, directora artistica; Maria Mercedes Barbella, directora ejecutiva y Clemen Machado; co-directora artistica de Candy Jazz Dance Academy.

Los últimos meses han sido muy duros y complicados para todos, nos hemos visto afectados de maneras muy diferentes. En nuestro caso Candy Jazz Dance Academy, ha estado cerrada desde el comienzo de esta pandemia viéndose muy afectada. Una Decision tomada a conciencia y poniendo la salud en primer lugar.

Tuvimos la suerte de contar con un alumnado, padres y profesores que participaron en clases on- line durante 3 meses y medios y nos ayudaron a sobrevivir durante la cuarentena.

Ahora en este nuevo periodo de año académico estamos reabriendo nuestras puertas con las clases presenciales y online. Y es cuando se nos presenta el gran reto para mantener abierta la academia. Estamos muy preocupados de poder lograrlo y es cuando queremos hacerles una petición. Necesitamos su ayuda y apoyo como el que siempre nos han brindado. Ahora mas que nunca. Nos negamos a perder esta batalla.
Cerrar Candy Jazz implica perder nuestro negocio, nuestros profesores y alumnos, nuestro capital y nuestro futuro aqui en estados unidos, para muchos de nuestros profesores implica perder su fuente de ingresos principal y para nuestros alumnos perder su lugar de formacion y desarollo.


Candy Jazz nace hace 40 años en Venezuela y surge por la pasión que mi hermana clemen y yo le tenemos a la danza, un proyecto al que luego se sumo Mary. Ha sido un sueño por el que hemos luchado en las buenas y en las malas. Empezando de cero en varias oportunidades. Hace 6 años abrimos Candy Jazz en Estados unidos llenas de ideales de progreso y de mejores oportunidades. Sabíamos que no iba a ser fácil, pero con la certeza que lo conseguiriamos. Hemos luchado incansablemente una vez mas para ver y vivir cada uno de los logros.

Es impresionante empezar a saborear un ascenso de nuestros logros y sentir que ya estamos mas consolidados, que vemos la evolución y de pronto..... todo se fue..... debido a la pandemia. Los que ya nos conocen saben lo que hemos luchado por surgir y sobrevivir a toda adversidad, confiamos plenamente en este proyecto CANDY JAZZ DANCE ACADEMY que tanto amamos. Candy Jazz tiene 40 años en clases y escenarios, repartiendo cariño y amore por la danza al que quiera pertenecer a esta gran Familia.

Con el paso del tiempo hemos acumulado deudas, sobretodo del alquiler, hemos podido ir aguantando; pero ya estamos en un punto critico y es por eso que decidimos hacer este "go fund me" para intentar aliviar estas deudas. 
Ya agotamos el recurso del "Small Bussines Administration" pidiendo los prestamos que ellos han ofrecido; pero no pudimos obtener nada. 

Estaremos eternamente agradecidos con todos ustedes por: primero; ser parte de nuestra familia y segundo por su colaboracion, significa mucho para nosotros su apoyo y recepcion.
 
No queremos cerrar nuestras puertas y abandonar este proyecto que tanto amamos y hemos construido. Un espacio donde los alumnos se sienten libres y en confianza para dejar su imaginación volar y superarse como bailarines y personas. Compartimos tanto con nuestros alumnos que muchos se convierten en familia, una familia de baile que siempre esta presente en los corazones de quienes han bailado con nosotros!

 

**ENGLISH**

Hello everyone; we are Candy Machado, artistic director; Maria Mercedes Barbella, executive director and Clemen Machado co-artistic director. 

The last few months have been very hard and complicated for all of us, we have been affected in very different ways. In our case Candy Jazz Dance Academy, has been closed since the beginning of this pandemic, being very affected. A Decision taken conscientiously and putting health first.

We were lucky to have a student body, parents and teachers who participated in online classes for three and a half months and helped us survive during the quarantine.

Now in this new period of the academic year we are reopening our doors with in person and online classes and is when we face the great challenge to keep the academy open. We are very concerned about being able to achieve this and for this reason we want to ask for your help. We need your help and support like you have always given us, now more than ever. We refuse to lose this battle.

Closing Candy Jazz implies losing our business, our teachers and students, our capital and our future here in the United States, for many of our teachers it means losing their main source of income and for our students losing their place of training and development. 

Candy Jazz was born 40 years ago in Venezuela and started from the passion that my sister Candy and I have for dancing, a project that Mary later joined. It has been a dream that we have fought for through thick and thin. Starting from scratch several times. Six years ago we opened Candy Jazz in the United States full of ideals, of progress and better opportunities. We knew it was not going to be easy, but with the certainty that we would make it. We have fought tirelessly once again to see and experience each of the achievements.

It is hard to begin to savor a rise in our achievements and to feel that we are already more consolidated, that we see the evolution and suddenly... everything is gone... due to the pandemic. Those who already know us know what we have fought to emerge and survive all adversity, we fully trust this CANDY JAZZ DANCE ACADEMY project that we love so much. Candy Jazz has been in classes and stages for 40 years, giving affection and love for dance to those who want to belong to this great Family.

With the passage of time we have accumulated debts, especially rent, we have been able to endure; But we are already at a critical point and that is why we decided to do this "go fund me" to try to alleviate these debts.
We have already exhausted the appeal of the "Small Business Administration" asking for the loans they have offered; but we couldn't get anything.

We will be eternally grateful to all of you first, for being part of our family and secondly for your collaboration, your support and reception means a lot to us.

We do not want to close our doors and abandon this project that we love and have built so much. A space where students feel free and confident to let their imagination fly and excel as dancers and people. We share so much with our students that many become families, a dance family that is always present in the hearts of those who have danced with us!

THANK YOU!