I am Margalit Kestin, daughter of our founder Ms. Leigh.
 
Many of you know me from my years teaching ballet at Dance Centre. I have been in and around my mom’s studios all my life. I stepped away years ago to raise my two children, but now – in this time of great need – I have returned as Director to help our beloved Dance Centre weather this storm.
 
Before I continue, I wish our entire Dance Centre family safety, good health, and some measure of peace in this time of terrible sickness and economic turmoil. There have been many difficult times for the world throughout the 27-year history of Dance Centre, but nothing can compare to this. We are a family, all of us – and when one family member suffers, we all feel the pain.
 
Of course, this has delivered a terrible economic blow to Dance Centre. We closed in late March as soon as it was clear that it would not be safe for our children to come to class. We suspended tuition beginning in April, and we’re working to resolve pre-payments for competitions that won’t take place. Sadly, we had to temporarily release our dear staff and teachers. Our focus – my focus – is now on making sure Dance Centre survives this closure, and that we keep our dance family together so we can all come back and dance with joy when the world allows us to do so.
 
To that end, words cannot express my gratitude to our teachers and staff who continue to give freely of themselves to keep us together, and to keep us dancing. We are offering free online classes (and other fun events!) through Zoom and Instagram, and we have turned up the heat on our Instagram and Facebook presence. We meet constantly to work on our online presence and plan our future. Behind the scenes we’re working with health professionals and government to explore when and how we might re-open safely in the face of this crisis.
 
It is only through the tireless and selfless work of Amanda, Bethann, Colleen, Heidi, Jenn, Karen, Laura, Leisa, Maria, Marissa, Sara, Tara, and Wendi that we are staying together, and it is their work that will bring our school back to life when the time comes. Ms. Leigh and I stand behind this wonderful team with tears in our eyes and hearts bursting with love, respect, and deep gratitude for their efforts. Please show your own appreciation by enjoying their classes, inviting your friends and family to participate, and posting your own dance photos on Instagram and tagging us at @DanceCentreNY.
 
We have many ideas for how we can re-grow once we reopen, and you’ll see hints of that in the coming weeks. We’ll be announcing online master classes with special guest teachers, and expanding our classes into other performing arts. We will use this time of isolation to re-imagine Dance Centre, filling our studios with such excitement that the doors will burst open to welcome you back when the time comes.
 
Stay safe, and keep dancing!
 
Margalit Kestin, Dance Centre Director