Week 22 - Studio Desmeen New Studio Fund

Performance at the Franklin Farmer's Market

I've been learning the art of belly dance since 2009 when my husband was deployed to Iraq. I needed an outlet from a very stressful home life with a newborn, a 3 year old, a master's degree in the works and a corporate career. I was overwhelmed and drowning in responsibilities.

I heard about an adult education class in belly dance and was intrigued. None of my friends would sign up with me, so I registered for the class and went by myself. After the first 15 minutes I was hooked. The music, the laughter, the beauty, and the camaraderie of a handful of moms brave enough to try something new was intoxicating. After the six week class was over, I wanted more. But I didn't want to just learn the basics, I wanted to really learn the craft.

That's when I found Studio Desmeen. The first time I called, I was daunted to learn there was no beginner class available and I would have to join a group of girls who had been dancing together for 7 years. I am NOT a dancer. I had flashbacks to floundering through an aerobics classes always doing the exact opposite of everyone else while the veterans of the class lost patience with me. But something inside of me wasn't ready to give up, so I showed up to the first class with all the bravery I could muster.

And it was HARD. And I was terrible at it. But these women welcomed me with open arms. We laughed together, they empathized with me and they accepted me as is, lack of rhythm and all. The second class they invited me to jump in and try the choreography with them. And it was then that I decided I was going to learn it, no matter what.

Fast forward 2 years to April of this year. Our Desmeen came to class and announced calmly that the Studio was closing, she needed some time off and she couldn't promise she would ever be back. We were devastated. The next several weeks, we danced without our hearts. We could all go elsewhere to other studios, but it wouldn't be the same and we would lose each other as dance sisters.

Our Farewell Party to Studio Desmeen in it's original location

We decided to try to maintain the studio rent on our own for the next few months. Some of the most experienced girls taught the classes and collected the money to keep the studio going, but the lease was over for good at the end of July. Desmeen came back to rehearse for a performance we had scheduled and told us that she was negotiating a lease on a new studio just blocks from the current one!

There is nothing that makes me happier than helping to support the new studio. Dancing with Desmeen and my sisters in dance have given me so much joy over the past few years. Currently, we are raising funds to replace the carpet in the new space with something friendlier to dancing feet.

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