11/21/2021
It has been quite a year and a half of changes and growth for Bedouin Beats.
In March 2020 the studio made the choice to keep our students, our staff, and our patrons safe from a completely unfamiliar and dangerous threat. We cancelled classes and shows and events. We closed our store and our doors. And it wasn't long before we lost a physical home we had grown to love for well over a decade. Like many other businesses, we felt the hit but kept going. We continued on with online classes and moved our shows to a virtual format which was able to reach a wider audience. However, as with any change, growing pains are always a part of the journey.
Despite our efforts to continue classes and shows in the new online format, it slowly became apparent I wasn't going to be able to sustain covering the expenses for services needed to maintain our new reality. We've reached a place where, with a heavy heart, I need to make the choice to officially close the studio. I don't make this choice lightly. I've looked into possible physical spaces but there are two issues to that.
-I'm still not comfortable with where this pandemic is or where it's going. The current high numbers, while not as high as they were toward the end of the summer, don't give me much comfort to the direction of this virus.
-The last 20 months have been difficult for small businesses everywhere. Ours was no exception. Without the class registration and merchandise sales, the income dwindled while the expences accrued. So the idea of anticipating entering into any rental agreement is just no longer feasible.
I want to thank those who were able to support the studio in any way during our transition. Whether it was taking online classes, donating to watch one of our shows, or just sharing our info in hopes of finding new students/patrons. I also realize this was (is) a difficult time for many so maybe you were unable to support the studio even though you might have wanted to. It's understandable and know that you're still a valued member of our family.
While Bedouin Beats will no longer be the entity it once was, please remember that it was the faces that made it the prominent presence in the community. We hope you'll continue to support the instructors who gave so much of their time and creativity for their students. Several are still teaching (whether online or in person). This page and our group will now serve as a place for them to post their classes and events to make sure this beautiful artform is still on the forefront of our city. If you can, take a class.
I will also be posting the many clothing items (costuming, streetwear), props, jewelry, DVDs, etc... here to the page/group through our Square Site. If you're interested in purchasing anything, please reach out. I've added some already. Feel free to take a look around. More and more will be added in the coming weeks. You might just find the perfect holiday gift for you or someone you love.
https://bedouinbeats.square.site/
Thank you all so much for being a part of the Bedouin Beats family through the first half of its life with Empress Denise, the middle years with Stacie and I, and up until now with me. Running the studio for the last 6+ years has been an absolutely highlight and I have so many amazing memories to look back on. I'm grateful for the people I've met because of it and will never forget the many ways it enriched my life.
~Michelle RedSauce Kaplan
SUPPORT OUR LOCAL INSTRUCTORS...
Want to try a class and not sure how? Here's a list of our most recent instructors. If they don't have contact info below, reach out to us directly and we'll put you in touch with them.
Donna - Traditional Bellydance, Folkloric, Bellydance Fitness, Fusion Bellydance, etc.
Holly - Traditional Bellydance, Bellydance Fitness, etc.
Kelly - Traditional Bellydance, Zumba, etc.
Michelle RedSauce - Hip Hop Fusion, Fusion Bellydance, Traditional Bellydance, etc. - https://www.facebook.com/michelleredsauce
Saskia - Traditional Bellydance, ITS, Modern Fusion Bellydance, etc. - https://www.facebook.com/lunadancefusion
Tania - Traditional Bellydance, Fusion Bellydance, etc.
TriDevi Dance Troupe - FatChanceBellyDance® Style (Orig. ATS) - https://www.facebook.com/TrideviDanceTroupe
