Opinion: An open letter to Francois Legault from a dance studio owner
Mr. Legault,
In March 2020, we did what you asked. We closed our doors. We pivoted. We innovated. We went online.
We did what we could with whatever assistance the government had to offer.
Then we watched the mental health of dancers decline. We watched our teachers become discouraged. We watched our beautiful artistic community begin to crumble.
We did everything you asked and we barely survived.
That was round one.
In August 2020, we did what you asked. We opened with a slew of restrictions.
We reorganized for social distancing. We added time for sanitizing and cleaning. We added manpower for contact tracing. We added masks for safety.
We spent money we didn’t have because that’s how important dancing in person was for us.
We couldn’t pay our teachers. We couldn’t pay our rent. But we did what we could with whatever assistance the government had to offer.
We did everything you asked and we barely survived.
That was round two.
In October 2020, just as we were starting to gain momentum, we did what you asked.
We closed our doors for a second time, a harder time. We went back online but “Zoom fatigue" was kicking in.
We offered classes, workshops and training, but dancers all over the province were starting to give up. Give up on their dreams. Give up on their optimism. Give up on our future.
Dance studios across the province were forced to close not for COVID-19, but for good.
Owners lost so much more than their businesses. Teachers lost so much more than their jobs. Dancers lost so much more than their outlets.
All this, despite whatever assistance the government had to offer.
We did everything you asked and we barely survived.
That was round three.
In September 2021, we did what you asked.
We did not take for granted that we were still operating in a pandemic. We remained at reduced capacity. We continued to wear masks. We scanned passports. We lost a lot of our clientele.
There was no more assistance that the government had to offer.
We did everything you asked. We were far from OK but we were open, functioning respectfully and safely.
That was round four.
Dance studios are more than just walls, floors and mirrors. They are the life force, the air that so many breathe to survive. They are havens for those who can’t go home safely. Spaces to grow for those who can’t be themselves in schools or at work. Beacons of discovery for those who have lost their way.
Dance studios promote healthy bodies through movement, healthy minds through creativity and healthy hearts through community.
For many, dance is essential. We are essential.
Now we have been asked to close again and it is our turn to ask - How do you expect us to come back from this?
How do you expect us to keep doing what you ask, despite the destructive and harmful impact that this is having not only on our financial wellbeing but our emotional one?
We follow the rules because we are part of society, yet we are not allowed to complete our function in our society.
In 2022, we are asking to reopen the businesses that have followed the rules.
Businesses that will continue to operate safely. Businesses that will continue to provide a safe space. Businesses that will continue to improve our community’s mental health and physical strength.
This is what dancers are asking of us. This is what we are asking of you. We are barely surviving.
This is round five. Please do what we ask.
Sincerely,
Giulia Tripoli
Owner/director of Tripoli Studios Inc. and co-director of Workroom 5584
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”