A Vancouver dance studio is closing its doors after 12 years due to the pandemic
Posted January 16, 2022 1:11 pm.
Last Updated January 17, 2022 6:26 am.
A downtown Vancouver dance studio is closing its doors after more than a decade due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Jennifer Dancey, director of D2 Dance Studio, says COVID-19 health measures have taken a major toll on the business.
“It doesn’t make sense to pay rent on a space that you’re not allowed to use,” she told CityNews.
“We are constantly shutting down and working at limited capacity which takes a toll. The government support programs definitely kept us afloat for the last two years but it isn’t enough when you keep closing a business down. We just he just can’t sustain that.”
Dancey and her husband began holding community dance lessons 15 years ago. The couple started out in Robson Square and eventually opened their own space.
Dancey says she is devastated to close the studio.
“It was so painful. We cried, I’m still crying occasionally. At the beginning of the week, I was crying from grief because there is a grieving process when you have to end something like this.”
Despite the emotional turmoil Dancey has faced since deciding to shut down her studio, she says she’s thankful for the community support.
“The outpouring of love from the community has been amazing and we’re not leaving the dance community. Maybe when this pandemic is over, we might start another studio because we love helping people make their lives better.”
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Mixed reaction over new B.C. COVID-19 restrictions
Measures brought in last month in response to increasing Omicron infections forced a number of businesses, including bars, gyms, and fitness centres, to close.
The order is set to expire Tuesday, though that deadline has come too late for many who’ve suffered lost revenue over the course of the pandemic.
The latest modelling unveiled Friday showed Omicron infections across Metro Vancouver and other areas of the province likely hit their peak already. However, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry noted the coming weeks are expected to be challenging for the health-care system.
– With files from Greg Bowman
