Hi everyone,

This is one of those newsletters I knew I would have to write one day, but it still feels emotional to put into words.

After 14 years in our current Guelph dance space, Flying Dance Community will be moving away from leasing a full studio and into a smaller rental-based space.

There are practical reasons for this decision.

The cost of maintaining a full-time studio space has continued to grow. The parking challenges around the area, especially with ongoing construction, have made things less convenient for our students. And as Flying Dance Community continues to expand into multiple cities and smaller local communities, the way we use space is also changing.

But even with all those practical reasons, this is not just a business decision.

This is a heart decision too.

Because that studio was never just a room with mirrors and speakers.

I built it as a home.

It was the place where so many people took their first nervous dance steps.
It was the place where strangers became classmates.
Classmates became friends.
Friends became part of a community.
And for some people, dance became one of the things that helped them feel more alive, more confident, and more connected to themselves again.

Over the years, we have seen many lives change inside that space.

Not always in loud or dramatic ways.

Sometimes it was simply someone walking in shy and unsure, then slowly learning how to smile at another person, ask for a dance, make eye contact, laugh at a mistake, and try again.

That is one of the beautiful things about partner dancing.

When you dance face to face with another human being, you are not only learning steps. You are learning how to listen. You are learning how to adjust. You are learning how to trust. You are learning how to be present.

In many ways, you are growing as a person.

And I have been lucky enough to witness that growth for many, many years.

For that, I am deeply grateful.

I also want to take a moment to thank the owners of the building and the owners of NV Kitchen & Bar, Richard & Randon.

They have been incredible landlords and incredible human beings. Their generosity helped Flying Dance Community survive one of the hardest seasons we have ever faced: COVID, when we were closed for two and a half years.

Because of their support, we were able to keep going.

We were able to rebuild.

We were able to continue serving this community.

And now, because of the foundation that was built in that space, Flying Dance Community has grown beyond one location in Guelph. We are now teaching in multiple communities, with a growing team of instructors and supporters helping us share the goodwill of dance across Southern Ontario.

That is something I will never take lightly.

Over the last four newsletters, I have been sharing more about the transformation happening inside Flying Dance Community.

We introduced The Flying Connection Method:
Learn. Practice. Connect. Share.

At first, that may have sounded like a new program structure.

But the more I sit with it, the more I realize it is also describing what is happening to us as a community.

For many years, the studio helped us Learn.

It gave us a place to build foundations.

It gave us a place to Practice.

It gave us a place to Connect.

And now, in this next chapter, we are being invited to Share.

Share dance with more people.
Share connection with more communities.
Share the joy, confidence, laughter, movement, and human warmth that has always been at the centre of Flying Dance Community.

So while this is the end of one chapter, it is not the end of the story.

In many ways, it feels like the story is opening up.

I will miss many things about having our own studio.

I will miss the convenience of booking private lessons in our own space.
I will miss walking into a room that carried so many memories.
I will miss the feeling of Friday Night Salsa Fix in that familiar home.

And I know many of you will miss it too.

Friday Night Salsa Fix became a regular rhythm for so many people. It was more than just an event. It was a place to unwind, meet people, practice, smile, and feel part of something.

That spirit will continue.

It may look different. It may take a new shape. But we are already thinking about what the next version of that experience can become, and we will share more with you soon.

But there is one thing I can say with confidence that we will not miss:

The 37 steps you had to climb just to get up to the studio.

If you ever arrived at the top out of breath, cursing at your lack of stamina, and yet warmed up before class even starts, you were not alone.

Maybe those stairs were secretly part of the Flying Dance fitness program all along.

For now, I want you to know this clearly:

Flying Dance Community is continuing.

Our summer classes will continue in Guelph.
Our classes in the other communities we serve will continue.
All recently purchased passes are valid, and remember they don’t expire if you take a break from dance.
And we are also preparing to announce a couple of new communities soon.

The mission is not getting smaller.

The space is getting smaller.

But the vision is getting bigger.

With the universe willing, I plan to continue teaching, dancing, learning, laughing, and sharing this work until I am past my 95th birthday.

That is how deeply I believe in this.

And our team is looking forward to sharing the joy of dance, the joy of connection, and the joy of love with as many small communities as possible through The Flying Connection Method.

Because the world does not only need bigger events.

Sometimes the world needs smaller rooms where people feel safe enough to smile again.

Smaller communities where people can walk in alone and leave feeling like they belong.

Smaller dance floors where people can remember that they are not just busy, tired, working, scrolling, and surviving.

They are human.

And humans need music.
Humans need movement.
Humans need laughter.
Humans need each other.

For a long time, our Guelph studio was an anchor.

It gave us a home.
It gave us stability.
It gave us a place to gather.
It helped us become who we are.

Now, I feel like it is time to release that anchor.

Not because we are drifting away.

But because we are ready to fly.

So many people have come through Flying Dance Community, grown as dancers, built friendships, and then flown out into the world carrying dance with them.

Now it is time for Flying Dance Community itself to fly in a new way.

More mobile.
More flexible.
More connected to different communities.
More focused on what has always mattered most:

Genuine smiles.
Real connection.
Being present with yourself.
And building community on and off the dance floor.

I also want to thank every person who has supported Flying Dance Community over the years. So so many individuals to thank.

From the classes in Guelph, to the Flying Dance Festival at Royal City Park and Guelph Lake, to the dance memories created in places like Goderich, Hamilton, Elora, Milton, Georgetown, Paris, Waterloo, and beyond, every person, every event, every class, and every dance has helped shape this community.

To everyone who has ever taken a class, attended a social, brought a friend, volunteered, taught, hosted, encouraged us, shared a post, bought a pass, or simply walked through the door when showing up felt hard:

Thank you.

You are the reason this community exists.

This is not goodbye.

This is a thank-you.

And this is a new beginning.

I look forward to seeing you on the dance floor as we continue learning, practicing, connecting, sharing, and flying together.

With deep gratitude,
Nico
Flying Dance Community

P.S. Just joining us? Catch up on the last four newsletters. They tell the full story of what we're building, our transition: 

→ Introducing The Flying Connection Method 
→ The Dance Floor Is Waiting 
→ 22 Years. One Big Thank You. And a Birthday Gift for You.
→ Shorter Classes. Bigger Dance Journey

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