We Are Moving …and other updates!
We have lots on the go – tons happening behind the scenes! Please read on to make sure you are up to speed on what’s new in the sparkly world of Tone Bellydance!
Location Change: Southridge YMCA
As we continue to do our best in keeping our classes affordable, costs all around us have continued to rise. The cost to rent studio space at the Big Marble Go Centre (BMGC) increased significantly in Fall 2024, to the point where we had no choice but to find alternative space. While we still face an increase to our rent heading into 2025, it isn’t as much as what the BMGC is charging. Going forward, Tone Bellydance classes will be instructed out of ‘Studio A’ at the Southridge YMCA. Regular business hours are 5:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m., and the studio is through the main doors and down the hall to right (first door across from the gymnasium). It has mirrors, windows, and hardwood flooring, and there is quite a bit of parking…which is well-lit! Change can be tough, but this is a good option!
Registration Process & Price Change
The registration process will remain the same. We will provide links to register online, and participants will pay us directly for the cost of the session.
With the new year and the new move, we are bumping up prices just a tiny bit. Session prices are increasing by $5. As always, we are including the GST in our pricing so what you see is what you pay. So:
Price to sign up for one sessions - $165.00
Price to sign up for two sessions - $285.00
We recognize that the cost of everything is going up everywhere all the time, and we are keenly aware that when people look at what they can cut out of their budget… extracurricular activities are often a consideration. With this in mind, and while we have faced inflation over the last number of years, we’ve managed to absorb extra costs. We always avoid raising our session prices because we truly and sincerely believe that what is achieved in the studio is vitally important a woman’s spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health. We hope that the adjustment in pricing at this time – which is a direct response to the issue of rent – does not impact your ability to dance with us.
Winter Session Bellydance
Krista is back! As you are all aware, she has been working hard in school; she is in her fourth and final year to become a registered nurse and has rightfully been prioritizing her studies. Last session, this meant that she was unable to instruct or participate in dance classes. However – she has received her schedule and has confirmed that she will be teaching bellydance for the winter session!
Winter Session dates & details are below:
Choreography with Lindsay – Mondays, 7:30-8:20 p.m., Jan 13-Mar 17
Choreography with Krista – Mondays, 8:30-9:20 p.m., Jan 13-Mar 17
Beginner Bellydance with Charley – Wednesdays, 7:30-8:15 p.m. Jan 15-Mar 19
In typical fashion, your choreo gals haven’t yet landed on the perfect song…so not sure what we will be dancing to or whether there will be a prop! Stay tuned as we keep up the search for creative inspiration!
Show Details
We will have a show at the end of the winter session, and the date is already confirmed! We have booked the Medicine Hat High School performing theatre (same place we were in for June 2023 Hipfest), and show day is the afternoon of Saturday, March 22. While promo material won’t come out until much closer to the day, mark it on your calendars!
Re-Cap on the Path to Another New Studio and Looking Ahead
Quite a bit of change – but that’s okay! Thankfully, this isn’t our first time at the rodeo in terms of moving studios…it is, in fact, the fifth time we’ve switched spaces since 2012! For those that have been with us since the start, take a trip down memory lane with us! Recall:
- 2012-2014: The large orange studio upstairs on 3rd St, which we had to move out of because they reno’d that whole floor into apartments. We performed at tradeshows during this time.
- 2014-2017: The silver studio with white floors and crystal beaded curtains on 3rd St, which we had to move out of because the new landlord tripled the rent when it was time to renew the lease. We performed at the Legion ‘Spectaculars’ and ‘Wrap Ups’ during this time.
- 2017-2020: Wellness solutions sublease, which we had to move out of because COVID forced the closure of the business of the primary lease holders. We performed ‘A Bellydance Spectacular’ main stage production at the Esplanade, the Yates in Lethbridge, and the Broadway in Saskatoon during this time.
- 2020-2024: Studios at the Big Marble Go Center, which we are now leaving because the rent has more than doubled since we started there. We performed ‘A Bellydance Odyssey’ main stage production at the Esplanade during this time.
- 2025-?: Studio at the Southridge Y. What will we perform? Based on history, don’t you think we might have our sights on something big for this next chapter of Tone Bellydance? Don’t you want to be part of it when it comes to fruition?
Yours with a Shimmy,
Lindsay and Krista