Local Businesses Partner to Keep Kids Active
Easthampton, MA
Despite the challenges a global pandemic has placed on socialization and activity, local business owners are finding creative ways to bring us together. Art In Motion, the newest Easthampton dance school, and The Boylston Rooms, a wedding venue located in the Keystone Mill, have partnered to offer children socially distant and virtual dance lessons while we navigate this difficult time.
“Trying to build a brand new facility right now, one that serves our current and future needs, is quite the process,” says Noel St. Jean-Chevalier Co-Owner and Director of Art In Motion. She and Nicole Zaccari are building their new school in Keystone Mill, scheduled to open in early 2021. “The process may not be going as quickly as we like, but that has opened up more opportunities for us, not fewer,” responds Nicole. The owners say the challenge of not yet having a facility of their own meant lots of planning and creative placemaking went into developing their first class session. Currently, they are offering classes in Nonotuck Park, and they will be transitioning to their indoor session on October 12th.
The Boylston Rooms is a wedding venue located in the Keystone Mill. The venue is run by Erin Witmer, who owns the historic factory building with her husband, James. “We are thrilled to welcome Art in Motion to Keystone! They will be a wonderful addition to the vibrant small business community in the mill.” Witmer is excited to see a new creative enterprise find a home in the building and to welcome another women-owned business to Easthampton. This partnership makes use of a space typically quiet on weekdays, and offers a springboard for a startup to get “on its feet”, literally and figuratively. Remarks Zaccari, “This opportunity and this space is exactly what we need to serve our community right now.”
Hosting classes in this space is satisfying for Chevalier and Zaccari on several levels. Not only is the venue beautifully refinished, the danceable space is larger than any studio in the area. The space will allow for tons of social distancing while giving the dancers plenty of room to move freely. “Lots of studios are employing taped boxes as a distancing measure, which is really smart,” says Chevalier, “but remaining confined to a 6 foot box is still not ideal. We want to take advantage of this opportunity while we can.” Chevalier and Zaccari believe that by limiting class size in such a large space they will be offering students what others cannot.
Art In Motion at the Boylston Rooms holds classes Monday through Thursday 3-8pm for children ages 3-18. A full schedule can be found on their website, artinmotion413.com. For more details about The Boylston Rooms, visit boylstonrooms.com.
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