A Donegal dance studio director has hit out at the inconsistency and the lack of support from the government after another devastating delay.
Sarah-Marie McDevitt, Managing Owner at the award-winning Pinehill Studios, has said today’s delay on training, group exercise and dance classes is heartbreaking.
Her Letterkenny dance studio has been closed since March 2020 with the exception of 4 weeks last September, and Sarah-Marie sees no light at the end of the tunnel for the sector.
While attention turns to pubs and restaurants again after today’s announcement, Sarah-Marie believes that children’s activities have been brushed to the wayside as something unimportant.
Not every child is interested in football and many are missing the freedom and release that comes with dance or other activities which are being held back, Sarah-Marie told Donegal Daily.
“We have been holding off, and holding off, trusting in the government that they know what they are doing,” she said.
“GAA can carry on, but for small businesses like ourselves that are dedicated to a small community, we do not seem important enough to even worry about or get a mention”.
“How are parents supposed to explain to their 3-15 year-olds that they can play football and go to school but that gymnastics, dance, and drama aren’t allowed?”
Pinehill Studios Mountain Top Letterkenny
Pinehill Studios was getting ready to reopen with evening classes from next Monday. They had an ‘unreal’ uptake in places from children who were so excited to be starting back, said Sarah-Marie.
“The whole emphasis with the government is education, but there are some kids that need more than education and are missing the social element of extra curricular activities which is important for both the mental & physical health of our younger generation,” Sarah-Marie said.
At present, the only way for Pinehill to resume classes is to bring them outdoors or to offer individual training, but Sarah-Marie said it makes no logical sense with practical hurdles like the weather hampering activities.
“We pay rent and overheads for buildings/facilities which are now lying vacant,” Sarah-Marie said.
“The most frustrating part is we can go 15 minutes across the border and hold classes all day indoors. Here, we are following the rules in the hope that we can get our businesses back off the ground.”
Pinehill Studios
Sarah-Marie, and many of the Pinehill instructors have switched to full-time employment to make ends meet during the extended closure.
With little government incentives, the one motivator that brings them back is the children.
“I hold one-to-ones on Saturdays and seeing the kids bouncing in the door, having their freedom to do what they want, warms my heart. The studio is my dream, but those kids give me motivation and it’s not about the turnover, it’s about what the children get from what we do.”
The future for dance studios and group exercise remains unknown this summer, but this community is feeling more and more isolated.
“You just hope that if we keep doing the right thing it will reap the rewards in the long run but it’s getting tiring now.”
