“To sum up everything I’ve experienced since March 2020 is impossible; but I can say that while it’s been scary and difficult, it’s been equally astonishing. In June 2020, to weather the tumultuous future, my sister and I let go of the lease on our studio and moved everything to my home and continued as much of our music and dance classes as we could virtually. Over the summer, we surveyed the families and together made plans to attempt to return to in-person classes in my backyard (I am very fortunate to live and work in the same neighborhood as our students). Families helped prepare for this adventure by supplying tarimas (wooden dance boards), chairs, making face covers for the students, and even helping me fix my fence! I still can’t believe how much love these families were throwing at us to make these classes possible over the last year-ish. We really made some magic happen in my home, and our business name, Casita de las Artes, took on a whole new literal meaning. I will always remember the little art projects where we ended up covered in paint, creating choreographies and stories together, and playing on the hammock in the yard. As we prepare to return to our studio, I already miss the time we spent outside together and I hope that we continue to create and be together in all these other ways we discovered. I know my cats* will miss the kids, too :)”