A popular dance studio in Whistler is fundraising to keep its doors open.
With its “Thrive for $5” campaign, ALGN Whistler is hoping to raise enough money to build a washroom to bring it in line with municipal building regulations.
Like many small business owners, Ámelie Lavoie has pumped all of her savings into her dream studio, which she envisions as a communal space for the whole community. She is an expert in her field, having danced on countless TV series, and she’s even worked with the top choreographers in the world, including Dana Foglia, the woman behind Beyoncé’s iconic moves.
So far, the fundraiser has topped $5,415, and Lavoie is blown away by the local support.
“I got access to the space in September 2021,” she said. “I have been living in town for almost six years now. I had been renting from all around town to run dance classes. When I was working at Lululemon in the village, I would always walk past this space. I just thought it would be an amazing movement space. I wanted it to be all about things that connect the community.”
But ALGN is not just strictly a dance space. “It was a place for people to align with whatever they do,” said Lavoie.
The BC Building Code, established by the Province, sets out the requirements for washroom facilities.
“The property in question was originally used as a retail space and did not require a washroom, per the Code,” a municipal communications official said, in an email. “Since its change in use to a dance studio, it requires a washroom within the unit under section 3.7 of the BC Building Code.”
Lavoie stressed the municipality was extremely helpful when it came to bringing her dreams to life.
“They have to abide by BC Building Code,” she said. “For the washroom thing, it’s not a safety issue. I share the building with restaurants upstairs. They are at full capacity. The municipality has been really good. They originally wanted me to have the washroom before I opened, I just couldn’t do that. I had put all my money into getting the company rolling.”
Lavoie received an extension from the municipality, but the worry remains. She is eager to get the ball rolling on the washroom so she can go back to doing what she does best.
“This has been a thing since I opened,” she said. “It was such a stress as a new business owner because I thought it was wrong to ask for help. There are so many other businesses that can relate. I wish I had gone to see one movie a month to keep the cinema open. If we had known that they were struggling, more people would have done that.”
The dance instructor added social media often only shows the attractive side of starting your own business.
“I think it’s important to be transparent, to let people know that this is hard!” she said. “It’s a funny world. We want to put out that everything is perfect, because we want to attract people into our place. My business license has to be renewed on Dec. 23. That’s what’s important.”
Lavoie is overwhelmed by the support coming from businesses around Whistler. Many have already experienced the hiccups ALGN is striving to overcome.
“Fellow business owners have reached out for a chat,” she said. “They are so kind. People have even come in with vanities that they no longer needed. The community is what keeps me going every day.”
The determined business owner’s mom knows more than most just how important dance can be. Holly Olivia Edwards explained their family doctor recommended ballet classes when young Lavoie had bilateral deformities in her feet. What started as an alternative to super expensive medical shoes became a life-long passion.
Lavoie has had her family with her, every step of the way.
“As a family, we stayed there for three weeks to help with the flooring and painting,” said Edwards. “She has taken out every loan imaginable. We would help her as a family if we could. If I had $30,000, I would give it to her in a heartbeat.”
Edwards became involved with the world of dance to help her recover from a brain injury. Here, she realized just how important a community dance studio can be. “I had two previous head injuries, including a roll-over car crash in Quebec,” she said. “The third time, I was broadsided. The whole impact went into the driver’s window of the car. The sheer force that went into my brain meant that if I had been in a car I would have been killed instantly. I was in a van.”
She had to learn how to walk and talk again as part of her miraculous recovery. “I wouldn’t have been able to carry a conservation,” she said. “This was in 1999. Ámelie was only eight or nine years old. I went for testing in Portland. They said that the amount of damage on my brain means I shouldn’t even be able to stand on my own. It’s a miracle that I’m as fit and active as I am, even just being able to walk without a walker.”
Edwards puts some of this miraculous recovery down to her involvement in competitive hip-hop.
“Ámelie was my dance teacher,” said the proud mom. “That’s how I got better, from her being my dance teacher. It was absolutely amazing. I still keep up with it.”
You can donate to ALGN’s Thrive for $5 campaign here.
