New Dance Studio Opens

Despite the pandemic, a new dance studio has opened on Grand Ave.

DULUTH, Minn. – Despite the pandemic, a new dance studio has opened on Grand Ave.

218 Dance Project is a full-serve dance studio that provides classes at the recreational and competitive levels.

One of the owners tells us this new business is a dream come true and they expect to be very busy for years to come.

“We are beside ourselves,” said Ashley Thompson, the co-owner and director of 218 Dance Project. “We were hoping for something half this so the support we’ve gotten from the community has exceeded expectations. I think we opened at a time when the Duluth dance community felt a little bit in need so we were glad to help fill that void.”

To keep safe, the dance studio is implementing a mask policy and requires that there be no more than nine dancers in a studio at one time. There are also markers on the ground to keep people socially-distanced from each other and they are also disinfecting all commonly-touched surfaces between classes.

“It’s so exciting because it’s a new opportunity,” said Kendall Tonkin, a dancer. “It brings new things to the table. There’s new people to know. There’s different types of dance.”

The studio also does a deep clean at the end of the night and has temperature checks at the door. There are also virtual learning opportunities for kids as another option to keep safe.