It is with a heavy heart that I announce the closure of the Z Room on November 11th, 2024. We have fought hard to make it work in our current location, but due to complaints from some of the neighbors about the conduct of some of the dancers who rented the Z Room, our landlord terminated our lease 13 years earlier than we planned. 

 

I am beyond disappointed at how this is going to affect the dance community in the Phoenix area. Hundreds of dancers use our facility every week. My one job was to keep the lights on and I have failed in my efforts to do so.

Please note that we fought hard trying many different solutions to fix the problem, but unfortunately, a few bad actors have taken the whole thing down. We’ve had dancers break into the stereo system destroying property, use the ladder to change our settings that were supposed to be out of reach, and bring their own gigantic speakers so that they could raise the volume higher than our allowed levels. We believe these actions, which we do not condone, led to the termination of our lease. 

 

I am going to think hard about opening another location in the future. As much as I want to be a hub for the community and make dance accessible for everyone (I didn’t raise prices in 9 years for this reason), right now I am tired. I’m going to take some time, lick my wounds, and do the numbers on opening another studio. I believe we deserve one and can do it with some more system limits, but right now I’m not ready to troubleshoot. 

 

Logistically, everyone will be refunded for their prepaid reservations. It will take us a bit of time to cancel and refund the entire calendar. You will all get your money back so please be patient with us while we deal with the task of closing.

 

I am so so sorry to all the dancers who will be affected. We have many weekly classes and individuals that practice and create art with us every day who will need to find a new home. I wish you all the very best and hope you are able to find new space to keep dancing, singing, speaking, and playing. If and when I decide to move forward, we will post it on our channels and let you know.

 

Lastly, I want to say thank you. Thank you for 9 amazing years at the Z Room. We wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the wonderful group of artists that regularly create in the space. I appreciate your many years with us and send you much love and energy towards your future endeavors. 

 

All the Best,
Stephanie Berg