Community Corner
The Dance Experience Continues After Devastating Fire
Boys & Girls Club of Bristol lends a helping hand to a community in need.
By Brian M. Johnson, The Bristol Press
March 10, 2022
The Boys & Girls Club of Bristol has stepped up to let The Dance Experience run classes out of their Family Center building after the studio was destroyed by fire.
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The fire that destroyed The Dance Experience on Feb. 24 consumed the plaza at 53 Main St., it also destroyed Crystal Diner, Vidaldi’s Pizza and a local liquor store.
“The recent fire that destroyed The Dance Experience building didn’t destroy the spirit and drive of its owner and operator, Marci Middleton Aldi,” wrote the Boys & Girls Club of Bristol on social media. “When the Boys & Girls Club of Bristol reached out to offer them a temporary home, she we was ecstatic. The Dance Experience classes have resumed without delay at the Boys & Girls Club of Bristol. We are glad we were able to help this local business of 23 years.”
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Middleton Aldi wrote on The Dance Experience’s Facebook page that the day of the fire was “devastating.” However, she said that it was fortunate that no one was hurt and that what was lost can be replaced.
“TDE has been my happy place, my home away from home and my dreams realized for the past 23 years,” she wrote. “It is where my girl grew up. It’s such a large part of our lives. What I’ve realized today is nothing has changed. What sadly was part of a horrible fire today was not TDE; it was a building. Our home is where our heart is, where our dance family is, our teachers, our dancers, our parents and our alumni. That’s our home.”
Middleton Aldi said that she was “overwhelmed” by the amount of people who reached out to her with offers to help.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to you all,” she wrote. “I am so very moved. Your messages have meant so much to me and my family.”
Mayor Jeff Caggiano thanked the Boys & Girls Club of Bristol for stepping up.
“Thank you to our great community partners, the Boys & Girls Club of Bristol,” he said. “The city has also reached out to the three other businesses and are looking new homes for them.”
Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.
