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Once upon a time there was an Irish dance studio in York, PA, called Ni Riain School of Irish Dance.  It was expanding and needed more room for its students and families.  Although they loved the community atmosphere in the old Heistand Elementary School, they needed to start looking for other options.  They found the road to be long and bumpy, for it was quite a challenge to meet everything on their wish list. 

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During their search, the owners of the school building announced that they were selling the

property to a local developer.  The plan was to convert the property into high-end apartments. The news added urgency to their quest and additional groups of people who would need a new home.

 

              After an exhausting search, they finally found a site that met all their needs, except… the property needed a lot of TLC (Tender Loving Care).

 

They held their breath . . .and took the plunge.

                                           

                                           

                                           

 

Brave and knowledgeable contractors gutted the building and replaced

all ductwork, insulation, drywall and electrical. They created new spaces

according to plans and updated the building for compliance with codes.

The Irish dance school made sure that their building would be a safe one.

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                             At last!  In January 2018, the coveted

                             Certificate of Occupancy was granted

                             for the 6,000 sq. ft. multi-use commercial facility.

                             The school now had 2 studios, 4 lesson rooms, a cafe,

                             an industrial kitchen and a full-sized parking lot. There was

                             so much space and so many possibilities, they decided to call

it the Ryan Center for the Arts and offer all they could to the community. Ni Riain

means "last name Ryan" in Gaelic, but they thought that Ryan would be easier to pronounce!

                    

 

 

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That Irish dance school in York, PA, moved in, appropriately enough,  

on St. Patrick’s Day in March   

with friends in tow. 

 

They are SO happy to begin the next part of their new adventure as the Ryan Center for the Arts,

with the wonderful students, families, and groups

that stuck together while climbing over that

steep  rainbow,

not searching for a pot of gold,

but rather a place to call their very own!

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