The Radiant Room
Welcome to The Radiant Room at Heartdance Studio!
Ron and I would like to share with you, the extraordinary story of #1810 E Michigan Avenue in Lansing, MI. Ron and I have lived in our home behind our storefront business since January of 1981. We shared a driveway with the adjacent property, which at the time, was a rental house behind another commercial storefront. Our neighbor, Liz, purchased that property, soon after
we moved there. She lived in the house and the storefront became her business, known as Liz’s Alterations. We truly loved Liz and celebrated our new neighbor with deep gratitude.
Nearly 40 years later, on Sunday, March 27, 2022, I was awakened by my beloved Ron’s voice shouting at our bedroom window “Liz’s house is on fire!” Fire Trucks, six of them, arrived immediately. They were filled with those I lovingly call “Fire Angels.” Fortunately, Liz was not home, so no one was in the house and Ron was able to rush out to let the Fire Angels know that no one was home. Witnessing these extraordinary angels work their magic dance with the terrifying flames in the wee hours of an icy cold day was a truly amazing sight to witness.
Several hours flew by until the blaze was seemingly extinguished, but the fire continued to reignite a few more times that Sunday morning, until large areas of the roof were cut away to get water to where it needed to be. The cause was faulty wiring in the upstairs bedroom. By September, after continual contact with Liz, who was with her sweet sister Ethel, in California, Liz shared with us that she was going to live with her sister and sell her property. After careful consideration, we then decided to approach Liz with an offer to purchase her property.
In August of 2024, we are now able to look out our windows and see ourselves as our very own next door neighbors with an entirely NEW building that we refer to as, The Radiant Room! #1810 E Michigan Avenue in Lansing, MI now has ample parking behind our building, as well as a lovingly and thoughtfully landscaped green space with a path lined with the bricks from the front of the old building, which are outlined with the insignia from Liz’s Alterations, that remind us of the many years we spent together as neighbors at this beautifully restored location.
On the south wall inside the Radiant Room, there hangs a gorgeous work of art created by Susan, an extraordinarily gifted artisan. Within the Heart center of her work, Susan wove in a gift given to me by my dear friend and adopted sister, Linda. The fabric contains a Chinese Proverb which reads, “An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.” This was the seed of Susan’s Art from the moment Linda gave me this meaningful gift.
As I read those words, I knew this was how I would begin to weave Liz and her own amazing fiber arts business into our new building. Liz’s south wall in her alterations shop was considered to have been her “thread wall” and now, the invisible thread which connects us all, lives on! I am deeply grateful to all the seemingly magical connections that weave themselves throughout each of our daily lives. Thank you for reading our story of #1810 E Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI from Liz’s Alterations to Heartdance Studio’s NEW Radiant Room! Come experience the magic!