MOVE Productions, 8723 Bellanca Avenue, Unit B, Los Angeles, CA (2026)

02/26/2020

To my MOVE friends, family, staff, and dancers:
 
It is with a heavy heart and great reluctance I write this letter that I never dreamed I would. Due to circumstances that have reached a point I am not able to change or repair MOVE Productions will cease operating effective immediately. All events for 2020 and future will not be held. If you have paid any entry fees, they are being refunded or will be refunded.

Events such as large hotel/venue penalties, theft of equipment, and clients not paying their entry fees have all led to where we are now.
 From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank each one of you. I got to live my dream, albeit shorter than I had hoped, I still had the chance and opportunity of a lifetime. I truly loved seeing these dancers grow up on the stage before my very eyes. The memories, friendships, and life experiences are some I will forever be grateful to have experienced. I will miss MOVE more than I probably even realize at this moment. I will miss and cherish with fondness all the joy, hard work, and reward that came from MOVE. From the first time I sat in a coffee shop in Long Beach coming up with the concept for MOVE, to the last finals we held in 2019 in Palm Springs, I am overwhelmed that the competition became what I always dreamed it would.

To each and every judge, tech, staff member past or present, I thank you for the hard work and memories. To each studio owner who trusted us with your dancers I am forever grateful. To the dancers who took the stage, you are the reason I did this, and I loved every moment I had the privilege of witnessing your talents on our stage.
 To my mom, who supported me through all the good and bad times, I thank you. You always believed in me, you encouraged, pushed me, and supported me by coming to so many events. I hope I made you proud. I am so lucky to have a wonderful mother like you. Having my mom is a blessing I have never and will never take for granted. I love you.
 My father, whom passed away back in 1999, used to love the song “The River,” by Garth Brooks, He said the lyrics were words to live by. He always had a dream that my sister and I would follow our hearts and dreams. Dad, I hope you are proud of this. I thank you for all your hard work and sacrifice to give a gift to me that you never got to see in person.
I will leave my last feeling of gratitude and sadness with those lyrics from “The River,” that not only inspired my dad, but inspired me for a lifetime and I hope that beyond this sad day, will continue to do so.
 You know a dream is like a river
Ever changin' as it flows
And a dreamer's just a vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores
And I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Too many times we stand aside
And let the waters slip away
'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow
It has now become today
So don't you sit upon the shoreline
And say you're satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance that tide
And I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
There's bound to be rough waters
And I know I'll take some falls
With the good Lord as my captain
I can make it through them all
And I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Lord, I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Yeah
 Thank you for sailing with me for 11 years. My vessel is heading into waters unknown, but I will never forget and always be grateful that you all were apart of this wonderful journey that became MOVE.

With much gratitude and love,
Jimmy Heywood