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Beyoncé Orders Australian ‘Bey Dance’ School to Stop Using Her Name

NEVER use the lord's name in vain.

A Sydney ‘Bey Dance’ school has been forced to change its name and lesson program after receiving a cease and desist letter from Beyonce’s lawyers. The school, run by dancer Liz Cahalan, taught participants dances inspired by various Beyoncé songs, and was designed to help women “reclaim [their] bodies in all shapes and sizes.”

Beyoncé’s lawyers gave Cahalan two weeks to completely remove any Beyoncé references from her school in every form. The lawyers told her that any unofficial classes that might seem like they’re Beyoncé-affiliated are damaging to the singer’s brand. And fair enough! If I was Beyoncé, I, too, would not want a white lady pretending she knew how to dance as well as me.

Cahalan told the ABC she founded the school because Beyoncé “is so beautiful and so feminine, but also so powerful, and they’re not normally ideas we put next to each other.” Cahalan also insisted that her intent wasn’t to “take Beyoncé’s stuff and make some money off it.” Sure, Liz, whatever you say.

As we know, Beyoncé is quite fond of a cease-and-desist: Last year she ordered a Brooklyn-based brewery and a Latin bar to stop using her name on their products.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story misstated where Ms. Cahalan lives.