I am so lucky that my family was musical. At age three, my mother put me in dance classes. She was a dancer back in the 30’s and 40’s. Her mother was an organist at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lawrence and therefore my mother played the piano, danced and always had one of her own children, grandchildren and now great granddaughter on her lap when she played.
I began dancing with Betty Allsop at age 5. I was a jumping bean in my first recital – a memory forever. Growing up in Bellingham it seemed like we performed at least once a month for one club or another and always at the American Legion, VFW and always the Lynden Fair Talent Show. Red Carpet Capers came to town – I was allowed to dance with the adults, the Sweet Adeline’s put on Concert’s and I performed with them, Stan Boreson came to town…I performed and won a trip to Victoria for my family. I danced at intermission during football games – once on a huge drum that was built for me. I danced during the Blossom Time Pageants. The love of singing and dancing was in my soul.
Back in 1966 I was at Shuksan and tried out for the high school operetta – Music Man. I was Amaryllis. Now I became hooked on musicals. The following years we did The Sound of Music, South Pacific and Funny Girl. Merv Sliger was our grade school music teacher, Choir teacher at Shuksan and then we were able to have him as our Choir Director at BHS. During the 70’s I was able to choreograph the Swing Choir for him and later the Showstoppers for Linda Short. I also started choreographing musicals at the Theater Guild and the High Schools and WWU Summer Stock.
I left Bellingham for PLU in 1969. Even in College I found space in the gym and taught classes to the Professor’s children. In 1979 I married my husband, Mac and over the next few years we had two wonderful children, Ben and Brittany, and I also started my own studio the same year we married.
The first 2 years I was on the top floor of the Fairhaven Marketplace and I know the parents didn’t enjoy the 4 flights up to bring their children to classes every Saturday morning. Next I spent quite a few years in the basement of the Bay Street Village and eventually moving over to James St. From James St. I moved out to the northend of town near Albertson’s and finally in 1996 we purchased the old Hillview Dairy building on Cornwall – my last move. Over the years some students have gone on to perform in companies, some have started their own studios and Barb Levin, who was one of my first adult tappers back in 1979, is still tapping with us. We have been fortunate to have traveled to Australia on 3 occasions to perform and we are looking forward to Japan in 2007.
It’s heartwarming to raise students in the studio and become a part of their lives for years and years and years. When I began teaching with Betty back in the 60’s, I now have had the children and some grandchildren of my first students. With all my teachers we have been able to share the love of dance, performing and we always have an ear and a hug for our students.
My sister, Debby, joined the studio a few years ago. She was raising her 3 children and saw I needed help getting organized in the office. Once she took on the office everything became organized and more organized. She now is there more than full time and has become an icon and all the ‘little’ people run in to get their ‘hugs’ from Miss Debby.
The Dance Studio is a warm and caring place for all of our students. The students are challenged by their instructors and always leave classes feeling good about themselves and know they are amongst great friends for life. I love what I do – my little ones always ask me if I have a job…guess that tells it all….
