Beginnings...

Inspiration!
When I was a little girl, I used to go to my nana's house on Tuesdays after catechism. She would always ask me to dance for her. One day, "The Merv Griffen" show was on, and he had a dance troupe performing. When they were done, my grandmother said to me, "Kerry, you're as good as they are, get up and show me what they just did". (Mind you, I was probably 10 years old, with no training to boot!) But, my grandmother said that I was as good as they were, so it must be true! I got right up, as confident as could be, and danced for her. She told me I was wonderful. Nana's don't lie! So, from that moment forward, in my young mind, I was a wonderful dancer, period.
On holidays, she'd ask me to make up (choreograph!) something special for her. I'd try, but I couldn't always remember all the steps, so I'd end up making the dance up (improvising!) as I went along. My performances were always met with her cheers, hugs and kisses.
When I was 13, I realized that my grandmother was very sick. (She had breast cancer.) I was still visiting her house every Tuesday. I would sit by her green recliner, and we would talk.
She told me that someday, I would run my own dance studio in her backyard, in the barn, and that my office would be right where we sat, in her living room.
I was very concerned about where my grandparents would live, and she assured me that she and my grampy would live at their cottage on the lake.
Comforted, I set out to make this new dream come true. I never doubted, for one second, that I could not achieve this goal.
I asked my parents if I could start taking dance lessons when the new school year began, in Sept 1973. My nana died in June 1973.
She never got to see my recitals, as I grew up. She never saw me perform in the Company that I danced in for 5 years. But, most of all...she never knew that I made "our dream" come true.
When I was 21, I opened,
"Kerry Smith Academy of Dance Arts", in her backyard, with my main office in her living room.
I did it, nana! And I did it well, because you inspired me and believed in me.
In my heart, I know my grandmother knows everything that I have accomplished, after she passed. I am certain that she watches over me to this day.
The biggest lesson I learned from my grandmother is...Be vigilant with our young people. They believe and trust everything we tell them about themselves. More so, love them for who they are. They see themselves reflected back in our eyes.
Teaching is the single most important and rewarding thing I have had the priviledge of doing in my life, so far. Being a teacher is an awesome responsibility. That one factor is what kept being a teacher always fresh. Every day was a new challenge.
Every day (inspiration!), every student (inspiration!), one student at a time (inspiration, inspiration, inspiration!) .