On My Mind

Rhee Gold

Words from the Publisher

When it comes time to say goodbye to our time on earth on our way to that big dance school in the sky, we can’t take a whole lot with us. On the other hand there’s certainly a lot that we can leave behind, especially as a teacher. We help shape the future of each young person who dances through our classrooms, whether they choose “the life” or not. When we do inspire a student who becomes a teacher, they’ll pass on our influences and philosophies to their students and that will continue generation after generation. The March/April Goldrush is a tribute to those who’ve come before us leaving a considerable mark on who and what we are today.   

The historical schools, organizations, and teaching philosophies featured in this special edition Goldrush are just a few of the dance pioneers who paved the way for all of us.  Each has had an enduring influence on North American dance; they have reputations that demand respect more than a century after they first hit the dance scene. 

Today we often hear how small the dance world is, and I believe that’s true. Everyone seems to know everyone or has at least  heard of them. Reading the March/April Goldrush, you’ll discover just how small the dance community was in the last century.  As the Goldrush staff gathered our research for this special edition we discovered that many of those featured have at one point in their history crossed paths with one another. Fredrick Kehl, founder of the now historical 125 year old Kehl School of Dance in Wisconsin (coming next month) once served as the President of the American National Association of Dance Masters, which eventually became Dance Masters of America. The Cecchetti Council of America was established in 1939 as a committee of the Dancing Masters of Michigan, which was a chapter of Dance Masters of America. Enrico Cecchetti trained Anna Pavlova exclusively from 1907-1909. In 1910 Pavlova performed her first U.S. tour, she purchased pointe shoes for her company dancers from Salvatore Capezio who, at the time, was an innovative shoe repairman and cobbler working from his small shop in New York City. He would one day found the Capezio brand (coming next month), respected by dancers worldwide. As for the Gold Family, you’ll read that my mom, Sherry Gold, went through all levels of her Cecchetti exams and was very active in Dance Masters of America and I once served as DMA’s National President. 

Our community is at the very beginning of a new century of dance. Today’s dance educators, schools, universities, organizations and businesses are the dance pioneers of the moment; each is establishing their own legacy that will almost certainly influence the future of dance. We’re passing on the oldest art form known to mankind, what an exciting opportunity!  If we do it right, maybe some magazine publisher a hundred years from now will be doing research in his twenty-second century browser and one of our names will pop up as having made a difference, and he’ll do a story.

Coming Next Month-April Goldrush Online