I
*
good
ro youbeconenore (eotive.whot youdiddo,youbecorne
"h ny dot I g0€$ youlind ol hodom !o.lin lile. Tfi€rew6i i0 literret or (ellphoner,
Surie,onddon(ing
tludorlt.
dt," roidlobbieAnnt Don(eSludlolounderBorltroSnrhllshownwilh herdoughter,
Dance
stillbustlins
after60vear
Bobbie
Ann's
Studio
its 60thyear of businessin Cccil County
Susie's nlother, Barbara Smith, opt'ncd
thc studio in September19.17s hen she wns
just 16. Non 77, Barbarahas retir€cllrom
ith a tunefrom Disney's"The Little teaching,but in her sparetime shestill peoks
N{ermaid" playing in the back- in on classes- an cas! task sirrceshe lives
ground, 46-year-oid Susie Snlith in the samehousethrt connectsto the vinglidee a.ros! th€ old wood flLror of he.
"l used to not mind when thc childrenof
Elkton dancestudio, her eyes fixed on the
group of young dancerstip{oeing their way my studentscamein and the grandchildren,
to the next formation.
but the great-grandchil.hen
bothersme. It's
The ensembleof 6- and 7-year-oldgirls, gone so fasi, ii's scrry," Barbara saicl."lt
dressedin pink leotards,white tights and nakes me proud to be here so lon& but it
rvell-rsornballet slippers,are just her first alsornakesvou feel so old."
group of studentsfor thenight. In the hours
Susienot{ operatesthe studio,i\,hichconto follow, the studio will bustlewith elegant tinuesto offer localdancerslraining in basic
dancers,many of who have attendedreg!- danceiechnique,including baUel tap, jazz,
larlv sinceearlv childhood.
ballroomand oiher tradirronaldanceforms.
Bobbie Anns Dance Studio has been a The studio also incorporatesactinginto the
lonstime fixiure in downtown Elkton, and school curriculum, producine one larse-
ly n.be(dSowlld
'
Barbarastill rcnienbefs hei first recital,
titled "Talk oi ihe To$ n, and hnssavedthe
original 19J8progranr.Nlanvof the dancers
froDr the production still live in Elkton,she
snid,and are now in their 60sand 70s.
r\ lifelong resideni of Elkton, Barb,rra
decidedio o|en the llancestudio afler grad'
uating from high school, irhere students
onlv aitendeduniil agc 16.Though shehad
an interestin TV production,vearsof dance
instruciion inspired her io open the busi-
"ln my dav, I gless you kintl of had one
goal in tife. There llas no lntemet or €ell
phones,so you becamemorecreative.What
),ou did do, you becamegood at. I guess
I openedthe sludio becauseI just kept on
takhg {dancelessons),"Barbarasaid."Now
At localdancestudio,
notmuchhaschanged
butthemu
80lBl! Ailil'i
frompoge(l
I don't know what kids do.
They have so rnany different tlings to think about tt's
much b-etter rf you have a
goal."
The businessbetan in her
stands next to the current
studio. AJter seveEl years,
Barbara purchased another
ploperty on East Main Street,
wher€shecontinuedto teach
before moving to the current
lDcahonin 1958.
"I think it's Breatbe€ause
around that survive 60 years,
especialy doinS som6thing
like this," Susie said, referring to the studio's continuing success.
loday, the businesscaters
to aboutS0studentt someas
young as 2 and otheE well
mother's
home,
whichnow theres nottoomanypracesinto theh20s.lust * n*
mother operated the business for dkades, Susie pre
fers that class sizes r€main
small, enabling teachers to
give each dancer individual
att€ntion.
"Not much has chang€d.
We keep things about the
th"at doesft mean teachint group of youn
is the same as it was whe;
ing arouni ttre
BarbaGstartedthe studio six it'aclearthatth
decadesago.
is still tfuiving
Times have changed,she Elkton.
"dancing
said. whil€ music,
"You have t
and the creative arts wer; heart for this, r
once a higNy respectedpart to know that e
Susie added: "We have
rncolporated a few of the
more modem things, like
hip-hop, but we are very haditional here."
Though the studio has
resisted conforming. to
today's fast-pacedstandards,
than there once was.
"What I hate now is I hardly know a child who takes a
piano lesson or talcs a singint lessonor playsthe violin.
There'sso much cultlre lost
her€anymore,"shesaid.
But }dth an enertetic
werein ihe gt*Tll.:"t"Trl;ig:J,"i?$""1i
fift",,"1"1l:1"
::fi:gi+?'X$
lhmi
CE€ILWIC F]OIO BYlr'AII GIVTN
Surie5r th, lolt,porlornr! ddn.erouline
whllaleoahlng
onrdvolred<lorrllurrdoyot lollie fun'r
oofta Sl'dion' fllro".
3.clT1e_s
Ever!
a child can be
person in th€ w
can bdng them
right song and c
got to mak€ ea
important, and
makesyou wan
ing to do_this.".