Anita Was Here

Final Recital

On Friday event was the final dance recital for the Anita DeCourval School of Dance in Bad Axe, MI. It has been a hard year for the DeCourval family, within months Anita lost her mother, and her husband. Anita had been teaching dance in Bad Axe sine 1987, she taught over 800 students in those years and touched all of their lives in some capacity. 

Anita always ended the recital with her solo dance, and this year as her last she danced to the Beyonce song "I Was Here". Not sure there was a dry in the room.

"I was here,
I Lived, I Loved,
I was here,"

Between Anita and Dave they left their mark on this community. Dave kept people safe, and brought soccer to the school well before anyone else was playing it in the midwest. When he passed you could see all the ways he impacted the community.

"I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time
Know there was something that, meant something that I left behind
When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets
Leave something to remember, so they won't forget"

Anita brought love of the arts, dance and performance. The words from her students, her alums and the mothers was heart warming. Anita made her mark, by doing what she loved and teaching others to love and appreciate it, and by pushing others to be their best.

"I want to say I lived each day, until I died
And know that I meant something in, somebody's life
The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave
That I made a difference, and this world will see"

Cruz clapping for Grannie

I have been blessed to have an amazing family, and to come into another amazing family. There are so many opportunities in life to make a difference, and most people choose to be normal, to fly under the radar, to not take risks... and decide not to leave their mark.

Never thought I would find a leadership motivation lesson in Beyonce lyrics, I guess its just one more thing impressive about Anita, and about the beauty of dance.

"I did, I've done everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I wanna leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here"