Miss Gail’s dance studio is one of our small town treasures

One of the treasures we have of living in a small town is Gail Frederick’s School of Dance. Miss Gail, as her dance students refer to her, has been teaching dance here for 44 years. Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday she presented her 43rd dance recital (last year’s was canceled due to Covid.)

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

With two granddaughters taking dance lessons and since they didn’t perform on the same days, my wife and I attended two of the performances. As always we were delighted with their performances.

Several years ago two of our daughters took dance lessons from Miss Gail. Thus, we have been to many of the recitals.

One in particular stands out. Our youngest daughter, Amber, was four years old when she started taking lessons. She was so cute in her pink costume that it made me swell with pride.

I took my big video camera to the dress rehearsal and I’m glad I did because to this day we still watch what she did.

Miss Gail was asking each little girl to do a certain step and each did exactly what they were told to do, that is, until she got to Amber. She told Amber to do a move and our little darling started shaking her head no. Miss Gail tried to get her to do some other move and each time she turned her head to saying no. Those in attendance at the rehearsal were getting a kick out of it. Finally, Miss Gail got to the move Amber wanted and she performed it.

Like most, she continued to take dance lessons there until she graduated from high school. As the young ladies were introduced this year one had been taking lessons for 18 years. Students come from several area counties, including Clay, Laurel, Knox and Whitley.

Our granddaughters started taking dance lessons when they lived in another town. They now live here. My wife and I would make the four hour trip each time they were in a recital. They were very young then and it was worth making the trip for the two or three minutes they were on stage.

Even though the dancers there were good, each time I went I would think, “I wish these people could see the performances that Miss Gail puts on.”

This year, because of Covid, seating was spaced so nobody was next to you. Of course leave it to some who don’t follow the rules. Saturday night a woman sat directly behind me in the marked off seats, popping her gum and coughing. I didn’t see much of this happening elsewhere though.

And another thing that bothers me at these performances are the people who see their little darling and then exit. This is rude and not fair to the other students. This kind of thing has been going on for years and there is no way to prevent it.

But back to the positive, the quality of teaching is shown at the recitals. Young people love it and so do the parents who have experienced it before. Our daughters still have some of the costumes they wore many years ago. The memories never fade.

For me, I have transferred that old video tape to a DVD and from time to time we will watch and enjoy performances by our daughters from years ago.

Miss Gail thank you for making the dance studio possible here in Corbin. It has affected, in a positive way, so many lives of young people. It is truly a treasure in our community.

• I also want to thank all who have been vaccinated for Covid. It is helping to makes this terrible pandemic go away.

I got my shot as quickly as I could. Having had lung cancer I didn’t want to take any chances of getting the virus. I know from experience that not being able to breathe is one of the most terrifying experiences you can have. I don’t wish that experience on anybody.

The first time it happened to me was from a reaction from medicine. After my wife called 911, I watched the clock move slowly it seemed while barely able to draw a small bit of air. It took the ambulance 22 minutes to arrive.

People have various reasons for not getting the shot, but I would rather take a chance on what highly skilled doctors and scientists have recommended by getting the vaccine than taking a chance of getting the virus. Plus, it will make it safer for those around you.

Think about it!