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Bev Gries leaves behind a legacy of dance
 The dreams of thousands of children and adults became reality in October 1989 when "Miss Bev" followed her dream and opened a dance studio in Show Low. Those thousands are now celebrating her life and accomplishments.
Beverly Anne Anderson Gries died peacefully and with dignity on Wednesday, Jan. 28, after a battle with cancer. She touched the hearts of all who knew her and said just before she died, "Don't mourn my death, celebrate my life."
That small dance studio in Show Low grew into a place where the children of this mountain experienced the joy of performing and learned to never give up on their dreams.
Besides providing the gift of dance to so many at the Dance Academy, Miss Bev volunteered at the schools with programs such as Character Counts, DEAL, artist-in-residence programs, teaching classes and helping choreograph countless productions for area high schools.
Her oldest daughter, Crystal Hall said, "She was always giving, especially if it could make someone's dream happen, no matter what their situation was."
Hall gave several examples: "She had an autistic child who couldn't perform with the class because she needed assistance, but she wanted to dance for her first recital. My mom held her hands as she danced on stage."
A family who lost their father due to cancer couldn't afford to keep paying for dance lessons for their daughter.
"My mom told her not to worry about a thing or a costume. Mom made it happen for that little girl."
When a student became ill with cancer, she sent the family on a vacation to Disneyland.
Many of Miss Bev's students went on to become professional dancers. Twenty-year-old Molly Tock started taking lessons with Gries at the age of 3. Tock helped teach classes at the studio and was encouraged by Gries to expand her horizons.
"Bev got me started, she pushed me to get out of Show Low," Tock said. "She was so inspiring. She told me stories of when she was a professional dancer, and I wanted to be just like her."
Tock did leave Show Low and completed high school at the Virginia School of the Arts and later danced with the Richmond Ballet. She is currently dancing with the Starrsoster Dance Project in Richmond, Va.
Another student, Patrick O'biern, is a professional dancer working in Los Angeles. He has performed on a cruise ship and worked with Mia Michaels of the hit TV show "So You Think You Can Dance."
Another of Gries' students, Lacy Derrick, is dancing for a company in Australia.
In August, Gries turned the running of the studio over to Becky Robinson.
"Classes didn't stop because Bev was ill or even when she died. She would have had a fit if I did that," Becky said.
At the age of 13, Gries was handpicked by renowned ballet master and choreographer George Balanchine to receive an apprentice scholarship to his School of American Ballet in New York City. Her parents didn't send her due to her age, but she went on to win many national and world championships for ballet, ballroom and Latin dancing. In 1986 she ranked number one in the world in Latin/ballroom dancing. Gries' fight with cancer didn't stop her from fighting for her "kids". She never let her illness show and performed in her last production of the Nutcracker this past December.
"She loved life to the fullest. No matter what it threw at her, she always looked up. Attitude can effect how your life is lived and what you make out of it. Attitudes are contagious and hers was definitely worth catching. My family and I were blessed to have such a wonderful person in our lives," Crystal said.
Gries was known for her many sayings and poems that she would use to inspire her students. One of her favorites was "spread your wings and fly, baby, fly."
A poem that Gries wrote sums up how she felt about life and dance: "To dance upon the winds of heaven, To touch an angel's wing, To embrace this passion we call life, What a joy to my soul doth dance bring."
Gries' family is proud of her and how many lives she touched. They wish to express how appreciative and grateful they are for all the calls, cards, flowers, gifts and food they have received.
A special thanks goes to RTA Hospice for taking such good care of her and allowing in the hundreds of people who showed up to visit her.
A viewing will be held at Owens-Livingston Mortuary in Show Low on Friday, Feb. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Show Low Auditorium starting at 2 p.m. The family welcomes all who wish to honor and celebrate her life.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mountain Dream Dance Company in the name of Beverly Gries for performing arts scholarships. Cards and letters can be sent to P.O. Box 34, Lakeside, AZ 85929.
By: Karen Warnick, The Independent
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We Miss You Miss Bev ... You are always in our Hearts! | |
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