Grief. It is such an uncomfortable and uncontrollable feeling. It hits you at the weirdest times and often times makes you feel like you cannot shake it once it comes over you. Yesterday I found out that my childhood dance teacher, Brooke Myers, passed away after her battle with breast cancer. She was only 40, with a young family, a thriving studio, and literally one of the most vibrant and bubbly people I know. Feelings of sadness, anger, love, gratitude, heart break and so many other things have overcome me. We haven’t actually seen each other in person in probably 10+ years, with just some social media interactions since, and yet I am feeling extremely emotional and impacted by this great loss.

I began my dance journey at the age of three. Brooke actually danced at a different studio then, teaching the younger dancers like myself. Upon finishing high school she decided to open her own studio and I followed, since she was the teacher that I loved most. I remember the very first class on the very first day in her first studio space. It is amazing to remember that day all those years ago and now see how successful the studio has become 20+ years later. But to me, the success lies in the community, not just the awards won on the stage or the size of the studio. It lies in the strong, confident young people she inspired along the way.

After some reflecting today, I realized Brooke played an even larger role than I thought in how I chose my career path. Movement has been a part of my identity for as long as I can remember, and although dance took a backseat for a few years because of my commitment to field hockey, I came back to it now in my 20s. I teach cardio dance weekly and have even taken tap and hip hop classes in recent years because I just love it so much. I still have my tap shoes from high school and even some Dance Adventure clothes!

As an instructor and business owner, I continue to strive for what Brooke created at DA. She created a safe space for youth to come and express their feelings, build confidence, work hard towards a common goal, and have fun. In recent years, I have admired her work ethic and her strong community. She was bubbly, passionate, energetic, and vibrant - all things I believe I exude in my own classes, and whether she knew it or not, I definitely know that I inherited these things through my time under her instruction.

The dance world can be a toxic place filled with competition amongst each other and body image struggles to look at a certain way. I don’t ever remember that being something at DA. The culture was to work hard and be the best, but to always respect and be nice to the other studios at competitions. And in a world where there can be so much pressure for young people, especially girls, to look a certain way, there was none of that. I am thankful she was such a strong positive influence for so many young people, including myself. She definitely impacted how I choose to show up in the fitness world now.

I am heart broken for anyone and everyone that she knew. Whether you were her best friend, a lifelong dance student, a rival studio owner, or only met her once, I’m sure you were positively impacted by her positivity and vibrancy. Rest in peace, Brooke. I hope to continue to show up and create a safe space for my own fitness community just like you did for everyone part of the DA family.

Yours in self-discovery,

Rachel

Remembering Brooke