Laura "La" Keys

Oh My Dear Ms. La…. I think the reason I am writing now, and so late, is because this is all so sudden, and quite honestly, does not feel real. I have so much to say, and I think I have finally found a SMALL amount of words to say to you, and about you. You are one of the most influential people in my entire existence. You have given me such “pearls of wisdom” (as you’d say), that I have taken with me in my every day life. Anybody who knows you, knows how passionate you are and how much you love music, dance, baseball, movies, crafting, dogs, but most of all… your students. I am beyond honored to have had you as my teacher. Your knowledge for dance, and even beyond was always something I admired. A “pearl of wisdom” from you that remains engraved in my brain will always be, “if you want to be a better dancer and stand out, always learn the other side, and add a beat to it.” I’d be rich if I had a dollar for every human I said those words to (and always gave you credit for it). Your words, and not just those, have carried me through my professional dance career, to this DAY! As soon as I learn a piece of choreography, I always flip it in my brain, to be prepared, and I genuinely think of you saying that in my head!! You have impacted my dance life tremendously, and I thank you for playing such a pivotal role in my training and professional dance life. I started my message earlier by saying how honored I was to have you as my teacher. But now, I’m sharing how honored I was to have you as my friend and someone I could always talk to. Each and every time I had Ballet, I knew I couldn’t wait to run to you to tell you a new story about a pup (or mine), or an accomplishment at school, or a song that made me think of you… And it’s because you always made me feel like you cared about anything I had to say. THAT is something that I will never forget because it was one of the traits about you that made me feel so loved and welcomed by you. Even if it was the silliest story, so tedious, you sat there and listened to every word. Little do you know how much those conversations meant to me. I thank you for being someone I could always confide in, always cry to, and always laugh with. I loved sharing every dog video, every Sal Valintentti video, every time songs played in the grocery store or on the radio that made me think of you. Our bond grew so deep, that we kept in touch frequently after I graduated from my time at JJDA. You forever stayed in touch, congratulated me on my accomplishments and was always one of the first to celebrate me. You always said Ballet wasn’t my thing, and I may never be a prima Ballerina. But you never doubted me ONCE. You always told me I would make something of myself in dance, and I should never ever stop because I was special. YOU made me feel special. Thank you for being my friend and for making any space you were in a safe space. This is just a SMALL blurb of the amazing woman you are. I could keep going on and on, but all of a sudden the screen is getting a little blurry from tears, as it often does now that you are someone my heart is grieving. I hope you feel celebrated and I hope you realize how your light never dims, even in times like this. If anything, it’s shining even brighter if possible. I pray you’re smiling from above with your pup reading all of these messages. I hope you’re able to see the impact you’ve had on so many hearts and souls. You’re so beautiful, on the inside and out. I pray you’re my Ballet teacher and friend in every lifetime. I love you Ms. La, rest in the sweetest peace and give us all the signs whenever you can. P.S. I will also never forget how you never missed a birthday, not once. Seeing all your emojis and silly pictures on my birthday always made me smile. I hope every birthday from here on out you send me something special. ❤️