Last dances for a popular teacher
All good things must come to an end was a forecast which came true on Saturday December 1 when the Melissa Martin Academy of Dance put on its last show of the same name.
After 12 years in operation and11 annual shows, Melissa Martin has decided to close her studio so that she can begin a new life with her children and partner in Havelock North.
It has been a horrendously hard decision to make as Melissa says her 60-plus students are also her family who have grown up with her from pre-ballet to advanced jazz over the last 12 years.
“They were my babies before my own babies,” she said this week.
“There have been many tears shed, not only by me.”
Closing her studio means selling up everything — props, costumes, the studio and her home.
It also means saying goodbye to her many friends and family who have helped her run her business, especially her sister Morgan Kernaghan and her best friend Sam Fargher who she thanked on Saturday evening.
Her final show, called All Good Things Must Come to an End, was a spectacle which will live in the memory of many who attended.
Progressing through the letters of the alphabet, Melissa chose music starting with each letter, beginning with Agadoo and the tiny tots and ending with Zero to Hero by the grade five ballet. There were nearly 50 items.
Melissa participated in a number of items, especially in the opening and closing of the evening when all her dancers were on stage.
The show displayed all the genre she has taught — ballet, hip hop, jazz and contemporary, performed by all age groups from pre-school to adults.
It represented her legacy and also symbolises the hard work, talent and determination it takes to run a quality dance school.
Dannevirke dancers thanked Melissa for the many hours of entertainment her school has provided, the hours spent choreographing Dannevirke Theatre Company shows and the huge impact she has had on her pupils as they have grown up.
They wished her well in her new life in Havelock North with her family.