By: Alison Gerardot
It’s time to write another blog post in my series entitled “Re-Plants and Transplants.” Last September I wrote a blog post about the difference between our local “ex-pats” (people who have left Fort Wayne to go live somewhere else), and the need for more stories about “re-plants” (people who have moved away for awhile and then come back) and “transplants” (brand new people to the Fort).
My re-plant for this month is Kelly. Kelly grew up dancing at local dance studio Northeast School of Dance. Being someone who is big city minded with a passion for dance, Kelly decided to pursue a dance degree and was accepted into the Marymount Manhattan College Dance Program. She lived, worked and studied in New York City for four years and graduated with a BA in Dance and Media. Although Kelly was brought back to Fort Wayne for personal relationships, she has flourished while being back here in Fort Wayne.
New York is amazing! Why Fort Wayne? Well, Kelly loves the smaller community. It makes things much more personal, accessible and she really feels like she can make a bigger dent. “Going away and getting really professional training was so great, but I feel like coming back I can make much more of a difference. I get to take that great training and bring it back here to my students at the New Haven Parks Department and South Side High School students and they can benefit from that. It’s very intimate and personal and I can really impact individual lives.” Kelly also loves the fact that she gets to dance with her very best friends in being a part of local dance company dAnce.Kontemporary and that this also allows her to meet new people and make new friends.
Kelly currently teaches the South Side High School Dance Program as well as at Weisser Park Elementary School for the Fort Wayne Dance Collective. She also works with her mom as a personal trainer and wellness coach throughout the area. Although Fort Wayne is not as large as New York, it’s where she calls home, with friends and family and new dance opportunities, and there’s really nowhere she would rather be.