Today—the woman who planted dreams, trained dancers and dance teachers, and influenced generations, Miss Ann Carroll, went to dance in heaven. In the shadow of greatness, the dance studio that Miss Ann founded, continues to live out her legacy. The sound of music and laughter have echo through the halls of Ann Carroll School of Dance since 1970. Remnants of glitter and feathers are scattered in the homes of generations of families in the area from the costumes of the children who have been nurtured, trained, and raised up in the studio rooms of Ann Carroll School of Dance.
I met Ann Carroll and Laura Carroll in 2011 when we came to Franklin to scout out the area before moving here. I visited all the studios that looked like a good fit for Selah and Caiden. Standing there at the reception desk I could sense that I had just found the girls new second home—the place that they would get great training and be built up. I knew in that meeting that I wanted my girls to be part of the ACSD family. And oh, what a right decision that turned out to be!
We experienced the echo of Miss Ann’s teaching. The girls fit right into the healthy foundation she had built at ACSD. Ann retired the year we came and Laura became the new owner. My girls thrived as dancers and grew into amazing, graceful, and disciplined human being in the embrace of Miss Ann’s legacy. Today Caiden is a teacher at Ann Carroll School of Dance. She teaches in the great and mighty footsteps of Ann Carroll.
The Ann Carroll School of Dance Facebook page shared this today:
Today heaven gained one of the most beautiful humans. We are sad and yet joyful that Miss Ann Carroll, our founder has left this earth to dance in heaven forever more.
Miss Ann,
You taught kick ball change, battements and shuffle hop step but the real lessons were woven into the dance. You taught not only your students but their parents and us teachers that dance lessons were about so much more than the steps. Your students learned about life, love and loss through the art of dance. You celebrated our successes, our milestones and our strength. You helped us through heartbreak, disappointment and grief. You held us, prayed both for us and with us and taught us how to be resilient and faithful servants. Your students couldn’t wait to get to the studio to talk to you about their day. They felt your love the second they got to the door. Their parents were grateful for the advice you offered and your staff were so proud to be led by such a strong female role model.I am thankful for all the times you told me that I didn’t know anything. You were right! I didn’t know how to do a lot of things but you patiently taught me. I am who I am today in the classroom and as the leader of your studio because of those lessons. You taught me to say each child’s name every class so that they knew I saw them. You taught me to let them tell me a few stories each class so that they knew I heard them. Most importantly you taught me to make sure I put my hand on their shoulder or squeeze their finger at the barre to let them know that I loved them. You always said the most important thing about being a teacher is to love your students and you did this so well. Miss Ann, yours is a legacy of perseverance, faith and love. It is my great honor and privilege to continue that legacy.
We miss you and love you. We want nothing more than for you to be proud of us as we continue what you started 52 years ago.With deepest love and respect,
Ann Carroll School of Dance Facebook Page
Laura
My girls were seen, heard, and loved in the studio that Miss Ann created and now my daughter, Caiden, continues on in the shadow of her legacy as a dance teacher. My prayers go out to all her family, loved ones, and the families she walked beside as a role model and teacher. Miss Ann’s footsteps echo through the lives of countless families in the dance community. She lives on in the perpetual echo of every tiny toe-step, as well as every leap and turn that will continue to go across the floors she prepared for them.
And now it is time for Miss Ann’s final standing ovation.
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