Long time Wiregrass dance teacher retires
Tracy Solomon retires from Dothan School of Dance and Enterprise School of Dance.
DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) - A Wiregrass dance teacher is leading her class one last time Wednesday after teaching for over four decades.
Tracy Solomon tells News 4 her teaching career began at 15-years-old. After high school, she went to Dance Masters of America Dance Teachers Training School where she learned how to own and operate a dance studio. She then hit the studio ready to teach dance in the Wiregrass.
Solomon has been the owner and operator of the Dothan School of Dance since 1976. To add to that, she also became the owner and operator of the Enterprise School of Dance in 1996. Now, she feels it is simply time to retire and devote more time to spending time with her family.
“I’m not getting any younger and being a dance teacher and having our dance teacher schedule you work in the afternoon after school, so you miss a lot of your children and grandchildren’s activities,” Solomon said. “So, I’m looking forward to being with my grandchildren now and going to all of their activities and cooking supper for my husband and enjoying that time.”
Over the years, Solomon helped guide many men and women in their dance careers. Several of her students went on to achieve great successes. She was once the teacher of a former Miss America, Miss Alabama and Miss Mississippi USA. Her students also went on to become Radio City Rockettes, America’s Got Talent Contestant, and even a current U.S Senate candidate.
“We call it the DSD family,” Solomon said. “They always come back and we remain great friends and very close and dance teaches so much more than just the studio and the stage teaches. It teachers life lessons and these dancers who go through the program they always remember and achieve so much because all of the lessons they learned growing up in the dance studio.”
This is her advice to all of her former and current dancers:
”The discipline, and the self-confidence, and so many more things that these dancers learn from dance, I just want to say just keep on doing what you’re doing,” Solomon said. “Dancers are some of the most hardworking people that I know and they dance so many hours per week. They give up a lot of times with their friends or at home watching movies, or playing video games or whatever, but they always turn out to be strong women and men when they come through the program. So, keep on doing what you’re doing.”
Solomon tells News 4 her daughter, Ashlie Wells, will take over DSD and Christina Hardy will take over the Enterprise School of Dance.
“It’s a little emotional,” Solomon said. “It’s bittersweet. I’ll be sad not getting to see the students.”
However, Solomon will be sticking around as she is the founder and executive director of the Southeast Alabama Dance Company. She said she plans to remain her position there, and the offices are located in the same building.
“So, I’ll still be in and out of here a lot,” Solomon said. “I just won’t be teaching here anymore. Unless of course somebody of course needs me to substitute for them, you never know.”
Solomon’s last recital is this weekend at the Dothan Civic Center.
It is two recitals Saturday, May 21, at the Dothan Civic Center. One being at 10:00 a.m. and the other starting at 3:00 p.m.
All ages, styles and levels will be showcased.
Click here to purchase tickets.
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