I know you haven’t been teaching for a few years now, but I wanted to let you know that your teaching has continued to touch my life. I wanted to take the time to say thank you.

The life skills you taught me as I grew up in the old Physie hall have been invaluable. Believing in myself, trusting my abilities and making the most of my strengths have seen an accidental dance career blossom for me and have continued to be cornerstones in my life.

I remember many years ago speaking shyly to you about my dream of being a dancer. You gave me the confidence to pursue that dream. You told me anything is possible.

It’s been over 15 years since that conversation, and for the last 4 years I have been dancing on stage in Paris! Before that I had the opportunity to dance and live in Germany as well as travel extensively on a luxury cruise ship visiting over 70 countries. These are things that this little Physie girl could only dream of doing. You were right! Anything is possible.

Physie has shaped my dance style in more ways than I can imagine and you often come into my thoughts when I’m in rehearsals or have a tough choreographer to work with. Skills like spacial awareness, teamwork, a sense of timing and expression are all essential to being a successful dancer. Thankfully you have instilled these things in me and in every other Physie girl you have taught.

The long audition process meant I had to persevere through rejections and setbacks – it was a long road to achieving my goals. This is also something that I attribute to you and my Physie journey with years of competing at zone, Junior Nationals and Senior Opera House – sometimes being successful and sometimes being disappointed. The lesson you instilled was always to carry my head high knowing I had done my best. (And sometimes there was some tough love when nerves were getting the better of me haha!)

Growing up you felt like another grandmother to me, a constant figure in the lives of my sister and I for our entire childhoods and adolescence, and also of my mum when you taught her Physie as a young girl. You have helped shape many young women over multiple generations and I can’t thank you enough for everything.

With love,
Georgia