Katie Rivard

And so they call me up, and I bumble through, and at the end, I'm like, I just want to book it out of here. When Todd, the studio owner, comes up to me, And he's larger in stature and used to be a prominent dancer in LA. And he was like, Katie, that was amazing. We'll see you Wednesday. I was like, OK, this is how I'm going to spend my time.

And so the worse things got with school, the more I turned to dance. My co-teacher, who was teaching eighth grade, she had previously taught preschool. She quit after two weeks. And I took ballet one. And then the principal who hired me and brought me to the school was also fired.

And so the worse things got with school, the more I turned to dance. My co-teacher, who was teaching eighth grade, she had previously taught preschool. She quit after two weeks. And I took ballet one. And then the principal who hired me and brought me to the school was also fired.

And so the worse things got with school, the more I turned to dance. My co-teacher, who was teaching eighth grade, she had previously taught preschool. She quit after two weeks. And I took ballet one. And then the principal who hired me and brought me to the school was also fired.

Then I took jazz one and jazz one was with Todd and I still remember the first class there's like a turn sequence I don't know how to do and so I'm just like holding my arms up and spinning and feeling really free and he's like beautiful Katie you got this and so I become like a Todd disciple I'm like anything you do I'm there.

Then I took jazz one and jazz one was with Todd and I still remember the first class there's like a turn sequence I don't know how to do and so I'm just like holding my arms up and spinning and feeling really free and he's like beautiful Katie you got this and so I become like a Todd disciple I'm like anything you do I'm there.

Then I took jazz one and jazz one was with Todd and I still remember the first class there's like a turn sequence I don't know how to do and so I'm just like holding my arms up and spinning and feeling really free and he's like beautiful Katie you got this and so I become like a Todd disciple I'm like anything you do I'm there.

And so after a particularly bad day at school, it was Dia de los Muertos, which is celebrated pretty widely in Tucson. And we had an altar at our school where kids could write up names of loved ones that they had lost. And so this girl, Maria, who I was struggling with, chose to write my name in Sharpie all over.

And so after a particularly bad day at school, it was Dia de los Muertos, which is celebrated pretty widely in Tucson. And we had an altar at our school where kids could write up names of loved ones that they had lost. And so this girl, Maria, who I was struggling with, chose to write my name in Sharpie all over.

And so after a particularly bad day at school, it was Dia de los Muertos, which is celebrated pretty widely in Tucson. And we had an altar at our school where kids could write up names of loved ones that they had lost. And so this girl, Maria, who I was struggling with, chose to write my name in Sharpie all over.

And so after crying in the teacher's lounge like you do when that happens, I went to dance. And Todd had a class. And so this particular class, we were dancing to a song from The Waitress.

And so after crying in the teacher's lounge like you do when that happens, I went to dance. And Todd had a class. And so this particular class, we were dancing to a song from The Waitress.

And so after crying in the teacher's lounge like you do when that happens, I went to dance. And Todd had a class. And so this particular class, we were dancing to a song from The Waitress.

And so we hadn't heard the music yet, and he positions us around the studio, and he says, stand in the mirror, look only at yourself, and I want you to start, as the music comes on, just pretending you're getting ready for work and doing your ordinary, like, life things. So I'm, like, pretending to put on my cardigan and put my hair into a bun because lice is an occupational hazard as a teacher.

And so we hadn't heard the music yet, and he positions us around the studio, and he says, stand in the mirror, look only at yourself, and I want you to start, as the music comes on, just pretending you're getting ready for work and doing your ordinary, like, life things. So I'm, like, pretending to put on my cardigan and put my hair into a bun because lice is an occupational hazard as a teacher.

And so we hadn't heard the music yet, and he positions us around the studio, and he says, stand in the mirror, look only at yourself, and I want you to start, as the music comes on, just pretending you're getting ready for work and doing your ordinary, like, life things. So I'm, like, pretending to put on my cardigan and put my hair into a bun because lice is an occupational hazard as a teacher.

And the music comes on. And the lyrics are saying, most days I don't recognize me because the shoes and this apron, the place and its patrons have taken more than I gave them. And I'm hearing this like looking at myself and I'm realizing that in becoming this teacher that I had been for many years at that point, I had lost track of Katie. I had become like fully Ms.

And the music comes on. And the lyrics are saying, most days I don't recognize me because the shoes and this apron, the place and its patrons have taken more than I gave them. And I'm hearing this like looking at myself and I'm realizing that in becoming this teacher that I had been for many years at that point, I had lost track of Katie. I had become like fully Ms.

And the music comes on. And the lyrics are saying, most days I don't recognize me because the shoes and this apron, the place and its patrons have taken more than I gave them. And I'm hearing this like looking at myself and I'm realizing that in becoming this teacher that I had been for many years at that point, I had lost track of Katie. I had become like fully Ms.

Rivard and I didn't know who Katie was anymore and I wanted her back. And so I started to cry and I'm like crying as I'm going through this entire piece. And so Todd always like sits us down in front of the mirror afterwards and talks to us. And then he is like going down the line and he stops me and he's like, Katie, that was fucking amazing. I'm just like, yes, yes.