Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Assistant Managing Editor SPRINGFIELD Gina Emanuel is falling into the category of so many other 40-somethings have reinvention. It is not uncommon for many wives and mothers to put their own dreams on hold as they succumb to the daily demands of work, family and child rearing. However, this Springfield resident is reclaiming her passion on her own terms and she's doing it one dance at a time. In the mid-nineties she was asked by members of her church, The Christian Em-bassy, to parti-cipate in a dance program. Little did they know, the dance she was asked to perform had a significant meaning to Emanuel. She first became attuned to the arts as a young student in Philadelphia. "I used to go to Catholic school and a nun asked me if I wanted to do a dance and it was for me to play Mary Magdalene and wipe Jesus' feet. So she told me to get a pair of ballet slippers and taught me the dance. I loved it so much and I told my mom I wanted to dance," she recalled. She continued to dance through her teens at La-Cher-Tari Dance Studio, the High School for Creative & Performing Arts and later in an elective program at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md. "I ended up meeting my husband [and] it was just always put on the back burner," Emanuel explained. "I had a 20-year marriage and had a devotion to what I was doing." Even though the spirit of dance didn't move Emanuel's feet across a stage, the love of the arts stayed with her. In between working a nine to five job and her familial duties, she managed to find herself on the boards of Hal Jackson's Talented Teens International Competition (of which she is a past winner); GUMBO Live Talent Monthly Showcase, "Women Who Jam"; and the head of three businesses Ruff Edge Management (artists promotions and bookings), Treasure Bound Travel and Gems Dance Ministry. So how did Emanuel find herself in 2007 teaching a modern/con-temporary dance class at Shooting Star Dance Center on Parker Street? Rewind to the 90s when her church asked her to dance in that liturgical dance program. "They asked me 'Would you mind doing a dance playing Mary Magdalene?' I'm thinking in my mind that 'I've been here before,'" she said, remembering her account with the nun as a young girl. "Right there the passion came back and I knew a greater part of my dancing had to be done in that environment. It would be therapy and relieve stress. I can't even explain to you. Just knowing that my movement and the words of the song could help lift burdens." Two years ago when her youngest daughter Raven began taking classes at Shooting Star, the itch to teach became unbearable. Emanuel's voice seems to fill with pride when speaking of seeing her daughter walking in her footsteps. "I feel like she's me all over again," Emanuel said. "I think she inherited my genes." It wasn't long before Emanuel went to Shooting Star owner Carol-Ann Boardway Chapin asking to audition for a teaching position. "She only knew me through my daughter. I loved the program. Her school is so diverse. It's a mixture of people and all kinds of dances," Emanuel stated. "She had mentioned that she had done this in the past and had a passion to do it," Boardway Chapin stated. "[We] brought in some students to take a free trial class. It seems to be going well. People seem positive about it. She's very enthusiastic. She puts her heart and soul into her classes." Newly divorced, Emanuel is getting a fresh start on life. Her son Jeffrey is a freshman at American International College, her daughter Ebonee graduated from Kent State University in Ohio. Raven is up to six dance classes at Shooting Star. There is no sign of Emanuel slowing down. "I wish [Springfield] had a performing arts school. If you want to see certain things happen in the community you got to get involved. I'm getting involved and networking to see how we can put our minds together to get the city to be a big contributor and supporter of the arts," Emanuel said. She's also busy getting ready for the week of Oct. 8 which is "Bring Your Friend to Dance Class" week. She's urging children and adults to come out and participate. As for where she's at in her life, Emanuel said, "I'm in a very happy place in my life right now." She encourages other women her age to do whatever their hearts desire. "I let dance go and now that the opportunity is there I'm taking it," she said. "I'm 43 years old and I'm back in this classroom. If I can do it they can do it. Love and passion doesn't have to die." Shooting Star Dance Center is located at 1196 Parker Street. To learn more about Gina Emanuel's modern/contem-porary dance classes held Thursday nights at 6 p.m. , call 782-0366. | ||||||
