“Charismatic, funny..."
"Raunchy...”
“Colorful, flamboyant...
"Inspiring …”
“A character like no other…”
“Extremely tough…
"An amazing teacher!”
For anyone who ever taught at Hamilton or Kirkland, this is an enviable way to be remembered. And this is how many students remember Kirkland dance teacher Rhett Dennis, who passed away in February of this year.
You may recall that a recent issue of the Alumni Review included a photograph of Tami Aisenson K’75 and Rhett along with his contact info and an invitation to reconnect. Well, a number of his former students did just that. Last fall, a group gathered to reminisce and attend a dance/theater concert in Manhattan presented by Felicia Norton K’73, another of Rhett’s students.
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According to Tami, Rhett was thrilled to hear from his former students. According to Elisabeth Horwitt K’73, Lindsay Evans K’74 and Felicia, it was a joyful reunion for all. It was especially poignant since it occurred only a few months before his death.
“It was such a joy to see him after all these years,” says Elisabeth. “He’d mellowed quite a bit, and was clearly delighted to see us, and especially Felicia, who was his star pupil -- although he said he was frustrated that she was into modern and ballet, far more than jazz!”
"What a delight to see Rhett at the performance (now 85 years old and with a cane), with his sweet smile and beaming face while I was dancing," says Felicia. "He was so happy to see some of his Kirkland students, Liz Horwitt, Tami, as well as Deidre Towers who also attended. A joy to see Rhett after so many years -- and especially a gift as he passed just a few months later. He was a unique teacher to have at Kirkland."
Many students remember Rhett with admiration and gratitude. “Rhett Dennis was a professional dancer from NYC and a flamboyant figure whose energy and larger than life teaching methods made dance lively and exciting,” says Susan Lewis Kaye K’75. “I knew I would never be a professional dancer, but I so enjoyed those classes!”
“Rhett was a fresh breeze of wild energy,” Felicia recalls. “He taught us lyrical jazz routines, exhorting us to 'Get our pelvises out of cold storage and loosen up!’” Rhett especially enjoyed seeing Felicia dance at St. Mark’s Church last fall. After many years dancing in performances around the world, she was performing 'NOOR', a one-woman, dance theatre work that she had toured to Edinburgh, London, Paris and in US. (Read more about Felicia, this show and others at www.felicianortondance.org.)
Dance epitomized creative expression and freedom of choice at Kirkland College.
As I contacted more Kirkland women and the memories of Rhett came pouring in, I found myself reflecting on dance as an expression of what Kirkland College was all about. I know very little about the dance program at Kirkland, yet I vividly associate dance with Kirkland. Why is that? I asked these admirers of Rhett’s, and their replies say a lot about Kirkland and its legacy.
“Creative expression was a central value of Kirkland whether it was studio arts, theater or dance,” says Susan Lewis Kaye. Tami Aisenson adds that “Kirkland legitimized whatever you wanted to study, however you wanted to study it. No auditions were required take dance classes, or to be a dance major. Maybe [Kirkland’s] open educational philosophy was epitomized by dance, which isn't traditionally a serious area of study for an academic institution.”
If you have some thoughts you'd like to share on this subject, pleasecomment below or email me with another blog post on this subject.
Thanks, Rhett.
Rhett Dennis was a gifted and inspiring teacher who enriched the lives of many at Kirkland and Hamilton. (“I remember members of the football team in a modern dance class one semester!” says Tami.) I never knew Rhett, but all I've heard about him reminds me of the rare and remarkable teachers who changed my life -- Fred Wagner, for example. Weren't we lucky to have encountered such people at a point in our lives where they could exert such influence? We can only hope that we are remembered by long-ago friends, students or colleagues with such gratitude.