Five! Six! Five, six, seven, eight! When I walked into the dance studio, at the Alexandria campus, I felt a surge of intensity come over me. There stood Kathy Harty Gray, wearing all black, hair pulled back in a low ponytail, clapping with vigorous rhythm. Every move, bend, kick and flex came so naturally to her — she had been dancing since childhood. The girls seemed to mirror her unconsciously.

Gray’s love for dance shows in the lightness in her footwork. Her graceful movements are illustrated the moment she steps foot in a dance studio.

Not only did Gray attend Julliard, located in cultural heart of New York City, but she said she learned from the pioneers in the industry, like Jose Limon and Martha Graham. “I learned from the best,” bragged Gray.

So why dance? This must be a strong passion to continue a hobby for the entirety of one’s life.

“It’s like going to school — you learn, you get all your knowledge. Then, all of sudden, it all comes together, with the music, with the dancing, with the emotion.”

Alexandria Copelan, who is a dance teacher herself, is enrolled in Gray’s beginner modern dance class. “I think she’s an excellent teacher, and it really shows when she presents choreography to the class,” said Copelan who added that Gray was a determined teacher, noting that “if everyone in the class didn’t catch the first method, she usually finds another way to show everyone how to do the moves.”

Clearly, art has its own way of allowing individuals to project certain emotions.

Asked if dance could be a type of therapy, Gray replied, “Actually, yes, it’s a healing power. It’s a way of escaping the world. It has both powers, and I think both are very, very valid. When I was little, I remember taking care of my younger siblings because both my parents were in the hospital. So, walking into the dance studio, it became my getaway into my own world.”

Gray has started several companies, including Kathy Harty Gray Dance Theatre.

“I think everybody should have the opportunity to move, to learn and be comfortable with themselves. I think dancing is about life.”

Traveling has impacted Gray’s artistic views.

“It’s important to understand about other cultures. I don’t think we look at it that way, but you can learn so much about the history of people. Traveling all over the world gave me the chance to learn about the people. And once I learned about the cultures, what the instruments of specialty were within the culture, and what types of music, that’s really how I got so interested in choreographing and learning about other people.”

Gray’s choreography resembles that of a delicate swan afloat on a crystal lake — it’s beautiful and requires a certain level of subtlety. However, Gray’s students gravitate toward her intonating voice, which flows with the intensity of the music.

Asked what she thinks of NOVA, Gray stated, “Well, to start off, students from all over the world come here. Secondly, and people may not realize this but, there are the professionals and the beginners.”

By working together in class, “people are given a certain foundation, going off into the world, finding their feet — basically helping them find their confidence,” said Gray.

“I’ve had the shyest of students break free and their passion for dance has shown. You have to remember that dance is not only good for movement, you learn spatial awareness. I think it’s a sport which I’ve been downgraded for.”

She pointed out that it doesn’t happen overnight. Training as a dancer can take many years of rigorous preparation. “The other thing is that dance gives you a lot of confidence making you feel like a different person because you walk into the room with a completely different atmosphere. You walk in as if you’re not afraid of yourself,” and you’re able to allow your emotions to command your body.

It’s obvious that Gray understands what it means to be a dancer, having danced her entire life and continuing to teach it.

“Your body tells you who you are. Your body speaks a language of its own. It’s a lifetime of work being comfortable with who are.”

By: Hala Numan

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