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maskmatters.org
summer
2012
The youngest of four girls—Dana, 28;
Teisha, 27; Kailin, 23; and herself, 18—Kelsey
recalls growing up watching her sisters dance
and realizing, at a very young age, that she
wanted to follow in their footsteps.
“My sisters danced in the studio all the
time. At 2 years old, I remember walking
into the studio and deciding that I wanted
to do what they were doing,” she says.
This shared passion was supported and
encouraged by the girls’ parents, Charisse and
Barry. Although the couple met in high school,
they didn’t get together until later, when they
were both involved at a local gymnastics facility.
Their mutual interest brought them closer
together and soon, they were engaged.
In the years that followed, Charisse and
Barry got married and their family grew. Barry
went into truck sales and Charisse ran a dance
studio. From sun up to sun down, the family spent
most of their time there, not only strengthening
their dance skills, but also their sisterly bond.
Between classes, rehearsals, recitals and
competitions, the girls were together all
the time, joking, fighting, laughing and
crying together, and eventually becoming
each other’s biggest support system.
That spirit of togetherness extended
beyond the dance studio into the Metz
home, where, on any given day, Charisse and
Barry would find a new face looking at them
from the couch or at the dinner table.
“My parents would come home and find a
lot of different kids in the house,” Kelsey says.
“Our friends knew they always had a place to
stay if they needed it. We’ve even had friends
stay with us at months at a time. I don’t know.
It was just a normal thing in our house.”
Charisse agrees. “Sure the house got crowded
now and then, but we just wanted to make our
home enjoyable. It was important to us that the
girls knew their friends were welcome anytime.”
Through the years, the sisters have
carved out their own niches in life. Dana is
now choreographing and teaching. Teisha
is also teaching, while Kailin and Kelsey
continue to compete and perform.
Looking back, Kelsey says she’s grateful
for her sisters and the common bond they
shared. She says it’s something that has, to
this day, kept them close and connected.
“Thank goodness for dance,” Kelsey
says. “It’s what’s kept us together.”
final exam
empower
“Thank
goodness for
dance. It’s
what’s kept
us together.”
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