A grandfather’s dream lives on at Darcee’s School of Dance
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- Darcee Blanchard, the owner and teacher at Darcee's School of Dance, has been dancing since she was just three years old.
Her love for dance started with her grandparents, who taught ballroom dancing.
After Blanchard went to college, she continued pursuing dance, and her grandfather had one big dream for her: that she would someday own her own dance studio.
“He had open heart surgery so he would walk up and down King Hill (Avenue) and so he found this building and encouraged my parents to look into it,” Blanchard said.
Her family eventually purchased the building, which is now home to Darcee's School of Dance.
Blanchard and her grandfather came to look at the building on the day they were signing the papers.
As soon as the papers were signed Blanchard left the dance studio, while her grandfather stayed to mow the grass.
That’s when tragedy struck.
Her grandfather suffered a heart attack on the side of the building and passed away that same day — the very day they had signed the papers.
“We decided that we would make it a positive thing that his work was done and that’s why everything in the building says, 'granddad’s dream,'” Blanchard said.
Since then, Blanchard and her family have dedicated many things at the studio to her grandfather. They say they’ve also experienced moments they believe are signs that he is still around.
Lights have flickered, and music has mysteriously turned on and off — sometimes in the presence of Blanchard’s teachers and even young students who never knew her grandfather.
“The little kids would say ‘grand dad stop turning the lights off' or they talk to him because we have kept him alive through that,” she said.
Some of Blanchard’s favorite memories of her grandfather go back to when she was just six years old. On weekends, the two would swing dance together. Because she was so little, people would stop and stare as they watched the pair dance around.
Blanchard’s mother, Paula Pierce, also remembers how much her father loved being around the dance studio when Blanchard first started teaching in college.
“In the middle of her class, he would open the door and throw candies to all the kids to interrupt her class and all the kids would run to him and called him grand dad,” she said.
Pierce said what she misses most about her father is his smile and the way he loved everyone — especially children.
“Every day, I still miss him dearly,” she said.
The family said there have been many other moments at the studio that they feel point to her grandfather’s presence and blessing.
Blanchard recalled one recent experience involving someone who had been working on the studio’s roof. After the contractor called to let her know payment was due, Blanchard agreed to bring a check to his house.
“My daughter and I started driving to pay him and I looked up and I hadn’t even paid attention because it close to recital time but we were sitting in front of my grandparent's house and he lived where they did,” she said.
For Blanchard, moments like that continue to remind her of her grandfather and the role he played in making the dance studio possible.
Today, all of her students and teachers know about Granddad and the story behind the studio.
Pierce recently underwent open-heart surgery herself. She said that as she was being taken into surgery, she felt a sense of reassurance.
“I saw him, I looked up and he was there so I knew I was going to be fine. I still see him, hear his voice when something reminds me of him,” she added.
An interview with KQ2 ended with a little bit of humor as the family reflected on what her grandfather would think if he were alive today and watching the story on television
After all, she said, he loved being in front of people.
And Blanchard believes he would be incredibly proud of everything Darcee's School of Dance has accomplished — especially knowing that the studio he dreamed of helping her create is still carrying his name and his memory forward.
