Daily News | ‘Time to rise:’ In grand style, a farewell to Philly dance, education legend LaDeva Davis
The renowned dancer, musician, choreographer, and city teacher of 57 years died Sept. 8, but on Sunday was celebrated in grand style with a memorial service that was equal parts remembrance and performance.
Davis was a Renaissance woman — not just a teacher, but a gifted dancer, singer and musician; a Kung Fu master; a Grammy-award winning producer and, by virtue of her work as host of a popular PBS cooking show, part of a Smithsonian Institution exhibit about food television.Davis was stylish, a standout, whether she was choreographing her CAPA dancers on a national stage at the Cherry Blossom Festival in a fur coat or sailing into a faculty meeting — late — in shades and a rhinestone ballcap.
Brenda Goldsmith, associate producer of the parade, remembers one year when she thought she might have the CAPA dancers perform a fewer numbers than in prior years.“She was meticulous, tireless, passionate, and irascible for all the right reasons,” said Sharon Friedler, dance professor emeritus of Swarthmore College, where Davis taught tap two nights a week for 31 years.
Hite said doesn’t remember the exact words she used, but he was struck by something people felt intuitively after being in Davis’ presence.She was “Mama Dee” to many of her students, but always “Aunt Dee” to the extended family that was her joy, who honored her with an interpretation of one of Davis’ favorite songs, “Home,” from the musical “The Wiz.”
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