DOWAGIAC — Miss Kathy’s School of Dance is presenting its annual recital, “The Greatest Show,” with five shows from Friday through Sunday.

MKSOD kicked off the 45th Annual Recital last weekend with three performances by the Niles studio.

“These dancers truly embraced the excitement of being a part of the final MKSOD recital, dancing with Miss Kathy on stage during the grand finale as she passed the hat onto Miss Mary Green,” said an MKSOD representative.

Mary Green, a former MKSOD student and graduate of Western Michigan University, will be taking over the traditions of MKSOD with the start of Green Dance Academy this summer.  Summer class registration is now underway at greendanceacademy.com.

The dance school is inviting the community to experience “The Greatest Show” as recitals continue this weekend at the Dowagiac Middle School Performing Arts Center.

Starting with Decatur recital shows at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday, Dowagiac will close out the recital season with one show at 6 p.m. Saturday and two shows on Sunday at 1 and 6 p.m.

Past and present students and parents are encouraged to collect their photos from the collection of memory boards that hold decades of MKSOD history that fill the lobby at the conclusion of the final show as a final gift for instructor Kathy Miller, said MKSOD representatives.

“This final recital for Kathy Miller is a bittersweet celebration of 45 years of dance education in southwest Michigan,” said a representative.

Miller, who started Miss Kathy’s School of Dance in 1974, started with 24 students in Decatur, and today teaches more than 400 students.  Over the years, Miller has grown her studio to three locations in Decatur, Dowagiac and Niles, teaching the art and discipline of dance to thousands of students.  She has created an artistic outlet for the youth in the communities by providing performance opportunities in various festivals, pageants, nursing homes and school shows, even creating her own original holiday classic, “The Spirit of Christmas.” 

Her influence has stretched beyond just these small communities, with her leading dancers on trips to learn and perform to Chicago, Florida, South Carolina, New Orleans, Las Vegas and New York City, and reaching to Spain, Denmark, Russia and Australia. 

“The lessons learned inside the dance studio, as well as these experiences have shaped the lives of countless students, something that Miss Mary hopes to carry on with Green Dance Academy,” representatives said.