DOWAGIAC — A circle of students clad in sparkling tutus and iridescent leotards dancing around her, longtime dance studio owner Kathy Miller, dressed as a ringmaster, took her final bow this weekend inside of the Dowagiac Middle School Performing Arts Center.

Miller, owner of Miss Kathy’s School of Dance, performed at her final recital, featuring the theme “The Greatest Show,” this weekend. Now retiring after 45 years, Miller, of Decatur, is passing the baton onto Mary Green, 23, of Cassopolis, who will run the three studio locations in Dowagiac, Niles and Decatur under the new name, Green Dance Academy. 

“This is two-fold,” Miller said after hosting one of her final performances Friday afternoon. “This is a happy time, but I am going to miss all of the kids. I’m happy that I can turn this over to someone that is part of my legacy.”

A lifelong dancer, Miller started MKSOD in 1974. Starting with only 24 students in Decatur, MKSOD now serves more than 400 students at three locations in Decatur, Dowagiac and Niles. Over her 45-year career, Miller has led her dancers on trips across the U.S. and in foreign countries such as Spain, Denmark, Russia and Australia.

“It’s been so amazing,” Miller said of her career. “The reason I started Miss Kathy’s School of Dance is that there was nothing like this around here, and the last few years of my dance career, I had to travel to South Bend. … [At MKSOD], there was a lot of joy and a lot of happiness.”

Though she said her retirement was a bittersweet affair, Miller knew now was the right time to do so because she found the right person to take over her business. Green, an instructor at MKSOD, was the right person to take over the studio because she has the right passion for the children she teaches, Miller said.

Green has been dancing under Miller’s teaching for the majority of her life. She said she is excited to take on the challenge of running a dance studio. With Green Dance Academy, Green said she plans to continue Miller’s legacy and follow in her footsteps. Currently, Green is searching for a new location for the Niles studio, but the Dowagiac and Decatur studios will remain in the same place.

“It’s incredible to watch a woman I have looked up to my entire life hand me her entire legacy. It’s an amazing feeling, and I am so grateful for this opportunity,” Green said. “My plan is to continue the traditions of MKSOD and work to put my own twist on things.”