Dancing through life

Jean Taylor-Beard has been dancing her way around life for more than 80 years. Now in her 90s, Beard has been dancing since she was just five years old, and her mother put toe shoes on her.  At seven, Beard saw legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova perform, and the deal was sealed.  Pavlova “did her famous dance, ‘The Swan’,” Beard remembers.  “It was beautiful.  That’s why I wanted to dance on the stage.”

Her Terpsichorean career began in 1930, when she taught her first dance class.  Back then, Beard focused on teaching tap and ballet to Western New York schoolchildren.  She taught for the next 42 years. But the end of her teaching career didn’t mean the end of her dancing.  She and her husband began teaching ballroom dancing to adults and children in venues like the Buffalo Athletic Club and private and public schools from Lancaster to Lockport. 

Beard’s talent and longevity brought her a singular honor: she was elected to the Western New York Dance Hall of Fame.  The person who nominated her for the honor also introduced her to UB dance professor Tom Ralabate, who established the Dance Masters' Teachers Training Program at UB.  Beard was intrigued with UB’s dance department.  “I met Tom and thought, ‘Here’s what I want to do.’  I thought I’d like to see money go in that direction.”

After talking with Ralabate and others at UB, Beard decided she would leave a bequest to fund a scholarship for university dance students.  “I love the art and feel whatever I can do, I will.” Beard hopes her gift will inspire others.  “Every time I see a dance teacher I know, I mention the UB program.  Lots of good dancers come out of UB, but many don’t end up as dancers here.  Some might go to NYC.  Some dance for years, then get into different fields.  But there’s such opportunity these days.”