Lion of the Week

Karel-grace Dye

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I grew up in Chicago, Illinois. My father, Charles Elkin, was a mechanical Engineer. Even from childhood, dance was always my main interest. I took between 8-11 dance classes a week for over 10 years. By age 14 yrs I started teaching classes to help pay for my classes. It was during a time when my father had a serious surgery (for which he recovered) and couldn't work for a year. I was fortunate to study at one of Chicago's most respected schools of dance. We would go to New York to study at the American Ballet Theater in the summers. By the time that I was 16 I was getting paying jobs on local TV, WGN, Lyric Opera Ballet, Chicago's Symphony and what was then called Club Dates, which meant short engagements. Yes, I missed school. Excused absents didn't seem to be a problem. Upon graduating high school I joined Clare Powell Dancers and toured Canada and USA. After a couple of years I realized that I didn't like living in motels and hotels. Sooo I opened Karel-grace School of Dance in Chicago. All was well for 3 years till an automobile landed in the middle of my class room. By the time the building was repaired (a year) I was teaching at Fred Astaire Studios, falling in love, getting married, having 2 children.

After a divorce I found myself having to raise 2 children alone. I moved to Milwaukee Wisc. to take advantage of an offer of a partnership and management a Fred Astaire Dance Studio. 3 years later I moved to Tennessee with my brother and family. We opened a FADS in Green Hills. My son finished school, my daughter enrolled in BGA. I left the dance business 10 yrs ago after an illness. I later developed and sold a wholesale tropical fish business.

After 2 years I received accreditation in non profit marketing and management from the Center for Nonprofit Management. This Center, located in the Metro Center Park in Nashville, was started by the Frist family. It trains people from all over the U.S. in the intricacies of running non-profit corporations.

About 7 years ago I helped found and develop the Mid-South Ballet, which, among other performances, presents the "Nutcracker Ballet" each holiday season at the Factory. I couldn't help noticing that there didn't seem to be a local Arts Commission.

So Lee Dabbs and I formed the Williamson County Cultural Arts Commission. The Arts Commission is now 3 years old. We are an all volunteer organization dedicated to promote, educate, and advocate the arts in Williamson County. Some of our projects are:

a. Setting up the Arts Pavilion at the County Fair, featuring entertainment, children's and
adult visual art. The resulting Community Art project is traveling the County.
b. Sponsoring Blue Grass along the Harpeth Blue Grass Competition
c. Bringing Nashville Symphony to Library
d. Holding monthly meetings open to the public.
e. Promoting the Save the Franklin Cinema event
f. Developing a public art offering.
Our website is www.williamsoncountyarts.org and I invite you to click that link and read about us.

About 4 years ago I met and became friends with Charles Dye. Charles works for a diesel parts store in Nashville. Almost two yrs ago we were married. I have two wonderful grown up children by a former marriage. My son lives here. My daughter, her husband and my two grandchildren are in Washington State. My cup runneth over.

I was serving on a board in Franklin for Crimestoppers about 7 or 8 years ago, and my fellow board member, Joey Davis invied me to come to Lions. I was immediately interested in the public service projects that the Lions were involved in. I have since that time served as a board member several different times. I enjoy the friendship and fellowship in the club.

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