Bess Saylor Imber was that person for me. I have written many times about particular moments in life as an art maker and, hopefully, someone who gives back more than he has taken, but never about where it all changed for me and who was responsible for it.
For many who took dance classes and worked with Miss Bess over the decades, the stories resonate with common themes laced with comments about her spirit, her abundance of creativity and her grace. I have often spoken about the transformative powers of art and creativity that make our community unique in terms of artistic abundance, a bottomless well that keeps producing talent in unheard-of quantities. Bess poured her soul into the pursuit of being an artist, educating and bringing generations of others along with her. Bess saw in me things that I couldn’t even imagine for myself. She unblocked a way of seeing dance and movement as a life’s calling. Her vision was clear and truthful, and that was enough for me.
Bess started the Chamber Dance Ensemble to continue exploring and creating choreography. When she extended an invitation, no one ever said no. We willingly performed on Courthouse Square, parks, and lawns in countless spaces all over the Miami Valley. And every time, she would try to pay us with funds she barely had. She was always apologetic that she couldn’t pay us more. She sacrificed all for the love of dance, pouring far more into the well of creativity that sustains all of us than she took for herself.
By all rights, I have far too many fond memories of Bess, but then again, so do many others. I am part of a collective of people who love dance and the arts, but a group that intentionally propels itself forward, just like in her choreography. She taught us how to run free and move with abandon.
On May 3, Miss Bess drew her last breath on this earth. She donated her body to science, another way of her giving back. Bess gave so much and sacrificed; her body was exhausted and gave out. But what she left behind goes beyond mere memories. She did more than plant seeds of trees of which she would never feel the shade; she infused the essence of every person she performed for, taught, and choreographed with ideas and thoughts about artistry and how to live with grace.
I got to see her in hospice for one last time to say goodbye. I was grateful to hold her hand and tell her I loved her. She was laboring to breathe, let alone speak, and was not entirely sure she who Abbie and I were in the room. Then she opened her eyes a bit, and those sorrowful blue eyes twinkled for just a moment, and I smiled. Bess lived a full 83 years with extreme joys and heartbreaking lows, A life spent influencing our community in such an unforeseen and meaningful ways.
Now it is our turn to give back to the arts and to share our knowledge and experiences. Open the doorway for the next Miss Bess to shine. This is how we honor her legacy.
Rodney Veal is the host of thinkTV/CET Connect and President of the board of OhioDance.
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