鈥淢y first taste in dancing came from a young teacher who travelled from town to town and taught tap,鈥� Gail Jacobs said, as she described her introduction to the world of dance in the summer 1960.
Later, Jacobs, who was born and raised in Assiniboia, learned baton twirling from Irene Lemond. 鈥淪he didn鈥檛 want to teach anyone under the age of eight, but I was seven,鈥� Jacobs laughed. However, her mother 鈥� who was friends with Lemond 鈥� convinced the baton instructor to take on Jacobs as a pupil.
Later, Jacobs furthered her baton talents with another instructor 鈥� Miss Broeder, who taught in the basement gym of the old Seventh Avenue School. Soon after, Jacobs studied Highland Dancing and other forms of dance from Doris Sitter starting when she was 10 鈥� Doris Sitter was the founder of the Doris Sitter School of Dance in Moose Jaw. Sitter鈥檚 classes in Assiniboia were taught in various facilities, many of which do not exist today.听听听 听听
When Jacobs was 15 years old, Sitter asked her to become an assistant teacher. Soon after, Jacobs began teaching dance in Lafleche at the age of 16. 鈥淚 have fond memories of my first experiences there,鈥� Jacobs said, as she recalled her initiation into becoming a dance instructor in Lafleche with pupils who were not much younger than she was.
Jacobs was expected to prepare the classes, choreograph dances and arrange the production of costumes for performances 鈥� at this time, the costumes were sewn by the mothers of her pupils, rather than purchased from shops. She was thrilled to teach dance in Lafleche, so she branched out to other communities in South Central Saskatchewan.
Jacobs also taught dance in Rockglen, Glentworth, Willow Bunch, Mankota, McCord and in her hometown of Assiniboia.
Her studio, South Country Dance Productions, opened in the autumn of 1981 in Assiniboia until closing in Nov. 2020.
Jacobs gained her teaching qualifications through several programs, including the Royal Academy of Dance, the Canadian Dance Teachers Association, the Scottish Dance Teachers鈥� Alliance and the Canadian Baton Twirling Federation.听听听 听
Her pupils ranged from three years to adult. Some of her students continued to learn dance with her until they were 18 years in age. Jacobs taught dance in the surrounding communities for 24 years but decided to only teach from in her studio in town in the mid-1990s, as the pace had often proved to be unrelenting.
鈥淥ne year, I had five recitals in a month,鈥� she recounted. 鈥淓ventually, I dropped all of the out-of-town schools and I stuck with Assiniboia.鈥�
South Country Dance was a smaller studio compared to others, with 30-35 students at its peak, allowing Jacobs to give one-on one instruction to her students. Before Jacobs closed her studio, she eased her commitments as an instructor and started teaching recreational dancing.
She often endured a heavy workload as a dance teacher, which included preparation work in the prescribed curriculums, planning choreography, arranging costume designs and purchasing dance supplies in the city for her students on the behalf of their parents. On average, Jacobs began her working days at 10 a.m. and concluded at 11 p.m. Although her responsibilities as a dance instructor were often strenuous, Jacobs thoroughly appreciated her relationships with the novice dancers in Assiniboia and in the other communities where she taught Highland dancing, tap, jazz, ballet, other styles of dance and baton twirling.
Her students were known for providing entertaining productions throughout Assiniboia on various stages. Additionally, her pupils supported the community by entertaining the residents at long-term care at Ross-Payant Nursing Home and the Pioneer Lodge 鈥� now known as the Prairie Villa.听听听听
鈥淚 loved working with the children 鈥� this is something I loved doing,鈥� Jacobs emphasized, describing her joy in seeing her young pupils mature into beautiful young ladies and gentlemen, who had gained poise, confidence and were better prepared to handle difficulties in life from learning discipline through dance at Assiniboia鈥檚 South Country Dance studio. Several former students attested to this in letters sent for the occasion of Jacobs鈥� 40th anniversary of teaching.
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