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Dianna Mah-jones
October 11, 1951- September 26, 2017
Dianna started tap dancing at age 40 when she was inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. She had always loved the limelight in high school where she played the leading lady in drama productions and organized pep rallies. She joined Razzmatap in 1998 when she moved to Vancouver. Dianna participated with dedication, talent and enthusiasm in classes, competitions, performances at local events. She particularly loved to travel with the group to places like Germany, New York and Chicago. She was a fearless adventurer who would often set out on her own to explore when we were travelling. She lived her life to the fullest and didn’t want to miss a minute.
A respected Occupational Therapist working full time at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, a woman with her own business putting on workshops for healthcare professionals and a caregiver for her disabled husband, Dianna accomplished many things. She still managed to be a dedicated member of Razzmatap. She attended extra practises and could often be heard to say,” Let’s do that step one more time.”
Our connection to Dianna is very deep. Where once there was a bright light there is now a void that cannot be filled. We miss Dianna’s energy, optimism and love of dancing and we think of her every time we go to the studio.
Grace Inglis
Grace Inglis
March 21, 1929 - March 22, 2016
Razzmatap is mourning the loss of Grace Inglis, who passed away March 22, 2016 one day after her 87th birthday. Grace was a wonderful, kind, talented and funny woman who had a special gift for comedy. She could make an audience laugh just by raising an eyebrow.
She was the niece of Vancouver's beloved dance teacher and choreographer, Grace Macdonald. Grace often said that a dream of hers was to dance with her aunt Grace's famous protege, Jeff Hyslop. Jeff was kind enough to make that happen when Grace had her chance to do a duet with him onstage at the Rothstein Theatre. Although Grace had health problems and sore feet, she kept coming to class and doing her best. She inspired our group to keep dancing and was a role model for the many young dancers who were amazed at her ability and the sparkle in her eye. She received a standing ovation for her performance in "Sister Suffragette" a few months before her passing.