Dorothy Daniels Lister

October 14, 2021

Illustrious dancer and teacher Ms. Dorothy Daniels Lister, age 87, was lifted into the Lord’s embrace on Monday October 11, 2021, to dance with the angels.

Ms. Lister, a native Pensacolian and Pensacola High 1952 alumni, was head majorette in the PHS Marching Band. She developed her love of dance at age 4 from mentor Elvie DeMarko. After graduation she left home to study ballet in New York, where in 1954 she became a member and then soloist of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo appearing in ballets such as Swan Lake, Scheherazade, and Firebird. She traveled by bus with the company until 1958 when she married William W. Lister, a French Horn player with the orchestra. Making their home in NYC, she continued to dance with the Radio City Music Hall’s Corps de ballet, home of the famed Rockettes. She briefly returned home to Pensacola for the birth of daughter Cynthia in 1961.

Embarking on what was to become a six-decade long career in teaching dance, Miss Dorothy as she is so fondly referred to by her students, began at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Kingsboro College of the Performing Arts in 1965. She then progressed on to being head of the children’s department at the Joffrey Ballet School where she spent over 25 years. With her return to Pensacola in 1996 she instructed at Kaleidoscope (Pensacola Ballet). In 1998, she became Ballet Mistress with Northwest Florida Ballet staging ballets such as Giselle, Les Sylphides, Paquita, Swan Lake, and Coppelia, rehearsing the children for Nutcracker, teaching class, and sewing costumes. With her love of musical theatre and marching bands, she enjoyed choreographing musicals and rehearsing color guard for Tate High School with her sister as assistant. Her musical theater credits, just to name a few, include “George M,” “Here’s Where I Belong”, “Sweet Charity,” “Pajama Game”, “Dames at Sea”, South Pacific”, Fiddler on the Roof”, “Carousel” and “The King and I”. At the age of 44, she performed one final encore on Broadway in “Ballroom” by Michael Bennett.

Dorothy was also an author penning Conversations with Choreographers co-written with Svetlana McLee Grody. They interviewed well-known choreographers such as Michael Bennett, Tommy Tune, and Hermes Pan. She recorded her own ballet instruction videos featuring her children’s dance syllabus and appeared in the children’s book Going To My Ballet Class. She is also featured in numerous publications including Dance Teacher Now, Backstage, Emerald Coast, and the Pensacola News Journal. In 2004, she pursued another lifelong dream of hers by starting Dorothy’s Dance Plus, LLC. which she operated for 10 years having the slogan “Ballet for Those Who Try”. Upon closing her studio above Elebash’s in downtown Pensacola, she joined Emerald Coast Dance Conservatory in 2015, teaching her last classes this summer for NWFB and ECDC.

Miss Dorothy believed that everyone possessed the gift of dance within them, and steadfastly expressed her philosophy. “For each child, Dance belongs to them…no one can do it for them. They gain a respect for learning, and a respect for discipline, they develop better coordination and a confidence that will serve them no matter what they do later in life”. Just ask the hundreds of students whose lives have been changed for the better because of dancing.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Dr. James Palace and MaeBelle Gray Daniels, and husband, William W. Lister.

She is survived by her only daughter, Dr. Cynthia M. Dobek (Donald); sister, Beverly D. Reinschmidt; granddaughter, Deanna M. Sikorski (Jason); grandson, Michael G. Dobek (Andrea); and great granddaughters, Maybelle J. M. Sikorski, and Madalynn W. Dobek; nephew, Dr. Todd Stalnaker (Jocquilyn) and niece, Diane Stalnaker Charles (John).

Please join us to share your love, memories, and express condolences for Ms. Dorothy D. Lister at her visitation from 6:00pm-8:00pm Friday, October 15, 2021, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel, 2276 Airport Blvd., Pensacola, FL 32504. Masks are mandatory.

Please join us in a Celebration of Life memorializing the legendary Ms. Dorothy D. Lister at 1:30pm Saturday, October 16, 2021, at Gadsden Street United Methodist Church, 901 E. Gadsden St., Pensacola, FL 32501.

Comments

One Response to “Dorothy Daniels Lister”

  1. Old friend on October 15th, 2021 6:16 pm

    I remember my mom telling me stories of how Miss Dorothy had gone to New York to be a dancer. I’m so sorry for your loss.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Obituaries