Foundation Board
Pam Quinn
Founder & Beloved Friend
Stacey and I first met when we were at the University of Alabama. Those were years filled with spontaneous fun, long hours of deep conversation and profound connections that evolved into a life long friendship. In fact I have Stacey to thank for introducing me to my husband Brian.
The entire time I knew her, dance was always an important part of her life and even with her ever growing successes, Stacey never became a prima donna. She was very talented and could have danced professionally but chose family life instead. Her faith, family and friends were always her priorities.
Mark Kessler
Board Member & Stacey’s Husband
My wife, was the most amazing human being I’ve ever met. Many people search their entire lives to find their soulmate. I was blessed to have “danced” with my soulmate for 24 years before she beat cancer and made her journey to Heaven in 2018. When I first met Stacey, she was finishing up college at the University of Alabama while being a seemingly permanent fixture on the Tuscaloosa Community Dance scene. I was fortunate enough to see her perform as Clara for several years in the Nutcracker and fell in love with her stage presence, grace, elegance and beauty. As Stacey , the Tuscaloosa Community Dancers kept rewriting Tchaikovski’s Nutcracker to include an older “Dream Clara” sequence to include Stacey while supporting younger talent as “Young Clara”.
After college, Stacey’s passion for ballet found her serving as the manager of Susu’s Academy of Ballet & Jazz, the same studio she had spent a decade and half learning her craft. Stacey made personal relationships with every student at the studio, parents of the students, and her 100s of best friends in the community. In all of these relationships, Stacey’s superpower was celebrating the exact person that God made them to be, while inspiring them to discover their God given talent and passion.
Stacey used this God given talent to inspire countless dancers and ballerinas to follow their passion for the arts. During her stint at Susu’s Academy of Ballet & Jazz, she and Susu worked to accommodate the financial needs for families who simply couldn’t afford ballet/dance lessons. During this time, she confided in me that her life long passion was to bring dance and ballet lessons to those who could not afford this expensive art form. Unfortunately, Stacey became ill with cancer in 2016 and did not have a chance to see this vision come to fruition on earth. However, there is no doubt, she has inspired us from Heaven to help her to start the Stacey Norris Kessler Foundation to bring this vision to life.
We believe the Stacey Norris Kessler Foundation will provide ballet and dance studios with a platform to tap into a segment of untapped potential in the community and inspire them to follow their passion for ballet and dance. We also feel like the Stacey Norris Kessler Foundation will create a new group of diverse leaders in the dance community who will aspire to be future studio managers, professional ballerinas, or patrons of the arts. We look forward to partnering with and helping young talented ballerinas and dancers fuel their passion while dancing into the hearts of the world.
Sandra Sayer Lary
Board Member & Stacey’s Mother
Being Stacey's mom, naturally I was always her biggest supporter and number one fan. From a very early age Stacey wanted to dance and soon demonstrated a promising talent for it. Not having had the opportunity to take dance as a child myself, I was especially determined to provide Stacey the opportunity to pursue her dreams of becoming a ballerina. However, as a young family just starting out, we did occasionally struggle to find the means to cover the costs of dance tuition and other related expenses. Stacey certainly understood these challenges and was no stranger to hard work and sacrifice and when old enough to do so, offset some of these expenses by working and teaching at her local dance studio. Stacey had a kind and generous heart and absolutely loved teaching and mentoring other young dancers. So much so, she invited several of her young students to be in her wedding. These beautiful young ladies gracefully danced their way down the aisle of the sanctuary just prior to Stacey and Mark giving their wedding vows. It was unique and inspiring, just like our Stacey.
I can think of no better way to celebrate Stacey than by offering dance scholarships to other aspiring young dancers in need of financial assistance. How joyful and honored she would be to know that through her, others will be provided the opportunity to dance, “just dance!”
Susu Hale Prout
Board Member & Stacey’s Dance Teacher and Mentor
I had the pleasure of being a mentor to Stacey. With the opportunity to be her ballet teacher from the young age of three through her teens at the Academy of Ballet & Jazz (ABJ) I witnessed Stacey’s talent and dedication to dance that echoed her pure heart and giving spirit.
She was accepted to the Alabama School of Fine Arts where she continued training to be a professional dancer with the Alabama Ballet. After college Stacey returned to ABJ to teach ballet to all ages and share her love for dance. She was loved by all for her sweet and encouraging nature. Stacey left large footprints at ABJ and beautiful memories and friends everywhere she went.
Laura Stanley Van de Planque
Board Member & Family Friend
Stacey and I met through her husband, Mark, my childhood friend. Welcoming Stacey into our fold of “family friends” was easy. Her grace and kindness exuded in all her relationships. She was present and her presence was a present. She always brought joy and a giving spirit to her interactions, whether it was during a family dinner with our young children climbing in the backyard, or her supporting local charities, including the non-profit I led to raise awareness for mitochondrial disease. Propelled by a faith-first approach, Stacey cared for others and what was important to them which led to her positivity and selflessness helping her overcome her own struggles. I’m honored to have been a friend of Stacey and to help others know about her care and compassion. While we all miss her dearly, we are thrilled to help her legacy continue by sharing her love of dance with others.