Dance for Joy

Dance for Joy was founded by Kit Rossi in 2009. Kit Rossi is from Jacksonville and grew up at Village Dance Center between 1983-1995. She then majored in dance at Jacksonville University with an education emphasis. After graduating from JU in 1999, Kit went to work with her JU friend Courtenay Bowser who opened a Christian Arts Center named Shoshannah Arts. Kit started teaching ballet and modern to mostly high school and middle school students. Kit was excited to be a part of an enthusiastic team of artists who shared the same passion for Jesus and their art. She was the programs director at Shoshannah and later, she served as dance director. Kit did not know what to do after Shoshannah shut their doors in 2007. She was feeling lost and scared. It was hard to think of starting over somewhere new with two children under the age of five and another on its way. A dear friend, who had been displaced for a little over a year and found creative ways to serve and teach her daughter aged three, asked Kit to host a "ballerina party" at her home. Kit hadn't taught "baby dance" before but, with a daughter of three and another on her hips, she thought it was a good idea. Dance for Joy began about a week later. We opened in the fall of 2009 with just three age-appropriate classes. Dance for Joy moved to a new location in 2010 after River City Church welcomed us so graciously. As our dancers grew older and multiplied, we added a couple of classes each year and some new teachers. After five years of exciting experiences at River City Church, we decided to move closer to my San Marco home. Kit started talking about the possibilities of SUMC becoming the new home for Dance for Joy after a mission trip with Southside United Methodist  to Guatemala. God opened the door miraculously and Dance for Joy was able to dance through. It has been a wonderful and abundant opportunity to minister on the SUMC Campus. Dance for Joy grows and changes every year. Our biggest change occurred in 2022, when Kit Rossi, the company's founding director, retired. Grace Mims, Dance for Joy's new owner, was an obvious and natural choice to lead. Grace and Kit share the same passion for dancing to bring happiness to God and to others. Kit's joy at each tiny, and even not-so-little dancer bringing her joy for thirteen years was enough to power an army of Angels. Her legacy is one of gratitude, joy, and prayer for the future of Dance for Joy.