Dancers take the stage June 24 at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre for a festival of dance performances in honor of the late Jeanne Bochette who died in February at the age of 89. Bochette was a pioneering dance instructor, entrepreneur and Grand Dame. She founded the Dance Bochette studio in Fort Myers in 1951 and taught thousands of students in the forms of ballet, tap, modern, hip-hop, jazz and others over a teaching career that spanned seven decades. Before opening the studio, Bochette performed with New York City Ballet and the Rockettes in the 1940s. Bochette was also known locally for her tireless advocacy for the performing arts. Bochette’s daughter Alyce Bochette, who is the director of Dance Bochette, joins us for a preview this Sunday’s upcoming tribute festival as we look back on the life, accomplishments and contributions of this remarkable woman.
Festival of Dance 2018: A Tribune to Jeanne Bochette
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Jeanne Bochette teaching her daughter Alyce
Courtesy of Dance Bochette
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Jeanne Bochette during a dance recital bow
Courtesy of Dance Bochette
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Jeanne Bochette instructs a young student
Courtesy of Dance Bochette
