Day in the Life: Almost-secret door leads to world of beauty, grace
Karen Jenkins laughs when she tells you how long she's been teaching dance.
"Oh my, it's been 47 years," said Jenkins, owner of the Karen Gibson School of Dance, which can be difficult to find if you don't know Laurinburg.
The school, situated on the second floor of a building behind the town's courthouse, is often filled with students of all ages who enter through an almost-secret door behind the building.
But anyone who knows Laurinburg knows about the back door and knows that Jenkins has lived and taught there most of her life.
"I love living here and I love teaching - they're my passions," said Jenkins, whose last name hasn't been Gibson for quite some time, she'll tell you.
Jenkins teaches all kinds of dance to all age ranges three days a week at her Laurinburg school. She said she has no favorite dance or favorite age group to teach. She just loves to dance.
The proof is easily found in the way her thin, lithe frame glides across the floor or the way her eyes light up when she talks about dancing.
"Really, for me, I just love the kids," Jenkins said. "I love watching them grow and develop. I've had a few become professionals. But most importantly, I hope they leave here and are able to walk with grace, poise and self-confidence."