Ursula A. Gray

Ten years ago, on reminiscing about haiku we once used in Ursula's classes, "since my house burned down -- I now have a better view -- of the rising moon" I wrote, "Yes, I feel as if my house has burned down, but a moon has risen. To my surprise, it has a new face with a warm and generous smile and brilliant blue eyes".
For me, that moon has stayed full and beams her light to me every day. Maybe one of the greatest gifts I received from Ursula's classes was gained from those...

Ursula Gray was a wonderful dancer, teacher and a beautiful person. My mother and I both took dance classes together from her more than 50 years ago. Ursula was incredibly energetic and charismatic. She took her time to work with everyone, whether they were elegant and poised or whether they had two left feet. I remember the many dance performances, each with it's own theme. Ursula will be missed by many.

As a freshman at the Colorado College, I received a book called The Modern Dance from Ursula, after she saw me dance the small part of Louise in a performance of Carousel in 1974. Receiving that book meant so much to me then and affected the path of my life. Thank you, Ursula.

I was visiting with a life-time friend of mine at a gathering of other life-time friends in December. I reminded her of dance classes we took together at CC when we were children-about 50 years ago. I believe Steven must have been in our class (as it WAS VERY unusual to have a boy in one of these classes) and recall what fun we had learning how to be "popcorn," and performing an improvisational dance where we were all in a park playing baseball. Our costumes were made of pastel gingham...

Can one ever know what event will change the course of their life? Sometimes the most mundane activities, like enrolling in a class that a friend wanted to take and you just wanted to “tag along” to be with the friend, is that turning point. Fifty years ago my friend Donna wanted to take the Children’s Creative Dance classes at Colorado College.

I can remember as if it were yesterday the registration tables set up in Cossitt Hall, that vaulting space with the spectacular view of...

To Ursula Gray's daughters,

Your mother was a wonderful person and my life is much richer having known her. I took dance from Ursula when I was over 50 years old and she had such a love of music and dance that it was just a joy to be around her. The ladies in my class would get together on Ursula's birthday to honor this lovely woman. Fond memories will remain with the many people that were fortunate to have known Ursula. She
will be greatly missed.

Jolene...

Ursula Gray was our creative dance teacher when I was an adult, and my daughters were children. I didn't know until today that Ursula was born on exactly my own mother's birthday, December 22, 1916. When I read that, I felt that, in Ursula, I was given a second wonderful mother, a mother of my own creativity and joyful response to dance and movement. Ursula will always be a happy spirit leading us, as we all dance through the cosmos, whether as gleeful snowflakes like those in the...

After Professor Gray in October 1977 died I called Ursula. He was my advisor at CC. I told Ursula I trusted him, more than anyone I'd ever known. I tried to write these feelings about trust in a presentable form. After several attempts, sent to Ursula, she remarked that one day I would be successful at it, because I kept at it. Finally, in the "spirit of Glenn" I had a short, humble story published that was in the spirit of Glenn. I will miss Ursula as I miss Glenn.