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My deepest sympathies on the loss of your mom. She was a special lady, and I have such fond memories of her piano playing days for the OPALs. We had many laughs and her kindness made everyone feel welcome.

Elaine was a dear friend. She had a beautiful smile and always had a kind word to say about everyone. We will miss her very much.

Some younger students of the Hazel Boone Dance Studios were offering kind condolences to Holly Costa, the last director of the studio, when she posted about the passing of Elaine Richardson. Some of them only knew about her in the context of a eponymous prize given to a student each year at recital. To help fill in their understanding of how important Elaine Richardson was, I shared this: All dance studios used to have a live musician, if not multiple musicians, to provide the musical setting that is so important to dance. My mother, Sandra Philpott, held on to the tradition as long as she could, even when "hip hop" became popular because the ability to teach dance without having to fuss with technology was so liberating. It was almost like mom and Mrs. Richardson were telepathically connected as they started each class at the barre, moved on to center combinations, and then worked on routines. Mrs. Richardson would magically select music, adjust tempos, and provide just the right amount of accents and flourishes to make class fun at all levels. Preschoolers would get Nursery Songs, Ballet classes would get Chopin, advanced tap would get Gershwin. The transition to a record player with speed adjustment and later to CDs meant that mom had to spend teaching time finding the right music and getting it to sound right. Quick pauses for corrections that were so easy with a live pianist were quite difficult with "technology." The "History of Hazel Boone Dance Studios" book list over 25 pianists and a dozen orchestras/other musicians who played for rehearsals and recitals. Mrs. Richardson loved playing with a combo because it really brought a special depth and quality to the music and on-stage performances. But as many people have mentioned, it wasn't just music that Mrs. Richardson brought to The Hazel Boone Studios. She was so loved that after she retired, we named a special prize in her honor, and noted in the presentation: "The Elaine Richardson Prize was established in 1991 and is presented annually to the student who, 'has demonstrated the highest level of achievement and dedication to dance, while exhibiting the personal qualities of exemplary character, a positive attitude and a cooperative and helpful spirit. These qualities were respected and admired by Elaine Richardson, studio and performance pianist for over 35 years.'" Rest in peace, Dear Mrs. Richardson. Your memory lives on in all who knew and loved you!