Author Description

When, in 1975, Deborah Dudley Mason opened the doors to her first studio on Hampshire Street in Inman Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she didn’t imagine she’d dedicate 47 years of her life as a teacher and mentor to the Greater Boston dance community. In this rich and spirited memoir, Mason takes us from the beginning of her journey in rugged East Cambridge, where she came from small means and worked three jobs in pursuit of her dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. Mason tells the story of the birth of her youth dance company—Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center and Cambridge Youth Dance Program—and how, driven by her perseverance, passion and commitment to the classroom and community, she overcame financial hurdles and sex discrimination at a time when most women did not own or operate their own business or have an opportunity to be recognized as a force in their communities. Funny, perceptive and poignant, LIFE IS BUT A DANCE will inspire the next generation of female performers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.