Lisa Gillespie ~ 1985
Arrived ~ 2/10/66
Departed ~ 9/7/26
Daniel Dodgdon lovingly wrote:
My beautiful wife and soulmate of 46 years lost her battle with cancer and passed gently this morning, surrounded by her family and friends.
Lisa was diagnosed exactly a year ago with Grade IV GBM, uMGMT, IDH-WT — the most aggressive form of brain cancer, for which there is no cure. She was given months. She fought for a year, and for six of those months her tumor was in complete remission.
A classical ballet dancer for over 40 years who graced stages from New York, Chicago, London and Paris, and went on to teach, choreograph, and work with some of the world’s greatest dancers, from the Royal Ballet to the Mariinsky, Lisa gave generously of herself, her time and her art, and deeply touched the lives of everyone she worked with, taught, or who was fortunate enough to see her dance.
Over the course of her illness she never once asked “why me.” She made her nurses laugh. She always hammed it up for photos. She kept a paint set on the balcony and painted in the sun between treatments. Every time a scan came back she wanted to know what the next thing was. Two weeks ago, when she could still speak clearly, she asked me not to give up on her, because she still wanted to keep fighting — and she never stopped. Her courage and determination knew no bounds. I will forever be in awe.
And every day, no matter how challenging — the chemo and radiation, the paralysis of her left side, losing her hair — she was filled with gratitude for the life she got to experience and the family and friends she was blessed with.
Ten days ago I brought her home. She sat in the garden. She sat in the kitchen with her family while we made dinner. I told her how lucky we were and she said, “yes, we are very lucky.”
Forty-six years ago I saw a girl across a room and I have thought about her every single day since, without exception. I don’t know how to be in a world that doesn’t have her in it. I only know that I got to spend the best part of my life with her, and for that, I will be forever grateful.
I am the world’s most fortunate man.
Thank you to everyone who came, who wrote, who sat with her. She felt all of it.
I miss you, my love 💔
Lisa Gillespie bio.
Lisa Gillespie is an adjunct professor of dance at Loyola Marymount University and a frequent instructor at the Santa Clarita Ballet Academy. She has taught at the American Musical Dramatic Academy, Everybody dance!, Marat Daukayev School of Ballet and Lois Ellyn Ballet School.
Lisa began her training with Thomas and Ilona Russell (National Ballet of Washington DC, Frederic Franklin), Genevieve Damon (Marquis de Cuevas Ballet, Massine), San Francisco Ballet, and on scholarship at North Carolina School of the Arts, as well as with Stefan Wenta.
She recently worked with Polunin Ink to create Satori, an evening of dance at the Coliseum Theatre in London’s West End and in Prague. She has performed as Eliza in the Théâtre du Châtelet’s production of The King and I, directed by Lee Blakeley and reprised the role at Lyric Opera of Chicago. She has performed in many operas including King Roger, directed by Stephen Wadsworth and Maometto II, directed by David Alden at Santa Fe Opera. Other operas include Seattle Opera’s Carmen and Pearl Fishers and Die Fledermaus for The Dallas Opera, San Diego Opera and Washington National Opera (PBS Grand Performances) and Aida for Pacific Symphony. She has performed in The Merry Widow for LA Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and The Dallas Opera. Other LA Opera credits include Macbeth, directed by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak, Aida, Queen of Spades, La Traviata, Vanessa and Placido Domingo & Friends Gala. Musical theater roles include Louise in Carousel, Dream Laurey in Oklahoma! and Eliza in The King and I for Musical Theater of Wichita. Lisa was with Ballet Arizona where she performed in ballets such as Balanchine’s Serenade, Four Temperaments, Rubies, Pilobus’ Land’s Edge and The Nutcracker. She has danced original works by Francisco Martinez and worked with Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet for many years touring to London and New York.
Lisa has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from George Mason University. She has completed 200 hours of yoga teacher training from Loyola Marymount University and ABT’s National Training Curriculum Level Pre Primary – Level 3. Lisa is excited to start her first season at the Los Alamitos Ballet School and Premier Dance Arts Faculty.
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