Joie Sellers danced.

From the instant you first set eyes on this tiny girl with the beautiful, sparkly brown eyes, you couldn't help but notice that she carried herself with grace as WELL as boundless positive energy. It stands to reason, as Joie was a dancer. She was a member of the select dance company at her middle school, M.S 51 in Park Slope, and among her favorite teachers was her dance teacher, Julie Gibson.

Joie danced her way through the 6th and 7th grade, with only kind and friendly words to say. Academically, she was an avid reader, and could often be found arguing over the subtext and character's intentions with her friends Leslie and Nubia, who were also in her book club. The very last book Joie was able to finish was Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park, about which she had very definitive opinions. Joie equally loved the Lifetime TV reality show Dance Moms, and often wrote beautifully illustrated profiles of the dancers featured on the show

Joie loved her sister Charly and her mother intensely. They were both also featured subjects of her writing.

Most of all, Joie was a kind spirit. She was loved. She was a stellar student, a disciplined performer, a loving daughter, someone's best friend. She was more than someone. She was someone unforgettable.

I would give anything in my life to have begun this email, "Joie Sellers dances."

But for now, I have to say, "Joie Sellers danced."

Submitted by Ryan Michelle Woods, Sellers’ teacher at MS51.