'No desire to live in tragedy': Dadeville dance studio owner heals after mass shooting

Almost one year ago to date, Raven Tolbert waited outside of her dance studio in a nearly-empty downtown Dadeville. The dark night sky loomed over her small town, and she could hear the faint thump of music coming from inside the building behind her.

The studio, Mahogany Masterpiece, was always supposed to be more than just a dance school, Tolbert said. It was supposed to be a safe haven where kids could grow and people could find fellowship.

For two years, it was.

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Tolbert would often let her neighbors and friends use the studio to host events ranging from a youth basketball banquet to a baby shower. That night, it was Alexis Dowdell’s sweet 16 birthday party.

“I was the only person outside,” Tolbert said. “I was there because it was almost over. I was just going to clean up some things and lock up.”

Around 10:34 p.m. on April 15, gunmen opened fire on the partygoers. Four young, Black Alabamians died that night, and at least 32 people were physically injured.

There was “blood everywhere,” a state investigator would later testify. In the days that followed, law enforcement arrested six suspects in the shooting, all under the age of 20 and as young as 15.

But as Tolbert stood outside of her studio that night, she couldn’t have known any of that. She didn’t know that America’s 165th mass shooting of the year was starting inside. She didn’t know that she would find a bullet hole exactly where she was standing the next day.

She just knew she had to get out of there.

“The only way I knew to run was when I saw the first person run out the door. I ran the opposite way they did,” Tolbert said. “I ran, and I didn’t look back. I wasn’t trying to see anything, but I ran so far away where I couldn’t see anything.”

Once she caught her breath, Tolbert called 911 and her family in that order.

Then, she waited.

Finding peace in her faith

Law enforcement took Tolbert’s statement and asked her to stay nearby in case they had more questions.

She slept in her car in front of the courthouse that night, along with her parents and sister who were doing their best to comfort her. By the time 7 a.m. struck, Tolbert made her way back home and got dressed for church.

She doesn’t remember what sermon she heard that day, but she does remember feeling surrounded and protected by the Holy Spirit. After the shooting, Tolbert found comfort in her steadfast belief that God has a plan — for her and for Dadeville.

“It was something that God didn’t cause to happen, but he allowed to happen,” Tolbert said. “I chose to get up, keep moving and choose to seek God.”

Closing down to move on

Tolbert got her start as a dancer in church. There wasn’t a studio in town, so really, praise dancing was her only option. She was completely self-taught until joining the dance team in college at Auburn University Montgomery.

There, she received a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship, and when she got back home, everything clicked into place. Combining her passion for dance with her degree, Tolbert founded Mahogany Masterpiece in 2021. Her alma mater even celebrated the opening.

“I always wanted to just be a light in my community,” she said. “That was my main goal for it, just creating a different outlet because if there's nothing to do, there's always trouble. I just wanted to create something better for my community.”

Quickly, all of the students, their parents and teachers became one big family. They celebrated birthdays and threw holiday parties together. They helped one another with carpool and homework.

They loved each other.

After the shooting, Tolbert kept the family together for as long as she could. She held classes in the nearby Wellness Center at Lake Martin, and the Dadeville Performing Arts Center allowed Mahogany Masterpiece students to practice their stage performances there.

“I have no desire to live in any type of tragedy,” she said.

Back in fall 2022, a dance group invited the girls to participate in a summer performance and parade in Disney World, so in the months that followed April 15, that’s what they looked forward to.

Going into the trip, Tolbert hadn’t even thought of closing the studio. Upon leaving Disney, though, she said she could feel God telling her, “Hey, this is it. Your time here is done.”

One final dance

Tolbert saw lots of tears during Mahogany Masterpiece’s time in Orlando, Fla.

They went through the workshop, the rehearsals, the parade, and on the last day, there was a final performance.

Parents cried because they were proud of their kids, and they cried telling Tolbert how proud they were of her. They said they were thankful she gave these little girls from Dadeville the opportunity to dance in Disney World.

Tolbert remembers thinking, “I’m immensely proud too. Why am I not crying?”

Then, confetti began to fall.

Tolbert looked at the joy on her students’ faces and thought about how this was all she ever wanted from Mahogany Masterpiece. The smiling children, proud parents and overwhelming feeling that they had done something good was enough.

“When it was just coming to an end, and all that confetti came out, I cried,” Tolbert said through tears. “I was led by God to close.”

A month later, Tolbert gathered her students and their parents to announce that Mahogany Masterpiece would close for good before its third birthday. Once again, there were tears, but she said everyone understood.

Dance is no longer a central part of Tolbert’s life, but she does teach the occasional class on special occasions. After a stint in a local bakery, she found her place working for the District Attorney's Office.

One day, she may find her way back to dance, but for now, she’s focused on following her faith where God leads her.

“I’m just trusting in that. I am able to say that the dream happened,” Tolbert said. “I did it.”

Hadley Hitson covers children's health, education and welfare for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to the Advertiser.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Dadeville dance studio owner reflects a year since shooting, closure