02/09/2026
Southold Dance Theater extends our heartfelt sympathy to the family of Kelly Burgét, including our friends of UZIMA Drum and Dance. She was a guiding light in the Greater South Bend Arts community & beyond, whose spirit, creativity, and love for teaching & telling the stories of so many inspired us all. Kelly, the spaces you filled will feel empty without your energy & laughter, but your impact will forever be in our hearts. Thank you for the memories and the passion; may your legacy live on! 🩰✨ Like a shooting star, blazing across the evening sky—gone too soon, but leaving hope behind. 💔
Our Dear UZIMA! Friends and Fans,
It is with unbearable sadness that we report that Kelly Burgét, our founder and Artistic Director, transitioned to her next chapter on Friday, February 6th.
Our matriarch, our light, our force, our visionary. The heart of UZIMA! who created something not only beautiful for the world to experience, but, even more importantly, created a haven, a family, for the performers who are part of this company.
Kelly’s talent was extraordinary, onstage and off. Anyone who encountered her walked away changed in some beautiful way. She brought her whole spirit to her performances and had a unique gift to see where people were hurting and do whatever she could to nurture them into wholeness, always with gentle guidance and humility. She did that with the performers, she did that with the audience, and she did that in her personal interactions with people.
As you can imagine, this loss is significant not just for UZIMA!, but the arts community in South Bend, and we thank everyone who has sent their love and condolences to us and to her family personally. We honor them and hold them close as they walk through this season of grief. Please pray for their comfort and healing.
The two words we have heard repeatedly in the last couple of days in description of Kelly is “light” and “force”. It’s uncommon to be both of those things simultaneously, but Kelly was, indeed, a brilliant light and a formidable force. Her light and love extended beyond her physical self when she was with us, and it will continue to guide UZIMA! as we move forward in this new chapter without her physical presence but with her force guiding us in every space we move into.
We hold steadfastly to her mission and vision to create unity and love through art and will let her spirit carry us forward as we work to build on the incredible foundation she created.
Arrangements are pending and will be made publicly available when they have been finalized.
In Wholeness, Health, and Life,
UZIMA! Drum and Dance