Our Legacy

Stephen and Katie Stay, along with four of their five children, were gunned down inside their home by an estranged relative. Now, a neighbor and friend is honoring the family with a dream inspired by two of the young victims.


Moriah Davis had put aside her childhood dream of opening her own dance studio. But when her friend Katie Stay moved to town, that dream was ignited once again by Katie. Katy insisted that Davis teach her young daughters to dance because she didn't want to pay the high tuition of dance schools. Davis started teaching the girls in her living room. But one of Katie's daughters, eager young Becca, pushed her to expand.

 

But Becca would never see that real dance studio. The Stay family -- Becca, along with her parents and three of her siblings -- were murdered in a grisly shooting spree. The day after their funerals, Moriah Davis signed the papers to her new dance facility, and the "Moriah Davis School of the Arts" was born.Davis advertised her first recital, and dozens of new clients signed on. Now, she is expanding the school again, and keeps the Stay girls in her thoughts. The school used Becca and Emily Stay's initials, "B" and "E," as the school's motto."We thought 'BE Dance' would be fun for Becca and Emily. 'BE dance,' be everything Becca and Emily were," Davis said.The Moriah Davis School of the Arts is giving out two scholarships to dancers who embody the "Be Dance" spirit.
​

 

Contact Us

MDSA Foundation’s Nondiscriminatory Policy

The MDSA Foundation School admits students of any race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

​

Our Sponsors