Due to declining health, Ms Olcott has reluctantly made the decision to step back from running her Irish Beat Dance School, which she founded when she arrived in Dunedin in 2007. The school has gone into hiatus for the remainder of the year.
Ms Olcott has handed the school over to a long-standing student, who is currently studying in the North Island, and will hopefully resume classes next year.
"I have taught her everything I know, and I am very confident that she will carry on the Irish Beat legacy," she said.
Dance has been a huge part of Ms Olcott’s life and in Dunedin she is known not only for her Irish Beat Dance School, but also for her work for many years as the local co-ordinator for Dance Aotearoa New Zealand (Danz).
She also ran popular "Dancing Like the Stars" programmes in local primary schools, and was the co-founder of Ageing Gracefully dance group with Suzanne Renner.
Ms Olcott has also been the treasurer of Dunedin Folk Club for many years, and she and her husband, musician and retired music lecturer John Egenes, have been active members since emigrating here from the United States.
The couple became New Zealand citizens in 2013.
As a long-standing professional buyer of jewellery and clothing, dating back to the 1970s, Kathryn Olcott has accumulated an enormous collection of jewellery, clothes, fabrics, hats, beads, costumes and shoes which she sells through Frills & Folly, on the ground floor of the King Edward Court building in Stuart St.
"I opened Frills & Folly in 2016 as something fun to do when I retired, and also as a way of passing on those treasures to other people to love," she said.
Because of her own interest in dressing up — particularly in Victorian costume and hats — Frills & Folly has become popular among Dunedin people looking for period costume for parties and events.
"Creating costumes has been where I have had the most fun — and since I have so many fabrics and accessory items in the shop, I have been able to send people away with a fantastic costume to wear for their event," she said.
"I have also loved creating costumes for myself, and have really enjoyed dressing up for the Victorian Heritage Celebrations in Oamaru and for local events over the years.
"And because Frills & Folly is a place of creativity, it has also grown into a community space — where people can come and sit and visit."
Due to her failing health, Ms Olcott is now working on selling off her collection at Frills & Folly over the next few months, and plans to close down the shop by the end of the year.
With the help of friends and supporters, she will hold a series of two-day sales at Frills & Folly, where the already low-cost items will be heavily reduced. The shop will be open on Fridays and Saturdays, from 11am until 3pm, and by appointment — starting from tomorrow.
"I have wonderful friends, and am very grateful for their help with the work of selling the treasures in the shop — and hopefully we can have some fun along the way," she said.
