Hallie Pritchard

[Alpha]

I keep reading about people who took dancing from Hallie Pritchard, so I decided to start this thread. I started out taking from Anne Keene in Bellaire from ages 4 to 7. I then took from Hallie Pritchard for about two years. I remember learning tap dances to the Varsity Drag and Basin Street Blues. I also learned a ballet dance to Waltz from Faust which I performed as a solo in a recital.

Ann Miller mentions taking from Hallie in her autobiography, although her name is spelled wrong.

I never performed on the Don Mahoney show as a child, but I was on there later as an adult. That's a story for the other thread.

Here are two pictures of the studio on Fannin that I took in 1994. I believe that the building has been torn down, but I don't know for sure.

[sevfiv]

what a neat studio! unfortunately, i think the current location is now club houston

[Subdude]

I remember that house on Fannin. It is hard to see in the photos, but it had a distinctive "witch's hat" roof over the turret. It is always odd to see houses like this remaining from when that was Houston's most exclusive neighborhood.

[mkultra25]

I remember that house on Fannin. It is hard to see in the photos, but it had a distinctive "witch's hat" roof over the turret. It is always odd to see houses like this remaining from when that was Houston's most exclusive neighborhood.

Wasn't this the house that was informally known, at least in later years, as the "Witch's Hat House"? There's an entry for it at the National Register of Historic Places:

Paul, Allen, House (added 1998 - Building - #80004127)

Also known as Witch's Hat House

2201 Fannin St., Houston

Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering

Architect, builder, or engineer: Dickey,George

Architectural Style: Shingle Style, Queen Anne

Area of Significance: Architecture

Period of Significance: 1900-1924

Owner: Private

Historic Function: Domestic

Historic Sub-function: Single Dwelling

Current Function: Commerce/Trade

I seem to recall that it was eventually razed, but the distinctive "Witch's Hat" was saved by a place in Montrose whose name escapes me which dealt in architectural ornament reclaimed from demolished buildings. There were some articles in the local press about it at the time, but I couldn't find any of them via a quick web search.

[WestUNative]

Ta-Da! (If it works, it is my first time to try to transfer an image). This picture courtesy of native_Houstonian via PM.

That's it! Somebody owes me $107.99 for a crappy Scanner and the time to download Photobucket! You people must be bloody geniuses. 57Tbird gave me instructions and he posts photos. The rest of the )&^$$ world posts photos. Why, oh, why can't I?

YESTH, the scanner works, I can readily send pictures around the world via email. Others here used Photobucket! I am having an official Southern Belle Snit Fit and Falling in it.

Somebody hep me, please.

-Sob-

[WestUNative]

57Tbird has kindly been working with me to achieve actual picture posting and I think I have finally achieved the methodology.

First a picture from native_Houstonian of Hallie Pritchard's showing the entire spike of the Witch's Hat:

Then if we are very lucky, a pro shot of me in my Daisy Mae outfit for tap recital, which Miss Hallie held at the old Coliseum.

[azchows]

57Tbird has kindly been working with me to achieve actual picture posting and I think I have finally achieved the methodology.

First a picture from native_Houstonian of Hallie Pritchard's showing the entire spike of the Witch's Hat:

Then if we are very lucky, a pro shot of me in my Daisy Mae outfit for tap recital, which Miss Hallie held at the old Coliseum.

Hi, I was a student of Hallie Prichart in about 1939-1940. I was trying to remember where I took my dancing lessons. What I do remember is that there was a stage of sorts in the dance studio. Do you recall a stage in the building where you took your lessons?

[jwphillips2]

Thanks for the great pictures!

[musicman]

Thanks for the great pictures!

yep. she must have been a rebel with that blouse off the shoulder! SCANDALOUS!

[Vertigo58]

Absolutely beautiful! If only it could be replicated, I buy , I buy!

Opps switching from topic.

[detached]

I was quite interested in trying to save this house and get it moved around 1991. I spoke with historical societies and house movers about this. At the time, we even got a tour of the house from a realtor, as it was up for sale after having been lawyers' offices in the 1980's. I will try to find the pictures I took while on that tour, and post them soon.

[Vertigo58]

I was quite interested in trying to save this house and get it moved around 1991. I spoke with historical societies and house movers about this. At the time, we even got a tour of the house from a realtor, as it was up for sale after having been lawyers' offices in the 1980's. I will try to find the pictures I took while on that tour, and post them soon.

We wait in abeited breath (angst) It would be amazing if original renderings were found. I would have remade in a large open field for all to see. Just think what fantastic furnishings it once housed not to mention the fantastic stories and testimonies from former students could tell. It is amazing that famous Broadway/dancer/film star Ann Miller once went there. Major wow!

[detached]

OK, these photos are from the Nov. 1990. The house was for sale for $200K. In Nov. 1997, the house was being demolished. A Houston Chronicle article was written about it on Nov. 26, 1997.

What it was like to be on the porch. Imagine sitting in a rocking chair in the old days.

The bright one is from the second floor central hallway, looking towards front of house. Turret room door is on right. The hallway had beautiful, lustrous wood floors.

The "spliced" panorama shot is from the ground floor entry, standing in the turret. Behind the entry hall fireplace, each room had a corner fireplace.

The last photos, showing rear elevations of the home, you can see the space for the old water cistern, between the 2 ground floor windows on the left side. A circular concrete foundation remained at the location. That little extended doorway was most likely not original to this house.

[Alpha]

Thanks so much for these pictures. It's been over 50 years since I was in that house. I seem to remember that the actual dancing studio was in the back of the house, but I don't remember if it had windows looking out over the back yard.

[Vertigo58]

Very endearing photos, yet sad that Houston could even think of destroying such beauty. I recall driving past on ocassion yet never realizing what a priceless structure it was.

[Diane]

Back in the mid 50s, I took piano lessons, with Ms. Olive Rouse, at the "Christiansen School of Music" that was located on the top floor (just under the "hat") of this lovely old building. We held our music recitals in the dance area downstairs. I was asked to audition for accompanist for Ms. Pritchard's students but since I had to ride the bus all the way into town from Brookhaven Subdivision (out off of Holmes Rd), that would have been too much for a 16 yr old. It was a nice honor to have been considered though! This was just a lovely old home, but at that time, the upstairs area particularly needed quite a bit of repair work done. Wish they could have saved it though as too many of Houston's old historic homes have already been lost.

[rljones]

thank you for these pictures.

I studied tap, jazz, and ballet with Hallie from 1957 until about 1972.

In the back part of the building (which is not pictured: it must have been removed) was a large "dance room". It was as wide across as the back of the main structure, and had windows across it's east face. There was a door on the north side as well as the entrance from the main structure on the west side.

The dance room had a parkay like wooden floor (perfect for tap dancing, whch was her forte) and a double set of bars (~1.5" dowel, for ballet) around the wall; Hallie had a grand piano that (Earl) would sometimes play for the Pritchard Professional Club ballet warm up and exercise sessions.

During my tenure, the upstairs of the main structure was "off limits", and we were not allowed up there, but it was used mainly for storage of the "flats" and canvas backdrops used in the productions and recitals. One of the upstairs rooms was occupied at some time (with a bed, TV, etc...).

One feature stands out in my mind that is not in the pictures: in the room off to the right after the "office" was what was called the "front pratice room". In this room was a very large and ornate built in cabinet structure (probably used for china at one time). I remember scaling this structure as a child. It was massive, built from mahagony, maybe: very large and very beautiful cabinetry work and to my recollection, it was not a movable piece of furniture.

anyways,

thanks again for the pictures.

Jones

[native_Houstonian]

I studied at Miss Hallies from 1974- 1982 or so when she retired. The upstairs was also off limits to us, as the roof was in terrible condition. I remember going up there once and there were huge holes in the roof with 55 gal drums underneath the holes to catch the rain. There were many pigeons that inhabited the upstairs.

She not only taught Ann Miller, but also Tommy Tune, and I studied there with Chandra Wilson, who plays Dr. Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy.

[jiffypops]

Hello. My grandmother Sandra Quaid Scanlin was a dance teacher here at Hallie's for several years beginning in the early 1950's. I am working on a family legacy book and wanted to contact some of her old students to see if they could recall memories of her or share a story. I know this was very long ago, but it would greatly help my project. She passed away at a young age and I never knew her. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Jennifer

[Earlydays]

Hello. My grandmother Sandra Quaid Scanlin was a dance teacher here at Hallie's for several years beginning in the early 1950's. I am working on a family legacy book and wanted to contact some of her old students to see if they could recall memories of her or share a story. I know this was very long ago, but it would greatly help my project. She passed away at a young age and I never knew her. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Jennifer

I was mentioning this tread to my wife and she told me that she took a class at Hallie's, circa 1951, called "Toe, Tap and Tumbling", when she was 5 years old.

[tapintx]

I was mentioning this tread to my wife and she told me that she took a class at Hallie's, circa 1951, called "Toe, Tap and Tumbling", when she was 5 years old.

[tapintx]

I took dancing from Miss Hallie from about 1964 thru 1975. I remember that house well. By looking at the pictures, a lot was done after I left. They must have re-done the inside. The porch looks the same. I remember many times practicing on the porch when all the rooms were busy. Miss Hallie had a phone in the dance room that was probably almost as old as the house. It had no rotary dial on it, you couldn't dial out, but you could answer it. Apparently they tore down the big dance room in the back.

I remember Earl (pianist) very well and also a lady, gosh I can't remember her name, sweet lady, she was kin to the Quaids, an aunt I think. I remember many recitals and scholarship review at the coluseum and JonesHall. Oh and for all the other students out there, who could forget the Bazarr at PetroTex every year. The person talking about Chandra Wilson taking there, yes she was mascot one year um 1975 I think

Now that I have found this sight I will have to check back through my pictures for pictures of the house. Surely has brought back some really special memories.

Kay

[rljones]

I started a Wikipedia page titled "Hallie Pritchard": would the owner of the building photographs kindly consider posting a few of the more interesting ones there. In addition, should the article topic be accepted, please (all) consider adding any historically relevant information.........

Jones

[SloaneGallery]

Ok all you history buffs, name these pretty girls in Hallie Pritchards 1930's dance class! Story Jones sloane III

I keep reading about people who took dancing from Hallie Pritchard, so I decided to start this thread. I started out taking from Anne Keene in Bellaire from ages 4 to 7. I then took from Hallie Pritchard for about two years. I remember learning tap dances to the Varsity Drag and Basin Street Blues. I also learned a ballet dance to Waltz from Faust which I performed as a solo in a recital.

Ann Miller mentions taking from Hallie in her autobiography, although her name is spelled wrong.

I never performed on the Don Mahoney show as a child, but I was on there later as an adult. That's a story for the other thread.

Here are two pictures of the studio on Fannin that I took in 1994. I believe that the building has been torn down, but I don't know for sure.

[tapintx]

Ok all you history buffs, name these pretty girls in Hallie Pritchards 1930's dance class! Story Jones sloane III

Hmmm....well lets see, I was not thought of in the 30's however, I know Miss Angela and Miss Alice were students at one time. I give, who are they?

Also, I am not sure how to answer a message on this page. Lanette, I received your message. Yes, Chandra was mascot the year I was Scholarship Winner.

Kay

[detached]

thank you for these pictures.

I studied tap, jazz, and ballet with Hallie from 1957 until about 1972.

In the back part of the building (which is not pictured: it must have been removed) was a large "dance room". It was as wide across as the back of the main structure, and had windows across it's east face. There was a door on the north side as well as the entrance from the main structure on the west side.

Jones

Indeed there was once a dance studio attached to the back of the old home. It can be seen in www.historicaerials.com in the 1957 and 1964 photos.

http://www.historica....com/?poi=13137

[outgoing1]

I keep reading about people who took dancing from Hallie Pritchard, so I decided to start this thread. I started out taking from Anne Keene in Bellaire from ages 4 to 7. I then took from Hallie Pritchard for about two years. I remember learning tap dances to the Varsity Drag and Basin Street Blues. I also learned a ballet dance to Waltz from Faust which I performed as a solo in a recital.

Ann Miller mentions taking from Hallie in her autobiography, although her name is spelled wrong.

I never performed on the Don Mahoney show as a child, but I was on there later as an adult. That's a story for the other thread.

Here are two pictures of the studio on Fannin that I took in 1994. I believe that the building has been torn down, but I don't know for sure.

[outgoing1]

I ALSO TOOK DANCE AND BALLET FROM HALLIE PRITCHARD. I LOVE TO DANCE. I HAD A CHANCE TO BE ON THE DON MAHONEY SHOW,NEVER DID.I THINK BACK THE EVERYONE HAD TAKEN DANCE FEROM HER. LOL. NOT SURE OF THE YEAR I WAS THERE,MAYBE IN THE 50'S. WHAT EVER HAPPEN TO HALLIE?

[detached]

I ALSO TOOK DANCE AND BALLET FROM HALLIE PRITCHARD. I LOVE TO DANCE. I HAD A CHANCE TO BE ON THE DON MAHONEY SHOW,NEVER DID.I THINK BACK THE EVERYONE HAD TAKEN DANCE FEROM HER. LOL. NOT SURE OF THE YEAR I WAS THERE,MAYBE IN THE 50'S. WHAT EVER HAPPEN TO HALLIE?

This lady says that she passed away in 1996 at age 92. Read down the blog: http://www.myspace.com/redheadsherri/blog

[detached]

Indeed there was once a dance studio attached to the back of the old home. It can be seen in www.historicaerials.com in the 1957 and 1964 photos.

http://www.historica....com/?poi=13137

The link doesn't work now, so I have a screen shot from 1957.... Historicaerials.com ~ of the home with its studio building at back.