The Gauquie Sister School of Dance - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

 Another prompt by 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. It's run by Amy Johnson Crow.

Information on the Topic

The birds are singing, so what better time for the theme of "Music." Any musicians in the family? How about someone who loved music and dancing? What about someone who makes you think of a song?

All my siblings and I all admit we cannot hold a tune to save our lives. However, there are people within the family that can do that and dance like crazy. 

I never knew about them until I started to do research. One of my cousins actually asked me if I knew about the dance studio in Washingtonville and I knew nothing about it. Imagine my surprise when I did find out about it. 

Who ran the Gauquie Sisters School of Dance? 

Two of my first cousin, once removed cousins. They were sisters of my grand Uncle James. 

Bernadette and Maryanne were the ones to run the dance studio. Louis Peter is my grandfather. 

Taken from Ancestry. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

They started when they were very young with singing and dancing according to the many newspaper articles. These are just a small sample.

Bernadette was only 3 years old and Mary Anne wasn't that much older. 

Credit  My Heritage

Credit: As above

The Gauquie Sisters are now a featured item. 

Credit: As above

Credit: As above

The top shows their mother is the director of the top show in which they now have the Gauquie sister School of Dance name and business. 

Credit as above

Maryanne continued even after she was engaged and later married. 

This shows they were even trying to do some good with their talents. 

Credit as above.

This shows they even sang with other groups to fine tune their craft. 

Credit as above.

One of the many advertisements in the newspaper. 

Bernadette has now married and is continuing with the dance school. 

Credit as above.

The School of dance is still going even after all this time - this is in the 1980s. 

Credit as above.

In the late 1980s its still going strong. 

Credit as above. 

I do not know when the Dance school actually closed. I have gone looking for it from time to time but couldn't find it. In fact, I found the address, but you can tell by the roads nearby this is the same family, but I think the dance studio located at 183 E Main St, Washingtonville, NY. When I looked this up, it was a family farm with what looks like a small office out the back which I think was the dance studio. 

Credit as at March 31 2021.

However, I still haven't been able to find anything about the school closing. 

What I have found was until at least 2008, Bernadette was active with drama, singing and dancing. However, it looks like she spent her time teaching this to her students at Bishop Dunn. 

Credit 

And according to her obituary, which I found while I was writing this post up, she had cancer for 4 years. This means the "Anything Goes" musical in 2008, was probably one of her last times doing the musical as she would have found the cancer in 2014 or 2015. 

I do have to look at her sister, Maryanne, but I believe she would have retired by now based upon age. However, I could be wrong as many people sing and dance or at influence others in later years. Maryanne, or any of her children, if you are reading this please feel free to contact me.