I was born during the “Shirley Temple” era. My mother worked, played violin in an all-girl band, and played piano for silent movies. I had long curls, an aptitude for tap dancing, and a loud voice for a three year old, so she enrolled me in tap classes. In those days it was common to tap dance on pointe, so that’s what I learned to do. I still have my pointe shoes with taps!
Lorraine’s tiny tap shoes
My teacher asked my mother to let me stay after class so I could stand in the back of the advanced tap classes to see what I could pick up. I began performing in lots of shows at the dance school, and in competitions in movie theaters. The contestant who got the most applause won a cash prize. I was pretty little, but I do remember my Dad would change bills into coins so I could drop them into a slot in a very large bottle that stood on the floor, so I guess I won some.
I stopped tap dancing when I was in high school. I got married when I was 19 and raised three children who attended tap classes in Chicago. In the early 1960s we moved to Highland Park and I found Eric Braun’s dance studio. Tap dance classes weren’t offered at that time, so I took modern and met the wonderfully talented Carol Walker who kept me interested in modern dance.
Carol Walker and I became and remain great friends. For years we choreographed and performed in original musical variety fundraisers for Kennedy school with PTA parents, including tap numbers. The revival of the musical “No, No, Nanette” came out about that time and brought renewed interest in tap dancing, so a lot of people wanted to learn.
Lorraine and Carol ice skating in the 1970s
Lorraine and Carol today
Lorraine and Carol at the barre after Lynne’s CBG ballet class 2018
Having had my family share this whole experience leaves precious memories for me. My husband Norman was my best beginner for 25 years. My children Beth, Paul, and Leslie danced in a variety of Carol Walker’s shows. They all were good tap dancers, too. Leslie even performed with me in a show. I always kept canes and top hats in the trunk of my car because it was a family tradition to celebrate being together by dancing “Tea for Two”. We even performed it at Bar Mitzvahs and weddings! All were invited to participate, whether they knew the dance or not.
Lorraine’s and Norman’s head shots
Lorraine and Norman in costume for a show
When Carol opened her studio she asked me to teach tap. I wanted to sharpen my ability by taking lessons before teaching them, so I looked for a teacher. I found Jimmy Payne, a very well-known dancer and teacher. I took private classes with him at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago. He was an exceptional teacher, and we worked really well together.
I began my career as a tap teacher when I was 40 years old. I worked at the studio under the ownership of Carol Walker, then Rory Foster, and then Lisa Gold, who was a student at the studio when I first started teaching. I retired after 25 years. I will forever be grateful to Carol for the opportunity to tap dance with all these fun-loving people of all ages for all those years. We became “family.”
Lorraine teaching class in 1989 at NSSD in Highwood with her “best beginner” Norman
After I stopped teaching I took a few falls. I broke my ankle and both legs on three separate occasions, and needed surgery each time. I knew I needed to strengthen my body and gain better balance, both physically and mentally, so I started taking Lynne Belsky’s ballet class at CBG. The class was a real challenge for me because I had never studied ballet. Lynne is an outstanding teacher and dancer whom I had the pleasure of seeing perform at the Auditorium Theatre with The Joffrey Ballet when she was a teenager.
Lorraine teaching Lynne “Tea for Two”
One day, Lynne asked if I would stay after ballet class to teach her some tap steps. That’s how I came out of a 20 year retirement to again teach at Lisa Gold’s studio, where I now teach people age 50 and older. Dance is fun: it’s cardiovascular, it teaches coordination, and gives you a feeling of well-being of body and mind.
Teaching our over-50 CBG students is wonderful because they come to class with a common interest, and really want to learn. They want to take apart every combination to make sure they’re doing it correctly. They pay attention and will speak up when they need help, which I love, and everyone has a great sense of humor which makes classes fun, too.
During quarantine I learned you can dance anywhere, no matter how large or small the space. I teach my class online, and take Lynne’s ballet class and Lisa’s Modern class online, too. I definitely feel better and certainly more fit when I dance three times a week.
Lorraine, Norman, Randy Duncan, and Leslie doing “Tea for Two” at Leslie’s wedding 1986
Dancing together brings out the best in everyone and we always have a lot of fun.
I’d like to thank Lisa Gold for making me a part of the dance world once again.
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