As I wrote the preceding account of the Colonial Ballroom, I became intrigued by the life of Helen Hilberger, a noted dancer and instructor who made significant contributions to the arts and the many she taught in Holyoke.
Helen Hilberger was born in Mulhouse, Alsace-Lorraine, on July 4, 1898. At a very young age, her family moved to Garfield, New Jersey, where she was raised and educated. She later studied dance at the Alma Smith Dance Academy in Passaic, New Jersey, and the Alviene School of Arts in New York City. For those who had their sights set on a Broadway dance career, this was an elite school.
Helen Hilberger became a professional dancer and performed at venues such as the Palace Theater on Broadway. Her parents relocated from New Jersey to Holyoke when her father, John Hilberger, became Superintendent of Germania Mills, while Helen remained in New York.
In 1921, she brought her solo act to Holyoke to perform at the Knights of Columbus Hall opposite the Victory Theater., At the conclusion of the show, she received many requests from parents to teach their children dance. Shortly thereafter, she moved to Holyoke to start her career as a dance teacher and choreographer, staging many local performances of children's shows.
In 1923, when the City of Holyoke celebrated its 50th Anniversary, Helen Hilberger and her revue were the featured performers at the Costume Ball, a significant event during the celebration.
Some of the many Holyoke entertainment, civic, and social venues where Ms. Hilberger and/or her review performed included the Victory, Strand, and Holyoke Theaters, Mt. Park Casino, Mt. Park Playhouse, Sons of Hermann Hall, War Memorial Building, Lawrence School, and Holyoke High School.
This is a list of some of her dance school locations over the years:
Pre-1924 - Caledonian Building, 187 High Street
1924 - Casper Ranger Building (aka The New Spa Building), Appleton & Newton Streets
1925 - Above Marcil's Millinery, 288 High Street
1928 - Hotel Nonotuck Ballroom (later Roger Smith Hotel), 61 Suffolk Street (temporary location)
1928 - above the Mohican Market, 573 Dwight Street
1932 - Trianon Hall, 461 Dwight Street
1933 - Colonial Ballroom, 2nd floor, 455 High Street
1934 - Above The Toggery Shop, later A. T. Gallup Clothiers, 308 High Street
1936 - Park National Bank Building, 4th floor, 378 High Street
1941 - Above the Cinderella Shop, 343 High Street
1941 - 2nd Location- Melha Shrine Temple, 347 Worthington Street, Springfield, MA
1943 - Prew Building, 276 High Street
1944 - Roseland Ballroom, 461 Dwight Street, formerly the Trianon Ballroom
1946 - Above the Registry of Motor Vehicles, 223 Elm Street
Helen Hilberger continued to improve and update her skills and teaching methods, spending several summers taking classes in New York City. The annual review performances by her students in Holyoke were attended by hundreds. Many of the performances were benefits or fundraisers.
In the mid-1940s, Helen Hilberger remarried and moved with her husband , Harvey Senay, to Hampden, CT. The Price & Lee City Directories indicate that from 1925 to 1941, she resided at 11 Washington Avenue in a home owned by her parents.
She continued to teach dance in Connecticut until 1963, when she retired at age 65. She then returned to Holyoke, where she spent her retirement years at 213 Chestnut Street at the corner of Essex. The brick building, as of this writing, is undergoing extensive rehabilitation and is known as "The Essex."
In 1973, she was interviewed by Warren F. Craig of the Holyoke Transcript about her life and career. In concluding the interview, she stated, "Holyoke was so good to me, and I am very happy to be back here with all of my old friends. God bless you all."
Her October 1984 obituary revealed she taught thousands over her 28 years in Holyoke. According to my readings, many thousands more were entertained by her students on stage during that time. Her contributions to the arts, dance, and culture, spanning from children to older adults, were exceptional and noteworthy.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Springfield, Massachusetts
Ancestry.com (paid subscription), Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts
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