User:Rljones49/Hallie pritchard

Hallie Pritchard

Hallie Pritchard (1904 - 1996) was a well known dance teacher in Houston Texas, gaining noteriety especially in the 1950's through 1970's: she retired in about 1975. Especially notable were her tap dancing and jazz classes. She also taught ballet.

The Pritchard Professional Club was a group of senior students organized to raise money and manage the scholarships that were given once a year to exceptional students. Contests for the scholarship competed at the Music Hall (downtown Houston) prior to class recitals. The contests included dancing a ballet, tap and specialty number while being judged by selected local dance teachers and people of celebrity. Winners were awarded transportation and private dance instruction (for example at the Al and Harriet DeRey Dance Studio) in Los Angeles, CA. Hallie had her dance recitals annually in the Music Hall and staged performances in Jones Hall with rehearsals and performances also in the Houston Coliseum.

The Hallie Pritchard School of Dance was located at 2201 Fannin St. and was known as the Paul Allen House (Building - #80004127) and as the Witch's Hat House[1]. The building was demolished in the 1990's but was a Houston landmark noted for it's unique architectural design, listed in the national register of historical places[2].

Her two dogs, Skeeter and Margrita (both Chihuahuas) were also famous in their own right.

1) http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/index.php?showtopic=7662 2) http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/tx/Harris/state4.html