January 7, 1900 - Ernestine Myers Morrissey (Jan 7, 1900 – June 29, 1991)
Top-notch teachers taught children the art of dance.
By Dr. Dipa Sarkar
Dancing has been a part of life from the beginning of human history. As soon as our basic needs and safety were met, we find that people danced with rhythmical beats of drums or the tunes of flutes. They joined hands and danced with the beats to express their joys, love, and thankfulness. Dancing was used as a form of socialization and also a sense of physical well-being. After millions of years, it is still being practiced today to give us pleasure and entertainment. It is a very hard discipline and needs to be nurtured by experienced teachers.
This article focuses on three experienced and dedicated dance teachers who had studios in Terre Haute. Ernestine Myers Morrissey, Nancy Sauer, and Archileen Chambers spent their lifetimes teaching but, through their efforts, brought fame to many youngsters from the Wabash Valley. Ernestine Myers Morrissey started her dancing career when she was still a student at King Classical School here. As a child, she had taken lessons from Rose Farrington, a local teacher. She then studied at the Chicago Musical College with Madam Marie Jung, a ballet mistress of the Royal Opera in Budapest. She then went to California to study with famous dancers Ruth St. Dennis and Ted Shawn. She went on concert tour with them all over the country and was in musical shows in New York City for six years. She appeared in a variety of shows, including the Ziegfeld Follies and taught at the American Ballet School.
More than 50 years ago, she came back to Terre Haute and opened a successful dance school, teaching many youngsters the poise and skill of dancing. She was honored for her achievement during the Bicentennial year, when her photographs were displayed in the Kennedy Center for Preforming Arts in Washington D. C. She retired in 1978 and died at the age of 91 in 1991. Nancy Sauer was born Nancy Cruchfield and took her first dance lessons from Ernestine Myers when she was 9 years old. When she was in seventh grade, she was one of six girls who performed in the Gentry Brother’s Circus. She did all the acrobatic and aerial routines with perfection and traveled all of Indiana. When in the ninth grade, Miss Ernestine sent her to the Fox Theatre in St. Louis to dance. Later, she launched her vaudeville career in New York. She then performed in nightclubs and on stage, traveling extensively.
In 1940, she married Arthur Sauer, kept house and had two children, Susan Helman and Arthur Jr. Resuming her work after a period of time, she helped local theatres with their musicals, dance recitals, and participated actively in in choreography. In 1953, Nancy opened her own school of theatrical dancing on Wabash Avenue where she taught. She also ran five different schools in the surrounding area. Now, she is retired, but her life has been rich, productive, and rewarding.
Archileen Chambers was a Terre Haute native born Sept 19, 1910, the only child of Archie and Maudette Chambers. Her father ran a restaurant, but was a talented musician specializing in xylophone, saxophone, and drums. Her mother was a pianist. She studied dance under Rose Farrington, later Ernestine Myers, and by the time she was 8, was giving recitals as a dancer, pianist, and drummer. She became a featured dancer on the vaudeville circuit. Growing tired of traveling, she returned to Terre Haute and opened a dance studio in 1946 at 324 S. Fourth St. and later at 9 S. 13th St.
At the age of 50, she married Shubert Sebree, a close associate of Eugene V. Debs and resided at 213 N. 13th St. She died Jan. 18, 2002, at the age of 91.
These three accomplished dancers of Terre haute, not only had brilliant careers of their own, but paved the way for many young children of the area, inspiring them to the path of beauty and grace through dance. They are featured in the Historical Museum’s current exhibit, “Let Us Entertain You”.
