Bonnie Schwerer Danced and Whistled Her Way to Fame

      

An article in the Sandusky Register of July 2, 1965 said about Bonnie Schwerer, “People who resided in Sandusky prior to 1950 probably remember the former Bonnie Schwerer as the girl who danced and whistled her way to fame with the late Ted Weems Orchestra.” Bonnie Schwerer grew up in Sandusky, Ohio, and she took dance lessons at the Kay Lutes studio, once located in the building at the intersection of Monroe, Elm, and Hancock Streets.

In the 1950 Bonnie Schwerer, who used the stage name Bonnie Ann Shaw, appeared as a featured singer and whistler with the Ted Weems Orchestra. She is pictured below as a young woman in a photo taken by the Torow Studio.

             

Bonnie married and had three daughters. Following a divorce, she moved back to Sandusky to look after her parents. Bonnie Schwerer Moran died in 2003, after a battle with lung cancer. She was fondly remembered by those who had known her so well in her hometown of Sandusky. Obituaries for Bonnie Moran appeared in the Toledo Blade on May 11, 2003, and in the Sandusky Register on May 10, 2003. 

In the picture below, a young Bonnie Schwerer is pictured with fellow musician Rosemary Schultz, and an unidentified young woman.

Heslet’s Academy of Dancing

This advertisement for Heslet’s Dancing Academy appeared in the February, 1902 edition of the Fram. By looking at each illustration more closely, we can read the words that appear in each section of the ad. Professor William Heslet had 500 pupils enrolled in the 1901-1902 course year. Beginner’s classes met on Monday evening at 7:30. Beside the dancers is written: “Have you learned to dance without taking lessons and dance like this?”

A phrase in the next illustration reads, “Or have you learned from an incompetent instructor and dance like this?”

“Or will you be a wallflower” is the phrase in the illustration at the bottom left portion of the advertisement.

The concluding sentence reads, “Or would you dance like this and be a credit to yourself and friend?”

“Professor” William S. Heslet conducted a private dancing academy in Sandusky from about 1898 through 1921.

During the 1898-1899 season, Professor Heslet gave classes on the third floor of the Lea Block on Market and Wayne Streets.

By 1908, he had moved the dancing academy to the Cable Block, at the northeast corner of Market and Jackson Streets. In 1921, Mr. Heslet moved to Detroit, Michigan where he served as the dance manager of the Bob-Lo resort. Hundreds of former Sandusky students were sad to see their dance instructor leave Sandusky.

Masquerade Party Given by the Knights of the Scissors

On January 21, 1890, the second annual masquerade party given by the Knights of the Scissors was held at Fisher’s Hall. Music was provided by the Great Western Orchestra. Admission was fifty cents for men and twenty five cents for ladies.

Dances included waltzes, polkas, the schottische, and many more. An article in the January 22, 1890 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that two hundred people were at the party, with about half of the guests in masquerade. To date we do not know if the Knights of the Scissors were a labor group, perhaps made up of tailors, or if the group was an informal club.

The Sandusky Schottisch

A schottisch or schottische is a round dance of German origin, similar to a slow polka. It was very popular in the mid to late nineteenth century. The dance combines the movements of a slow tempo polka with a circular hop. In a letter to his brother Orion Clemens, Samuel Clemens tells of dancing the schottische with a Miss Castle. A clip of dancers performing the schottische is found on YouTube.

George F. Doll composed “The Sandusky Schottisch” for the guitar about 1860. He dedicated the musical composition to his Sandusky friends. George F. Doll was the son of Sandusky businessman Theodore Doll. German born Theodore Doll had a variety of local businesses, including an ice cream shop and an oyster saloon in a building known as Doll’s Brick Building. He was listed as hotel keeper in the 1850 Erie County Census.

In the 1860 Sandusky City Directory George F. Doll’s occupation was music teacher. By 1880, George had married and moved to Fremont, Ohio. George and his wife Martha had four daughters. George F. Doll died in Fremont in 1881, when only 41 years old. You can view “The Sandusky Schottisch” and several other vintage sheet music by visiting the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library.