From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:
When Beatrice Connolly (a.k.a Trixie Hardy) stepped off the train in Sault Ste. Marie in 1948, she quickly began to build a life for herself doing the only thing she had ever known – dancing. Moving from one steel town (Middlesbrough, England) to another may have eased the transition, but the Sault was a far cry from England. Trixie recounted to the Sault Star that the Soo in the 40s was “literally the end of the line. There was no road to Wawa or anything yet.”
There were already dance schools in existence when she arrived, but the future “matriarch of dance” would soon start her own. Teaching dance came naturally to Ms. Hardy thanks to a lifetime of diligence in the art. She had been born to parents who were Vaudeville performers and she began to take dance lessons at the very young age of two.
At only 12 years old, she was touring the United Kingdom as part of a dance troupe for a pantomime called, “Dick Whittington and his Cat.” Her professional dance career continued until she married Pat Connolly, at which time her days on the road performing ended, and teaching at her mother’s dance studio had begun.
Trixie retained her stage name and started her dance lessons here in the Sault at the Old Moose Hall with six students. However, the demand for her expertise rose dramatically after a successful first show at St. John’s Church Hall. By 1988, she and her daughter Shelagh were teaching more than 300 dance scholars from their studio at 710 Queen Street East.
Trixie Hardy was a powerhouse. When interviewed in 1999, even though she was technically retired, she still hadn’t really slowed down. With more than fifty years teaching in the Sault, she was still helping with ballet five days a week and adjudicating for the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (B.A.T.D) – Trixie was the first individual designated to this position in North America. She described herself in the newspaper as “76 going on 10. That’s what keeps you young, being around young people.” She had seen many changes in the dance world here in Northern Ontario – at first, there was no jazz, then tap became unfashionable, then it re-emerged.
This love of dancing all originated from Trixie’s mother. Ms. Hardy considered herself one of “her mom’s biggest fans. I remember standing at the side of the stage watching my mother dance and all the chorus girls would come and dress me up and put makeup on me.” Memories of that kind of live entertainment may have helped propel her to help create the Sault Ste. Marie Musical Comedy Guild with four other women in 1962.
Trixie Hardy trained thousands of dancers and she really wanted them to enjoy themselves, it wasn’t just about being the best dancer. She recounted to the Sault Star in 1988 that, “I think every child should dance – if they want to, of course. Although, parents should ask themselves if it’s the parent or child who wants to dance. Parents who stress practice, practice, practice, can make their children uptight. The child’s enjoyment is the main thing.” However, for those who were very talented, it was necessary to leave the Sault to pursue their passion. In a 1999 Sault Star interview, Trixie stated “You can’t be a professional dancer and live in the Sault. We take them as far as we can and then we have to tell them – you have to continue to another bigger city.”
Ms. Hardy passed away in December 2016 at the age of 94, but her legacy lives on. Not only is there a Theatre Dance Scholarship in her name through the British Association of Teachers of Dancing, but Trixie was also an inductee of the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame in 2011. In her lifetime, Trixie achieved something most people never do – she managed to dance her way through life and improved our community with her every move.
Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provide SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.
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