Virginia Lee Lathrop

Newtown Dance Teacher Is Dancing With The Angels

Virginia Lathrop, 94, died in Newtown, November 7, after a wonderful and joyful life. Mrs Lathrop was born November 23, 1914, in Chelsea, Mass., to Elizabeth (Smith) and Frank Lee, one of nine children.

A dancer since a young girl, by the time she was 16 years old her dancing had become so proficient that her teacher encouraged her to audition for Gus Edwards, a famous talent scout of the time, known for his discovery of stars such as George Jessel, Eddie Cantor, Walter Winchell, and Hildegard. One of 5,000 who auditioned, Ginny Lee performed a stair dance and soon received a telegram from Mr Edwards: “Come to New York! I have plans!”

With her mother’s blessing, she joined the Gus Edwards Revue and traveled the circuit as part of the act. It was through her agent that she met fellow dancer and performer Willis Lathrop McNabb, a/k/a Mack Lathrop, teaming up in short order to become “Lathrop and Lee,” a union that was not only to be in dance, but in life. The two were married in North Castle, N.Y., on May 19, 1937.

Following a highly successful professional dance career performing in hotels, theaters, and nightclubs all over the world, the Lathrops made their permanent home in Newtown, and began a second career in 1951 with the opening of the Lathrop School of Dance. Thousands of area youth, including multigenerations of families, have learned the joy of dance from the Lathrops in those 58 years. Mrs Lathrop was widely known to her students as a mentor, second mother, and inspiration for dance and life.

The yearly Stardust Revue performed each spring by students of the dance school became an annual event relished by members of the community for its professional flair and enthusiastic spirit. The success of the Stardust Revue allowed the Lathrops to donate a portion of each year’s ticket sales to support the Danbury Hospital Pediatrics Unit. “Since 1971, Lathrop School of Dance has donated over $35,000 to the hospital,” according to Diane Wardenburg (Miss Diane), assistant director to Mrs Lathrop.

The Lathrop School of Dance was honored with the 2009 Labor Day Parade Legends & Pioneers Award this past September.

Along with her family of dancers and many other friends, a niece, Barbie Lee, and her great-niece, Ali Janaveris, both of Swampscott, Mass., survive Mrs Lathrop. Mack Lathrop predeceased Mrs Lathrop in 1985.

Funeral services for Mrs Lathrop were held Wednesday, November 11, in St Rose of Lima Catholic Church, with Monsignor Robert Weiss officiating. Interment followed in Newtown Village Cemetery.

Donations in Mrs Lathrop’s memory may be made to Newtown Scholarship Association, PO Box 302, Newtown CT 06470; or Danbury Hospital Department of Pediatrics, 24 Hospital Avenue, Danbury CT 06810.

The Newtown Bee                                                                      November 13, 2009

(See related story on page 1 for more on Virginia Lathrop’s life.)