The Hoffmann Family

Once upon a time two sisters in Waco helped shape the lives of many generations of local children...

Mamma and Papa Hoffmann were dedicated parents of two daughters, Fay and Bird, and a son, Harry at the turn of the 1900s. 

Papa was the son of a German physician who immigrated to the United States during the Civil War and was immediately conscripted into the Union Army.  Sent to Texas with Union Forces during Reconstruction, and decided to make Texas his home.

Mamma had a dream that her children would be dancers, but Papa was not so inclined and refused to pay for classes. Undeterred, Mama sold eggs and buttermilk to pay for the children's dance lessons. Finally when she thought they were good enough to prove her point she held a private dance recital for Papa. Being duly impressed he allowed the girls to continue dancing, but released Harry from arduous study of dance.

The girls, drawn to the lights of New York, struggled to break into the professional dance world.

They even went to Los Angeles seeking stage opportunities. After several years they returned home, and decided to share with local children their love of the dance.