Wally Dashiell | Women Who Make A Difference
By Brent Lewis
People are sometimes hard to define. As for Wally Dashiell, with everywhere she’s been and everything she’s done, it’s next to
impossible. She’s a perpetual whirlwind of activity and a beloved Eastern Shore icon.
Many of Dashiell’s accomplishments have come about through her dedication to dance, athletic competition, and community
service. She has taught ballet, jazz, tap, and character dance for over 60 years, is a multi-gold medalist Senior Olympian, and won
the first ever Queen Anne’s County Chamber of Commerce award for outstanding volunteerism. She was a youthful German performer
during World War II and a post-war American wife and mother.
She’s a breast cancer survivor, green-thumb gardener, needlework craftsperson,
and crossword-puzzle enthusiast. On her annual winter vacation, she
skis for hours on end. She’s thrown out the first pitch at an Orioles game
and, in 1996, was honored to be one of the Marylanders chosen to carry
the Olympic torch. In 2007,
Wally Dashiell was inducted
into the Maryland Senior
Citizens Hall of Fame.
As a teenager, she defied
social conventions to pursue
her passion for dance. She
was touring with Germany’s
version of the USO when the
tides of war began to turn
against her homeland. Her
troupe had performed in a
small number of European
capitals before being called
back home, where she was
ordered to work in a munitions
factory. Wally Dashiell
doesn’t have much to say
about those days except, “It
was terrible.”
With Germany under
American occupation in 1946, she met George Dashiell from
Cambridge, Maryland, at Heidelberg’s Stardust Club. Despite rules
against fraternization, Army Staff Sergeant Dashiell asked her to
dance. The couple married and, in 1947, she gave birth to their son,
Edwin.
After George brought his new family back to his hometown, Wally
danced in a few shows at the Cambridge American Legion. Friends
asked her about teaching their children, but she had no real credentials.
She enrolled in Dance Masters of America, an organization that
certifies dance instructors and the standard-bearer of dance education,
and then opened a studio in Cambridge, followed by another in
Easton. At the urging of the parents of some of her students from
Kent Island, she moved her operation to Stevensville, and has been
teaching dance at her studio there for more than 40 years now.
Wally is a distinguished member of Maryland’s dance community.
She’s a past president of Dance Masters of America’s Mid-Atlantic
chapter and the Ballet Theatre of Maryland. A life member of the
Maryland Council for Dance, Wally was their faculty chairman for 20
years. She also served on the board of the Maryland State Arts
Council.
She currently teaches 15 classes per week and 50 dance students,
and says she’s instructed “thousands of them over the years.” She does
not teach adults. Students begin with the basics when they’re as
young as three years old. “Ballet is the foundation,” she says. “We have
fun, but even the little ones know it’s not an hour of playtime.” And
she doesn’t believe competition makes dancers better. Her students
help and encourage each other, and the older, more experienced
dancers are expected to be leaders in the studio.
Upon graduation, some students have gone on to study with masters
or perform with prestigious dance companies. Watching her protégés
accomplish great things is one of Wally’s immense pleasures in
life. Many dance professionals have complimented her on the grace,
poise, and proficiency her students exhibit. She believes in “not just
teaching dance routines but providing students the basics for all parts
of their lives.” Her students excel because they develop self-confidence
in dance. “Dance is discipline,” she says.
Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Eric Wargotz is the father of
one of Wally’s current students. He says Wally provides “uniquely
incredible balance in her leadership. She’s a strong role model and contributes
to the community tremendously. The lives she’s touched are
innumerable.”
But Wally’s triumphs as a Senior Olympian are not to be overlooked.
She started competing as a swimmer in her sixties, and later
switched to track and field. She practices in her backyard and trains
three days a week at the Island Athletic Club. Though she’s participated
every year since learning of the state competition, receiving hundreds
of medals in the process, winning an event in the biannual
National Senior Games eluded her until 2009. Last year in California,
where her major expenses were anonymously paid for, she brought
home her age group’s gold medal in hammer throw, triple jump, high
jump, and 800-meter run.
The Executive Director of the Maryland Senior Olympics, Ted
Wroth, says Wally embodies the logo statement of the Senior
Olympics: “To Participate Is To Win.” Wroth adds, “She competes in
almost every track and field event she can. We’re proud to have her as
a participant and look forward to seeing her every year.” In 2004,
Wally was inducted into the first class of the Maryland Senior
Olympics Hall of Fame.
On June 14, 2009, well-wishers celebrated Wally’s achievements
by honoring her 60th year as a dance instructor.
Governor O’Malley and the Queen Anne’s County Board of
County Commissioners issued a proclamation in recognition of
her commitment to the community. Attendees included former
and current dance students, who came to give thanks and
show love. Those same students learned from their mentor the
value of service by performing at nursing homes, senior
centers, and various community events.
Wally is a longtime supporter of the American Heart
Association and Multiple Sclerosis Society. She was participating
in an American Lung Association “Laps for Lungs” swim
meet when she first heard about the Senior Olympics. A past
winner of Queen Anne’s County’s most beautiful volunteer,
she says her goals for 2010 are “to just keep doing what I’m
doing.” She wants to be a role model for her students and
encourage other senior citizens to become physically fit. At 86
years young, Wally continues to live life with boundless energy
and enthusiasm.
Brent Lewis’ sister, Norma, and niece, Heather, both trained
under Mrs. Dashiell for many years. Brent goes more for freestyle.
Wally Dashiell
Important Woman
Woman Who Make A Difference
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