Mystery Solved — Who Was Gee Gee Frederick?

Who was Gee Gee Frederick? 1961 Almonte Gazette

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 186523954_222547179343044_7970350109860978618_n.jpg — Photo from Lorraine Nephine

Susan Elliott ToppingGee Gee taught the classes.

Cathy Byrne GilesI took tap dancing lessons with Gee Gee until I discovered the piano

Marilyn WhiteI took majorette instruction from GeeGee Fredricks in Carleton Place back in the late 50’s and early 60’s. We had our on troop and marched at the Ottawa Exhibition Parade and the parades in Carleton Place.

Bonnie Wood

I took majorette,tap dance,highland fling with Gee Gee Fredrick at the Carleton place town hall.Loved it!

Linda Gallipeau-JohnstonI remember thinking she had the coolest name!

Lorraine NephinMe too. I found a poster in my mom’s album I will post–

Another piece of history. I took many lessons from her over the 8 years I worked with her. She would always have a concert in the town hall auditorium at the end of the season. At the end of the recital she would come on stage and perform a routine using fire batons. They were batons with cloth on the ends that she soaked in fluid then lit and she would turn the lights down and do her performance. Thinking back now as an adult ,with the stage being made of wood and heavy curtains flanking the stage it is a wonder she never sent the stage on fire. Over the years, we did tap, clogs, ballet, Irish dancing, baton , danced like an Egyptian. Came back really sunburned doing marches in parades in Ottawa and Quebec with batons. Although, my mom worked full time ,she spent many nights tirelessly making costumesI remember once ,I was to go on stage and sing and tap dance. I entered the stage and I couldn’t remember any of the steps for the song. I had never sang to a real audience. I faked the steps and did manage to sing in public,but I told her I was never singing again on stage.

Nancy HudsonI remember my mother, Edna White, making lots of dance costumes for youngsters performing in GeeGee’s recitals at the town hall and also attending those recitals.

Nedda MunroI also attended her classes in dance and majorettes and the song that sticks with me is Singing In Rain!!Long time ago we actually travelled on the train to Quebec City Winter Fair.

Sandy FranceCanadian Member – Gee Gee Robinson Eva “Gee Gee” Robinson (nee Frederick) – Passed away at the Ottawa General Hospital on March 28th, 2012 at the age of 77. Gee Gee was born in Tipton Iowa on August 31, 1934 and at the age of seven she found her first true love – DANCE! At 13 she began teaching in her own studio and became a member of the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists. After high school she was in a number of professional dance groups – the Tanzarettes in Chicago, the Helen Parker Dancers, The Winged Victory Chorus,the International Lucky Girls, the Gene Autry Road Show and The Vocal Lovelies – to name a few!! In 1958 she moved to Ottawa, Canada where she set up her own studio, taught The Rough Rider Majorettes, was a workshop instructor, a contest director and registered judge with NBTA, USTA, ISMA and TU working both the US and Canada. In 1970 Gee Gee became a devotee of Middle Eastern dance – she studied with many teachers and studied and toured Morocco, Greece, Crete, Portugal, Spain, Egypt and Turkey. Gee taught Middle Eastern dance at the Ottawa Carleton School Board for over 25 years, was president of the OMEDA and was director, choreographer and costumer for Shen Dance. Gee Gee discovered the Sacred Dance Guild in the early 2000’s and loved attending Festivals and giving impromptu Middle Eastern Dance classes anywhere she could! We will miss her greatly!—