Helen Lewis (choreographer)

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For the English journalist, see Helen Lewis (journalist).

Helen Lewis
choreographer
Known forA Time to Speak, autobiography
Spouse(s)Paul Hermann (1938–1945; his death)
Harry Lewis (1947–1991; his death)
ChildrenTwo sons:
Michael Lewis
Robin Lewis

Helen Lewis

Second World War
.

Early life

Helena Katz was born in 1916 into a

Czech from a Jewish family, and in 1938, after she had finished her dance training and her university exams, they were married. She taught as an assistant at Mayerová's dance school, and experimented with choreography.[2]

War years

Following the

forced march, not long before the end of the Second World War.[2] Helen, who survived two "selections" by Josef Mengele,[3] was later sent to Stutthof concentration camp in northern Poland.[4]

When the war ended, she returned to Prague, where she learnt of her husband's death; her mother, who had been deported early in 1942,

Sobibór extermination camp.[4] Helen began to correspond with Harry Lewis, a Czech with British nationality whom she had known at school and with whom she had had a brief romance before she met Hermann.[2] She married Lewis in Prague in the summer of 1947[5] and in October moved to Belfast
.

Belfast

Plaque commemorating Lewis on the Crescent Arts Centre building, Belfast

After the birth of her two sons, Michael and Robin, in 1949 and 1954,

Dvořák's The Golden Spinning Wheel at the Belfast Ballet Club, and for a Macbeth at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast.[4] Lewis also taught modern dance, and in 1962 started the Belfast Modern Dance Group.[4][6]

Her book A Time to Speak, about her experiences before and during the war, was published in 1992

Belfast Festival in 2009.[8] It was also performed at Exeter Synagogue in 2010.[9]

She died at her home in Belfast on 31 December 2009, aged 93.[10][11]

A dance studio at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast is named after her.[12]

Awards

In the

Queen's University, Belfast and by Ulster University.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Obituary: Helen Lewis". The Daily Telegraph. London. 15 January 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Helen (2002). An Irish Epilogue. Irish Pages 1 (1): 25–30. (subscription required)
  3. ^ Henry, Lesley-Anne (2 January 2010). "Survivor of Auschwitz death camp Helen Lewis dies at 93". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Johnston, Philip (17 March 2010). "Helen Lewis obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Helen Lewis, 1916–2009". Culture Northern Ireland. January 2010. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  6. ^ Jaffe, Steven (2022). "First Lady of Dance and Survivor: Helen Lewis". Jewish History in Northern Ireland. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  7. ISBN 978-0-8564-0491-7
    .
  8. ^ Coyle, Jane (8 September 2009). "Belfast Festival: A Time To Speak". Performing Arts. Culture Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  9. ^ Lawrence, Danny (13 April 2010). "Exeter Synagogue stages Holocaust survival story". BBC News. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  10. ^ Coyle, Jane (11 January 2010). "Helen Lewis". The Stage. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  11. ^ "Belfast Auschwitz survivor Helen Lewis dies aged 93". BBC News. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Helen Lewis Dance Studio". Room hire. Crescent Arts Centre. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Knighthood for 'golden' flautist (Northern Ireland's Queen's birthday honours list)". BBC News. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2013.

Further reading

External links

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