Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
HANNAH KRONER – Dancing as a Way of Life
From Berlin to New York, Hannah Kroner’s life was a testament to resilience, creativity, and the power of dance.
In 1939, 19-year-old Hannah Kroner fled her hometown of Berlin with her parents, seeking refuge in New York. She left behind everything she had known. With each passing minute on the ship that carried them to safety from a darkening Europe, the family became increasingly aware of the uncertainty that awaited them in the New World. Her father felt anxious about the future, her mother looked ahead with confidence and hope for a life in freedom. Hannah later wrote: “I, of course, was very excited about our future, and being a trained dancer, saw myself already as another Eleanor Powell in the movies!” Her optimism would eventually be proven right—though no one could have known it at the time.
Born in 1920, Hannah grew up in Berlin, where her love for dance flourished despite the darkening shadow of Nazi Germany. In 1939 she fled with her parents to New York—leaving behind her best friend and adopted sister, Susanne, who tragically did not survive the Holocaust.
Once in the U.S., Hannah’s passion for dance became her lifeline. She co-founded the dynamic duo The Corley Sisters, dazzled audiences across the East Coast, and later established the Hannah Kroner School of Dancing in Queens, inspiring generations of dancers for over 60 years.
📸 Hannah Kroner Collection, AR 25823. LBI Archives
#HannahKroner #DancingAsAWayOfLife #DanceHistory #WomenInDance #PerformingArtsHistory #ArtistsInExile #JewishHistory #JewishHeritage #CulturalMemory #HiddenHistories #WomenArtists #WomenInTheArts #DanceLegacy #ArchivalDiscovery #Archives #ArchiveResearch #HistoricalPhotography #VintagePerformance #BerlinHistory #NewYorkHistory #RefugeeStories #SurvivorStories #LeoBaeckInstitute #LBICollections #ArtInTheArchives
HANNAH KRONER – Dancing as a Way of Life
From Berlin to New York, Hannah Kroner’s life was a testament to resilience, creativity, and the power of dance.
In 1939, 19-year-old Hannah Kroner fled her hometown of Berlin with her parents, seeking refuge in New York. She left behind everything she had known. With each passing minute on the ship that carried them to safety from a darkening Europe, the family became increasingly aware of the uncertainty that awaited them in the New World. Her father felt anxious about the future, her mother looked ahead with confidence and hope for a life in freedom. Hannah later wrote: “I, of course, was very excited about our future, and being a trained dancer, saw myself already as another Eleanor Powell in the movies!” Her optimism would eventually be proven right—though no one could have known it at the time.
Born in 1920, Hannah grew up in Berlin, where her love for dance flourished despite the darkening shadow of Nazi Germany. In 1939 she fled with her parents to New York—leaving behind her best friend and adopted sister, Susanne, who tragically did not survive the Holocaust.
Once in the U.S., Hannah’s passion for dance became her lifeline. She co-founded the dynamic duo The Corley Sisters, dazzled audiences across the East Coast, and later established the Hannah Kroner School of Dancing in Queens, inspiring generations of dancers for over 60 years.
📸 Hannah Kroner Collection, AR 25823. LBI Archives
#HannahKroner #DancingAsAWayOfLife #DanceHistory #WomenInDance #PerformingArtsHistory #ArtistsInExile #JewishHistory #JewishHeritage #CulturalMemory #HiddenHistories #WomenArtists #WomenInTheArts #DanceLegacy #ArchivalDiscovery #Archives #ArchiveResearch #HistoricalPhotography #VintagePerformance #BerlinHistory #NewYorkHistory #RefugeeStories #SurvivorStories #LeoBaeckInstitute #LBICollections #ArtInTheArchives
