The Story of Charles and Barbara Krylo

They met in 1931 at a county fair in Woodstock, New Brunswick where they were performing in Vaudeville. She was an ingenue, dancing with a troupe of girls from Boston that were similar to the Rockettes. He was a performer in a comedy act which required his skill in being the front end of a horse... anything for a laugh!

He was also a dancer in an act featuring two women - tall women - and he was just 5 feet 4 inches. He took a shine to Barbara, all of 5 feet 2 inches, taught her the routine, and gave up the tall women for someone just his size.

They became a performing duo, and in 1936 they were married.

For about 20 years, the world literally was their stage. It was 1946 when they decided to  leave their busy and well established career as a light comedy and dancing act. It had taken them from national and Canadian night club circuits, to performing with Vaudvillian shows throughout the country and overseas with the USO. They especially loved performing for our WWII troops stationed in Guam and the South Sea Islands. It was a lifestyle that had suited them well, but after the birth of a son, Charles, and many years later a daughter, Linda, homelife began to appeal to them.

Charles, who had wanted to be a performer since he was a child, opened a restaurant in Millville called Stanley's Cafe and kept performing by operating the Pinecrest Ranch in Nasonville. The ranch was a weekend place for picnicking and entertainment.

Then, one memorable Halloween, Mrs. Krylo's niece was going to a party and wanted to learn a dance. Barbara taught her a tap dance which her niece performed for her friends.

"The telephone started ringing," Mrs. Krylo said. Parents were calling to find out if Barbara could teach dancing to their son or daughter. The idea of the Krylos opening a dance studio became an exciting new venture. How delightful to be able to share their knowledge of dance with enthusiastic new students!

The Krylos ran a studio in their home for one year, but found a business at home meant home became the business. They opened their first Woonsocket studio in 1950, in two rooms above a shoe store. That proved to be too small, so they moved to 65 Main Street, where they stayed for 32 years.

Those were years that saw changes in trends and styles of dancing. When they started, ballroom dancing was extremely popular. It wasn't just dancing, however, that was taught.

"We taught them etiquette and how to behave in social situations," Mrs. Krylo recalls. "The girls had to wear skirts and the boys had to be dressed appropriately."

The adults of the time also wanted to learn how to dance. There were regular ballroom classes held at the studio, at local schools, the YMCA, and at clubs and organizations such as The Woonsocket Hospital Aid Association.

Before a vacationing cruise, you can be sure the Krylos received calls for a few ballroom lessons in the Latin dances. Weddings were another occasion that called for dancing, and often entire wedding parties and families involved would show up once a week for lessons before the big event.

Dance as a performing art has always been a major function of the studio. "I always used to say, 'Ballet is to dance what Latin is to language'," Mrs. Krylo said. The Krylos taught tap, jazz, and ballet to generation after generation of novices. The studio continues to teach the grandchildren of some of their very first dancers.

Some of the students have made dancing their careers. In fact, many of the local dance teachers in the Woonsocket area received their training at Krylo Dance Studios.

The Krylos have taught more residents of Greater Woonsocket to dance than they can count. The real testimonial to the couple, however, is in knowing that dance is being performed and appreciated in the city. After all, they had a lot to do with creating that interest.

In 1982, Charles and Barbara Krylo retired and the studio was handed over to their daughter, Linda Krylo Sullivan who continues to run the studio in partnership with Charles Holbrook. The studio resides at One Clinton Street in Woonsocket where the renowned Krylo tradition continues today.