Brenda Casey

WEIRTON — An individual known for teaching generations of area dancers is among those set to join the ranks of the Weirton Hall of Fame.

Brenda Casey has been selected as a member of the hall of fame’s class of 2019, to be inducted under the category of music and fine arts.

This year’s Hall of Fame induction banquet will be held at 2 p.m., Aug. 11 at Undo’s in Weirton.

Casey’s dancing career began at the age of 5, when she and her sister, Mitzie, were enrolled in classes under Martha McClelland DiAnniballe. They became known as the Casey Sisters, and performed all over the Tri-State Area, dancing at the Paramount, Grand and Capital theaters and other event locations for many years.

After DiAnniballe closed her school, the sisters took lessons from Bill Cassidy in Weirton, and then the Wrayette School of Dance in Pittsburgh, where they also began teaching dance.

Eventually, with support from family, they began Casey Sisters School of Dance.

Through the Wrayette School, they performed in Atlantic City, which also led to an appearance on The Ted Mack Original Hour.

During her senior year, Brenda was encouraged to audition for the State Fair grandstand shows for Midwestern Tour. Through that, she was able to perform alongside Alice Lon, Myron Floran, Peg-Leg Bates and Brenda Lee.

In 1965, they performed at the New York World’s Fair and visited Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes. Several of their students would go on to the join the famous dance troupe.

Brenda also trained all of her students to be in the Miss Teenage Weirton pageant. She, herself, competed in some of the competitions, being named the first Miss Weirton and the first person from the Northern Panhandle to compete for Miss West Virginia, earning runner-up status.

For 15 years, she produced the Brooke and Hancock Miss American preliminaries.

All the while she continued to dance professionally, performing until the age of 38. Her final performance was at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh, sharing the stage with the Vogues.

Eventually, she branched out on her own, moving to Steubenville and opening the Brenda Casey Dance Center, and taking her students to competitions and performances throughout the United States.

She also spent many years judging dance competitions across the country, and was choreographer for the Miss America Coed Pageant.

Other members of the Weirton Hall of Fame Class of 2019 are Herman F. Capito, business; Dr. Eli Dragisich, public service; Louis Kuntupis, sports and athletics; Richard “Rik” Rekowski, public service; Stephen G. Greiner, sports and athletics; and Robert L. Watson Jr., music and fine arts.