Local dance instructor named 'Broadway's Biggest Fan' in nationwide contest
Charlotte Hafer is Broadway’s biggest fan – literally.
On Apr. 20, Hafer was selected as the winner of Broadway.com’s Broadway’s Biggest Fan competition.
Contestants created and posted minute-long videos to enter the contest, and nationwide voting narrowed it down to just three contestants. A panel of Broadway actors – Andrew Barth Feldman, Renee Rapp and Julie James – chose the Chambersburg resident to be Broadway’s Biggest Fan.
“It made me cry when I found out,” Hafer said.
The panel made their decision pretty easily – it took just two minutes and 18 seconds to select Hafer. Hafer won tickets to see three Broadway shows; an award currently on hold due to COVID-19 and the closure of Broadway.
In her video, Hafer explained that in 41 years of teaching, she never took a sick day. With her sick leave money, she went to Broadway the weekend after her retirement in 2010 and saw five shows. That way, she can give it back to other people, she said.
“I love what I do in life,” Hafer said. “All the people in my life are my inspiration. Theatre is my medicine, and I haven’t had a sick day in 51 years.”
But, retirement hasn’t slowed down the 83-year-old’s life. She spends her time volunteering at Grandview Elementary during the day, teaching reading comprehension and math skills to students in a makeshift classroom on a stage.
More:Penn State Mont Alto raises over $52,000 for pediatric cancer through dance competition
More:Franklin County coaches give Jordan documentary takeaways
“God has a sense of humor – my classroom is on a stage (at Grandview),” Hafer said with a laugh.
Then, Hafer mentors and teaches young dancers at Mar-Le-Nie Studios in Chambersburg, a non-profit dance studio that she owns and operates. Now, with social distancing, she is still able to connect with her dancers through Zoom.
“She has a lot of love for what she does,” said Elaina Guyer, one of Hafer’s dancers. “She absolutely loves Broadway, and going to shows. She’s very good at what she does.”
Better known as Miss Charlotte, Hafer spends her free time attending shows in Lancaster, Chambersburg, Washington D.C. and New York. Guyer explained that after the shows, she gives an angel pin to the entire cast and crew of the show as a thank-you.
“She’s a very caring and very sweet person,” Guyer said. “She gives good feedback; and helps us overcome bad habits in dance and in life.”
Following her win, Hafer wrote a letter of thanks that she shared to social media.
“I love Broadway. Broadway makes me smile. Broadway is not only that famous avenue in New York, it is everywhere, in every city and small town that produces Broadway shows for people. Broadway makes us smile. After 9/11, Broadway actors, producers, directors, ushers, crew, etc., were the first to rise up and perform, thus they made America smile again. Now when this situation passes, Broadway will rise up, perform, and this time make the world smile,” she wrote.
"Also, thank you, thank you, thank you, to all my teacher friends, dance studio friends, and super friends that take care of me by making sure I eat, and transport me to the theatres of Broadway, which are everywhere. And, of course, thank you to my family,” she wrote.