Somewhere, you can still hear Ginka Cohn’s toe-tapping. Born in 1923, Cohn grew up in Milwaukee, following her passion for dance in New York City and Cambridge, Mass., before returning to Madison to major in dance. According to the Encyclopedia of Milwaukee, Cohn would go on to form the Milwaukee Modern Dance Council, presenting shows and giving scholarships to aspiring young dancers. She even inspired dancers through the magic of television with “Figure Fun,” a live dance and exercise program aired on WTMJ-TV. According to her obituary, a bout with polio not only helped her find a hobby but also her true love. During her polio recovery, she took up ceramics and was introduced to Abe Cohn, who would later become her husband, the father of her children, and her business partner at the Potter’s Wheel in Fish Creek. She began her love of dance north, forming the Peninsula Dance Council in the 1960s. She was a mainstay of the council, teaching classes until 2007, and earned special recognition from the Wisconsin Dance Council. Cohn passed away in 2011, with her husband joining her two years later. 

Photo courtesy of Legacy.com