20 | APRIL 2 • 2020
Jews in the D
continued from page 18
Along the way, Coronella was
told to Americanize his name
for broader appeal, so he became
Joe Cornell. And Joe Cornell
became such a household name
and built such a community that
phone calls and messages haven’
t
stopped flooding in for days
from those who want to contrib-
ute to the story of his life and
what he meant to people.
Cornell found a niche teaching
kids in the pre-bar/bat mitzvah
crowd. Though they learned the
dances of the day, including the
Foxtrot, Cha Cha and Jitterbug,
the classes were about so much
more, said his daughter, Trina,
who lives in Phoenix.
“So many amazing kids, the
lives they have, the confidence —
it shaped who these young kids
became,
” she recalled. “I know
so many of the students who
have become doctors, lawyers, so
well-established in the commu-
nity. That all came from how he
shaped them. It’
s all about ‘
do the
right thing and be courteous.
’
”
Known for seeing the best in
people and always having a kind
word to say, everyone was his
friend, she said. “He was magic.
And always an adventure.
”
Cornell had two children,
Trina and Salvatore (Tori), with
his first wife, Irene. His son died
in 1983. Cornell divorced, and
married Kathy in 1977. They
moved to California in the late
’
70s, and he flew back and forth
to Michigan for work.
Jasgur attended Cornell’
s
dance program in 1982 as a sixth
grader. Students took classes at
synagogues and country clubs.
They were paired up and would
practice for the big May Ball.
During his year, Jasgur and his
partner came in second out of
hundreds of couples. A few years
later, sister Rebecca and her part-
ner also took second place.
In 1985, Rebecca, 14, was
asked to become a junior
instructor. Steve, then 16, drove
her to that first meeting — both
were hired. They built names for
themselves on the party circuit.
In 1991, Cornell sold the busi-
ness to the duo. Star Trax Event
Productions bought it in 2015,
and still runs the Joe Cornell
Experience dance program.
CORNELL’
S GIFT
Jasgur says “Uncle Joe” made
everyone feel comfortable.
“Nobody was a stranger,
”
Jasgur said. “
And he was such a
good dancer.
”
Rebecca Jasgur Schlussel of
West Bloomfield recalls waiting
eagerly to be old enough to take
the Joe Cornell class.
“I loved the camaraderie,
” she
said. “This was the highlight of
my week. Watching him dance
was an unbelievable joy.
”
Larry Miller of Bloomfield
Hills learned to dance at age 3
from Cornell, who worked at his
grandparents’
summer resort, the
Greenbush Inn in Greenbush,
Michigan. “I think that started
my love for dance,
” he said.
When his grandparents sold
the resort in the mid-1950s,
Cornell opened his dance studio.
“He really taught us how to
handle ourselves,
” Miller said,
“more than just how to dance,
how to communicate with the
opposite sex, how to be polite.
”
Then, in the early ’
60s, Miller
says, bar and bat mitzvah dance
lessons picked up.
“He didn’
t just teach thou-
Cornell flew in to accompany Sharon
Gould Easton at her son’
s wedding.
continued on page 22
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1-248-945-1111
michprobate.com
Have a
Happy and Safe
Passover
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COVID-19 outbreak.
COURTESY SHARON GOULD EASTON
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