Jane Freed - a lady with feet that beg to dance
Lynda Peeler

Lou Walters, Barbara Walter's father, owned the original Latin Quarter in Boston, the New York and Palm Isle over 48 years ago when Jane Freed became a dancer at the New York Latin Quarter. Here she met her husband Bob who was Maitre 'D in the showroom. Jane became enamored with Florida when she came to work at the Palm Isle Latin Quarter in sunny Florida during New York winter. She and Bob bought property in Florida and have been snow birds for 27 years, each time staying a little longer.

They became proud parents of three sons, and Jane was a stay-at-home mom while Bob continued to work at the Latin Quarter until it closed New Years Eve 1969. Jane eventually went to work for a company that did trade shows for gift items, having as many as four or five shows going simultaneously - before the days of computers.

In 1985 the Latin Quarter re-opened, with Jane and another of the dancers organized a reunion of former dancers, show girls and singers who at one time or another worked at the club. The reunion night brought about 400 to the club, and 77 show girls. That emotional evening of re-bonding that was not to end. The show girls, mostly moms themselves, decided to create a charitable organization "Latin Quarter Showgirls" who put on one show a year and gave the money to a charity supporting abused and missing children; Jane acted as Co-President and Treasurer. The Latin Quarter Showgirls have been featured on David Suskind, Regis Philben, Rosie O'Donnell, 20/20, and The View. Their last show was in the Penthouse at Lincoln Center honoring Celeste Holms for the work she has done with Arts Horizon, special guest speaker was Barbara Walters. After running for 16 years, the Latin Quarter Showgirls had been running longer than most Broadway shows.

The three sons grown, producing a girl as first grandchild, and later a set of twins; total four girls and six boys over the years. This can keep grandparents occupied, but . . .

When one has feet that beg to dance, it will not be long before another opportunity arises, as it did for Jane. On a snow-birding trip Jane found " The Broadway Ziegfield Entertainers" whose president, along with several others in the troop, was a former Latin Quarter Show Girl. This organization has been performing to full houses from Kings Point to the Crest Theater. "We are looking for anyone interested in being part of the show." encourages Jane, "We can use seamstresses and wardrobe people as well as performers; join us for fun and good times."
 

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