Born: 14 August 1898, Germany
Died: 14 November 1984
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Charlotte Hayward
The following is republished from the Library of Congress. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Born in Berlin, Germany in 1898, Charlotte Oelschlägel was a talented musician who could play the harp, lute, mandolin, and piano. At just 7 years old, she began performing with the Berlin Philharmonic. However, at age 10 she developed growing problems, and when medications didn’t seem to help, her doctors recommended figure skating to strengthen her physique. She began skating as a duo with her brother Fritz, and by 1909 she was performing in ice ballets in Germany, but in just a few years would be bringing her talents to the United States.
Though ice skating has been around for centuries, it only came into its current form and fashion in the mid-19th century and was still taking shape as a professional and competitive sport when Charlotte took up the activity.
In 1915, Charlotte became the first performer to star in a Broadway ice show at the New York Hippodrome called “Hip-Hip-Hooray!” She went on to perform around the United States in a variety of performances, even occasionally writing choreography for the productions.
In 1916, Charlotte became the first skater to star in a motion picture, called The Frozen Warning, which historians have called the very first film to include ice skating. The film was actually a six-part spy drama/romance, in which Charlotte’s character has to carve the word “SPIES” into ice with her skates as she is performing, to warn her love that German spies have come to steal government secrets.
By this time, Charlotte felt she could encourage more Americans to take up the exciting winter activity, either as healthful exercise or as leisure activity. So, the same year she appeared on film, Charlotte published The Hippodrome Skating Book. This was no mere fluff book; while it does contain photographs of Charlotte performing and in costume, it really was a more serious work. Charlotte was sure to include detailed information about necessary equipment, the basics of skating form, and advanced tricks illustrated with diagrams.
In addition to choreographing some of her earlier performances on the road, she also was an innovator within the sport. There are two moves in particular which are associated with Charlotte: the “Charlotte spiral” also called the “fadeout,” and the “death spiral,” which has become a well-known staple in pairs skating routines. “Skating is a sport for everybody,” she explains, “girls and boys, young and old people.”