July 27, 2022 Issue, Page 1 of 8

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Serving Western Oklahoma Wednesday, July 27, 2022 ’56 DeSoto Adventurer is a Highlight of Chrysler Car Rally Cinderella Studio Gets Bruce Blackwell and Desoto. Staff photo by Sheryl Ponce. By Sheryl Ponce DeSoto’s speed. It was restored to original condition. He New Owner As the Walter P. Chrysler started with his family’s car, (WPC) Chrysler Products Re- cleaned it up and then replaced By Sheryl Ponce storers Club’s National Car Ral- parts on it. When that did not ly descended on Elk City last work, he replaced the car. Lisa Hunter announced that she will no longer be operat- week, there were various years “This car has an interesting ing Cinderella Studio to make more time for her family. Last year she opened studio in Altus, closer to her home, and since and makes brought to show option that the Chrysler Cor- then has decided to turn over the Elk City studio to her former off. Bruce Blackwell from New poration introduced in the mid student, Micah Dunford Hicks. Hicks began enrollment for fall York City, New York hauled his ‘50s. It has a record player that classes on July 12th and has enrolled around 200 students in a 1956 DeSoto Adventurer in for came with a Doris Day record. very short time. enthusiasts to admire. It is very cool but persnickety. Dancing has been Hicks passion since she was three-years- “This is a 1956 DeSoto Ad- Today, it doesn’t feel like oper- old, and although her family moved about every three years, venturer, one of 600 made by ating, but a few years ago we dancing was aconstant. She had dreams of going to New York to DeSoto, and as a ‘56 it is nota~ were happy to listen to Doris be a professional dancer, but an injury side-tracked her dream. ble for its black and gold color Day,” he said as he pointed to “I never had a studio home like some girls have, ones that scheme, and by the mighty the small record player. they have been dancing in since they were three. That is the Hemi engine. It is fueled by Blackwell also told of the norm for dancers. When I was about 15, [hurt my hip in dance. two carburetors, this car is early form of air conditioning Twas dancing in Weatherford at the time and my parents said, very fast,” Blackwell said. that the Chrysler Corporation “We don’t want you dancing, it is too dangerous’ When I turned Since the car has been re- installed in this modern car. 16, ended up going to physical therapy, and I told my parents, stored, he has not tested the It appeared huge compared to ‘T only have a few years left in high school, and I really want See Cars page 2. to finish out in dance.’ I had plans to go to New York, I mean, dance is like everything to me. That is when we stumbled on Cinderella Studio. I ended up finishing my last high school The Airflow Marks the First Production years with Lisa (Hunter),” Hicks explained. Her relationship with Hunter has been an important part of her dancing career, as well as her personal life. It has given her _ Streamline Car Built In America the drive to open her own dance studio, and Hunter was her mentor in life and in dance. a passenger safety cage. They “Bven though I had not been here since I was little bitty, she pushed one off a 10-story cliff is what made me want to decide to start teaching. Just seeing in Pennsylvania, and it land- her love for the students inspired me. I grew up in a somewhat ed on its wheels. The driver harder home life. I put myself through dance lessons, I would opened the door, which that pay for my own dance lessons. She really related to me, and she alone was unique, but he drove was there for me. Lisa was more than a dance teacher; she was it away,” Smith explained. there for me with things going on in my life. She really touched canner Hn Smith's interest in the Air- me, more than you know. I had been to so many other studios, flow went back to his child- but she really inspired me in that way,” she continued. hood. He was on a family va- After Hicks finished high school, she started her own studio cation, and his father pointed in Clinton called Micah’s School of Dance. She was doing other out a stream of Airflow cars to jobs in Clinton, along with being a pastor in The Edge Church. him. That was the first time he “Dance got put on the back burner. That was when I had a heard of the Airflow but forgot couple parents approach me about teaching dance. They said, - co * ‘ z "7 tn about the encounter. When ‘Hey, can you teach our daughters? We know that you've taught ‘The 1936 Chrysler Airflow is owned by Larry Icerman from New Mexico, but restored by David he was in college, he went toa dance before’ I was like, ‘I've never really had my own studio” Felderstein from California. Felderstein sold the car earlier in the year to Icerman, and sur- prised that the show car was at the rally. Staff photo by Sheryl Ponce. swap meet in Fort Worth and ‘They said that they have about eight daughters between them, saw one on a car transporter. and they would love if I would teach them dance. That is what By Sheryl Ponce ics seriously. Things like the faster than other cars,” Smith Again, it registered with him, I did? Hicks said. windshield, flat radiator, the said. but later he forgot about it un- She rented a facility in 2019 and 2020. Her classes grew Chandler Smith from Fort headlights that sit on top of When the Airflow debuted, til he moved to California after from eight to around 80 students. She said the enrollment in- Worth drove his '36 Imperial the fenders, and the fenders it set 72 land speed records. college. creased during COVID. Airflow to the WPC Chrysler coming down there. The thing It was the first car to have an “In California I was a mem- “I think that really awakened something in me. I knew I Rally, showing off the unique about aerodynamic was that alligator type hood, where ev- ber of the WPC club, and I had wanted to do this full time, and I just knew I would do it, but features that only debuted with they made the fender come ery other car of the time had a a ‘66 Newport convertible. The I didn’t know how it would all work. It is like you don't really an Airflow vehicle. His knowl- down much lower, so that the butterfly hood. WPC club and the Airflow club know how everything’s going to work out, but you know it will. edge of the history and tech- air hits it and goes around it or “It was the first car to have were both at an event to see Twas going to keep teaching in my studio when a couple of par- nology brought to the market over it, whereas the other one all steel construction. Ev- Richard Carpenter's car collec- ents messaged me, saying that Lisa was leaving. They wanted to tion. I learned that there was join my studio. Lisa and I have stayed in contact, so we began to in the 1930s seems to be out of catches the air. Instead of a ery other car on the road had the original handbook flat one-piece windshield, this wood in the frame, body, or **Aitflow dub and found that [Reta eudahs clietat sac lic-ssncs i Gaya’ Sueseti Ts) *ietiow-was the feel car windsliield’ie slanted Gemon- botlic‘thts.wan-all ded andy. be snteresting: Wien T got See Studio page 2. that really took aerodynam- strating the duo). And it went _ is the first car to have a sort of See Airflow page 2. AA A UU Weather Vol. 120, No. 60 Mail delivery View online sere tomorrow 75 cents, 8 pgs. 580.225.3000 elkcityoknews.com