Now is the time for the Ballet4Lifer-of-the Month of November reveal!
When did you start dancing?
When I was 2. I have a vivid memory of sitting on the floor
in a hall, next to my mother, doing “good toes, naughty toes”! (I think this must have been my very first
class if my mother was sitting next to me).
What makes dancing so special to you?
Oh my goodness, where to begin?! I had knee problems in my teens I so had to give up dancing. I did a lot of dance up til then and was going to go to White Lodge when my knees flared up and the medical at the final audition flagged this up. It was heartbreaking because ballet was everything to me.
And I’ve realised that since then, throughout
my life I’ve been looking for something to fill the gap ballet left:
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Before having children I did a lot of
triathlon and this came close to filling the gap, especially swimming, because
of the way you move your body.
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I did philosophy at university which,
strangely enough, also came close because of the way you exercise your mind.
But not one on its own encompasses all
that dance is for me because ballet for me is both body and mind. It’s a very rare beast in this regard. There is something which lifts you up when
you love dance - and I think ultimately for me it is the self-expression, the
expression and release of emotion you get when dancing to music. Even just standing still and moving your arms
out to seconde raises your chin and fills your heart. It sounds so exaggerated and contrived to say
this, but if you love to dance I’m sure you’ll feel the same!
Three years ago I had a very
frightening health diagnosis which I live with and live in fear of every
day. I had big surgeries and gruelling
treatment and emerged hoping these would give me as much time as possible left
to live. (I’m a very private person and,
for various reasons, I’ve only ever told a few close friends and family, so
this is a big step to write about it here.)
When you are faced with your own mortality as a very real and imminent
possibility, you look at your life and want to make sure you are living how you
want to live. I made a list of what I
wanted to have in my life and ballet was high on the list. Covid-19 then swept through and so I found
ballet online and I’m so happy to have it back in my life.
When did you start with Ballet4Life?
In 2021, during lock down. I was actually doing online classes somewhere else and loved them so I googled to find any others, and that brought me to
Ballet4Life.
What makes B4l so special for you?
It has brought ballet centre stage for
me again in my life. And that feels
priceless. I have also made lovely
friends with classmates from all walks of life - it is very friendly. We are all there because we love
dancing. The Showcase this year was also
particularly special. I haven’t been on
stage for more years than I care to count and the whole experience was
fantastic: from rehearsing, putting on costumes and make-up, dealing with
excitement and nerves backstage and those silent, trembling few seconds in the
wings before your music starts, to the joy of curtain calls together.
I remember earlier this year Jo
suggesting someone could do the Odette Variation as a solo and I didn’t for a
second consider it. But then one day at
the end of a class, again mooting finding a soloist and seeing if any of us
might take the plunge, I heard her mention my name. I thought it was a joke at first and it made
me laugh! I went home and told my
daughters the joke! And they just couldn’t
compute that I would say no to this. My
eldest said, “Mummy, this is a huge opportunity. I bet Anna Rose never turned down an
opportunity!” I burst out laughing! But then I thought, when else would someone
like me, over 50 and not professional, get this incredible opportunity. So I took the plunge and said yes! And it was a fantastic experience. I am still gutted I felt so bad on the day
and the lead up recovering from Covid, but I gave it my best shot, which was
just about ok. But I particularly loved
doing the performance a couple of weeks later at the Bedford Park
Festival. So, in a short period of time
back dancing I think it’s clear why Ballet4Life has been so special for me and it has
reignited my desire to perform!
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In performance at the Bedford Park Festival 2022
Do you get to see dance performances
regularly? If yes, any favourite companies, dancers, performances you have seen
recently?
Sadly, with 2 young children and a
partner who is away a lot, I rarely get to see performances. It’s a huge treat when I do. We saw The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House last
Christmas which was stunning. It was
Anna Rose O’Sullivan’s debut at the Sugar Plum Fairy and we met her at the
Stage Door afterwards. My little girls
do ballet and were lucky enough to do a Zoom Q&A with Anna Rose during
lock down and she has been wonderfully supportive of their ballet school ever
since. So it was extremely exciting for
them (and me too!) to meet her. So she
is a family favourite ballerina! I also
absolutely adore Marianela Nunez and hope to see her dance this year.
What do your ballet classes do for
you?
They keep my body limber, have built
up strength and keep my mind alert. This
is something you wouldn’t necessarily think of with ballet, but it’s a huge
part of it. When I’ve had a few weeks
off I notice a big difference in my ability to remember exercises.
Do
you have a favourite Ballet4Life class?
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I don’t, I love all the ones I do! I enjoy Chris’ classes because they help me focus on technique. I love Jo’s classes because her barre exercises really make me switch on my brain! I also really enjoy her Repertory classes and the new Progressing Ballet Technique®class. Beatrice’s Saturday classes are just wonderful. And Jo and Beatrice’s Pointe classes are fantastic and I really hope to get stronger and make progress on Pointe this year. If I had to choose I’d go for the Saturday class because I do struggle a bit with classes after a long day working and mumming and run out of energy after barre!
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Is
there any dance style you wish to study but we do not offer presently?
Not a
style, but something I’ve always wanted to do is dance pas de deux. An absolute bucket-list dream of mine.
What do/did you do for your “day job?” and/or what were you
educated/trained to do as a profession?
Before I had my two girls I worked for
years as a Film & TV Agent at United Agents in London, with a client list
of film & tv writers and directors.
I loved it. It was hard work but
I would sit at screenings as the lights went down and think, I can’t believe
this is my job! But it involved evenings
and weekends and I’d waited a long time to have children and I wanted to be
with them, particularly in their early years.
And back then Working From Home wasn’t a thing and so I gave up my job. Obviously lock down has changed things
now. And lock down gave rise to the funny
job I find myself doing now… last year I made some biscuits which I iced, in
the shape of flowers. I posted a photo on my Facebook page and a couple of
friends asked if I could make some for them.
Then a few more asked, and a few more… and I had a business staring me
in the face! So Biscuit Fantastic was
born (my then 5 yesr- old came up with the name!), I now make iced biscuits, have a
stream of orders and can’t quite get over how random it is!
Do you have any tips for someone
wishing to start dance training as an adult?
Just do it! Don’t overthink it. If you’re new to ballet you will no doubt
fear you have to wear a leotard and ballet shoes and that everyone will be
doing the splits. And this can be so
off-putting you might dismiss ballet or dance as a possibility. But none of this is true. You can wear leggings and a t-shirt, ballet
shoes are useful but they’re easy to get and are comfy, and you will be
welcomed in and will see a wide range of people of different ages and
abilities. I had danced as a child and
teen, but then had a break of over 30 years with no dancing. And very quickly you feel part of the
community. And there are now lots of
online classes you can take - either live or recorded - which are a really nice
way in to find your feet before you brave a live studio class.
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Do you have a favourite part of class/
ballet step you love?
I love barre. As I get older I feel stiff and achy a lot of
the time. So I creak into class and love
how my body warms up and softens as the barre exercises progress. And I enjoy bringing expression to simple,
individual movements. I also really
enjoy petit and grand allegro. Which
leaves adagio…and the least said about that the better!
How has Covid-19 changed the way you
have dance in your life?
Covid-19 brought dance back into my
life. I know lots of people didn’t enjoy
online classes so didn’t dance much in lock down. But I am the opposite. Were it not for lock down I might not be
dancing today, so I am eternally grateful to the world wide web and Zoom!
Solo
to Debussy’s La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin! Katharine " loved that music and the
dress!"
Anything else you would like to add, please feel free to do so.
Just a thank you to Ballet4Life. A thank you to the inspiring teachers and the
friends I have made.
We thank you Katharine! Your performances at Watermans Theatre and at the BPF were beautiful.
All photos are copyright either Ballet4Life or Katharine. Please ask permission to copy.
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