Here are two of them taken in 1951. I was 11 and was one of the first Billy Elliots. They were taken for the local paper after one of my successes in the Royal Academy ballet examinations . I was thought to be the only boy ballet dancer in the North of England. We were told that there was no other boy taking the examinations with the Royal Academy in our neck of the woods.
I know that as a lad I used to get some stick from my school friends especially as I got into my teens. My consolation was that I enjoyed the exercise and I was in the company of a lot of lassies in tights - which my friends were not. So I'm not sure who was the sissy - me for being with the girls or them for missing out!!!!!
As I look in the mirror now, 55 years on and see that the wrinkles in the tights have spread to my face I wonder where that bright young lad has gone. I know that he is there somewhere inside because I an always being accused, by those who know me, of being a big kid and I got a lot of pleasure out of letting off the fireworks with the grandchildren on my birthday yesterday. BUT 1951 seems a long way off just now.
2 comments:
The question is......Do you still have the tights, or did you just keep the wrinkles?
R.
Don't listen to him, Mr. R Sr :D.
I like dancing myself, and had been fascinated by ballerinas when I was younger... I wish R has gotten even just a tiny bit of your dancing talent!
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