ABOUT CHILDREN'S BALLET

May saw the premiere of my first full-length narrative ballet – The Ballet Shoes – for the London Children's Ballet. I have to say, I was wondering if it was going to come off or not. In the studio the week before, I could see nothing exciting - no action. The dancing was coming along okay but the children's acting seemed stiff and contrived. Well, that's one lesson I've learned - don't worry about children performing. Or at least, not until they reach a shy/awkward adolescence where self-criticism overrides any fun. No, as soon as this lot set foot on the stage, the dance floor might as well have been a trampoline. They were well and truly stage-struck, jumping and whirling around like crazy.

Thanks to the efforts of too-many-people-to-mention, the premiere went according to plan. I wasn't really able to watch it objectively that night but when I came back to see the last show — the seventh performance in four days, I was actually smiling along with most of the audience. I have to admit to having watery eyes and after twenty-odd Sundays of losing my voice, all was forgotten and I was very proud of 'my children'!