For The Love of Dance

“Dear Jeanie’s mum, please make sure that you don’t forget  Frankie the Elephant for next week’s dance class, love from Miss Angela.”

This was the note my daughter, then aged three, came out of her ballet class with, waving it at me with a look of defiance. Less than an hour before, she had gone into her lesson in floods of tears. You see, we’d rushed out of the house, leaving said toy elephant (her weekly dancing mascot) on the hall table.

Angel School of Dance was such a huge part of our lives for nearly 15 years. That note, handwritten in the moment by the dance school’s founder and principal, Miss Angela (as she is respectfully and affectionally called by her students) displays the fierce loyalty and protectiveness she has for dancers.

This was when I first realised how much she genuinely cares and values each of them, from
toddlers to adults, as if they are her own.

Over the years we took part in the most monumental dance shows. Which showcase the
talent and dedication of generations of dancers that have been through the school. More recently, I see dancing mothers performing in one number to be followed by their child dancer in the next – testimony to the nurturing ethos of Angel School of Dance.

The early days of these shows had me backstage with other parents, among the glitz and flurry of
speedy costume changes, the air filled with loud chatter, a hazy fog of hairspray and pre-show
nerves. Corridors of bustling tutus, little ones let loose to smear lashings of gold eye shadow
and red lipstick over each other.

I would be there, one hand helping my own little dancer into a Lycra zebra costume,
the other hand holding my camera, recording these behind-the-scene moments, not only for myself but for other parents as well.

The first time I was invited to photograph the performers on stage, as well as capturing these dressing room
stories, was in March 2020. It was there and then that we all felt the true meaning of ‘the show
must go on.’ The glitter and hairspray were matched with hand
sanitiser and scaled up hygiene.

Those early COVID-19 news items added a sobering veil to the usual sparkling
shenanigans of backstage excitement. The heightened consideration and camaraderie between the show team and dancers gave a never-truer reflection of the community spirit within this incredible dance school.

The show that followed was called From Now On and paid tribute to this time. As I ran around
between performances, trying to cover all angles and moments, I realised it
was my daughter’s dance next. I lowered my camera, suddenly feeling all kinds of emotions at
seeing her go up on her pointe shoes for the first time. This was her last dance show, as afterwards she decided to stop her dancing.

So here I am at this most recent show, with just one role – that of show photographer and no longer a dance mum

– staring in wonder at the talent across the ages of hundreds of dancers, the
many months of choreography, the pre-show laughter and tears around me and the beaming faces
as they step out onto the stage. I’m back with my dance family once more.

“Dear Miss Angela, I’m really sorry but I have to stop my dancing for now as I need to concentrate on my school exams. Thank you for all the years you have taught me and the great experiences I’ve had, love from Jeanie.”