London - Dance

Photo taken at Val Tweedie's
dance studio in Sydney

While we were in London, as well as music, we were also interested in dance. We had both attended classes at Bodenweiser Dance Centre in Sydney, and I had spent a number of years attending classes, mainly those by the incomparable Peggy Watson (Raczkowska), at Val Tweedie's Studio in Sydney.

She was already in her 50s when I attended her classes and to quote "I reckon Peggy's the best in Sydney. She's so technical. Peggy can still outdance everyone.". Her tireless energy and husky voice, both possibly fueled by her smoking addiction, was an inspiration to not only me, but all of her students.

Oval House c1975

While there I started hanging around Oval house and attending dance classes there.

Another Dance Group

I joined an amateur dance group based at Oval House, called Another Dance Group and participated in a live performance with them. The style was modern dance of the time.

We also attended some of the dance performances in London, although the tickets were expensive - just are they are now - but on our tight budget it was a bit of an extravagance.

On 18 June we attended a performance by the Royal Ballet in  Battersea Park.

On the program was: LA BAYADERE, SIDE SHOW, SHUKUMEI and THE CONCERT 

The dances were: Monica Mason, Anthony Dowell, Lynn Seymour, Michael Coleman, Margaret Barbieri, Ashley Killar, Lesley Collier, Ria Peri, Laura Connor, Stephen Jefferies, Alain Dubreuil, Desmond Kelly, Graham Fletcher, Derek Rencher, Derek Deane.

We would have liked to attend more performances, but one performance we did see and thoroughly enjoyed was the Nederlands Dans Theater at Saddlers Wells.