From a walk in the blue bell woods, to be home in the sunshine, it lifts ones spirits …
Hada lovely week end with Fran and Martine coming down.. lots of laughter ! then sunday a lovely lunch with Mum and Janet and I drove them around Stokes Bay lee on solent and Meon Beach….mum with her 99 she was so happy bless her .
Unfortunately have been a little unwell with a very not nice infection …. the dr’ at my local surgery was so helpful and kind, and the hospital wereamaizng with the care I received … slowly getting better !
Another dance day in the studio with such a great bunch of dancing friends ! the love and support they give is untoward, we celebrated Fran and Martines 7oth glorious year Birthdays !
Easter weekend ! Such a nice weekend seeing friends and family … a fun trip to Portland to see Mark,Ash, Jackie ! Full of laughs…cooking lunch for my dear Mum,Janet and Jane .. with the glorious weather!
The sad news of a childhood hero the passing of Ben Stevenson, as a child I had a beautiful signed photograph of him from sleeping beauty with the London festival Ballet. … a Portsmouth local hero … I was in awe of him as he was the first time I remember the word Choreographer being used … and I wanted to be one ! he created pieces for a dance school in Gosport for Joan Tostevin
I must of been 7 / 8 but he did this piece called the Funeral … it has always stayed with me .
Here is a photo of a young me , with Ben Stevenson at the finals of the All England sunshine dance festival with Cheryl Percy ( Clarke) photo by the one and only Maureen Flenly
Obituary
Born in Portsmouth Stevenson trained at London’s Arts Educational School and joined Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet (now The Royal Ballet) at age 18, dancing under Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, and John Cranko. Later, at Sir Anton Dolin’s invitation, he moved to London Festival Ballet as a principal dancer. He also performed in musicals on London’s West End, and he regularly appeared on British television alongside legends like Judy Garland and Ella Fitzgerald.
Stevenson began choreographing in the 1960s for companies including English National Ballet and Washington, DC’s National Ballet. In 1968, he relocated to the U.S., where he led Harkness Youth Dancers in New York City and, starting in 1970, co-directed National Ballet with Frederic Franklin. He then became artistic director of Houston Ballet in 1976.
During his nearly three decades at the helm in Houston, he helped the company achieve national prominence, developing generations of leading dancers—including Carlos Acosta, Lauren Anderson, Li Cunxin, and Janie Parker—and founding Houston Ballet Academy. He also began a decades-long cultural exchange with China, becoming the first foreigner to be named an honorary faculty member at the Beijing Dance Academy and the Shenyang Conservatory of Music.
In 2003, Stevenson was named artistic director of Texas Ballet Theater. He would be its longest-serving artistic director, recruiting international talent and choreographing productions including “Swan Lake,” “Dracula,” and “The Nutty Nutcracker.” He transitioned to artistic director laureate of TBT in 2022.
Stevenson was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999, and received a Dance Magazine Award in 2000 and the Texas Medal of Arts in 2005. He will be remembered not only for his accomplishments across the globe but for his wit, generosity, and mentorship of generations of dancers.
my sisters sweet loving dog Alfie passed away … he passed peacefully , a sweet dog whom loved cuddles and attention …. My dear sister will be at loss …. xxx bless he can join Terry with Maggie and Barety x
Had a lovely day with our dear mum who will be 96 in May bless her, we went for a lovely drive after lunch to all the places of our childhood … bless very touching ….
The Generation Dance Class for March !
Celebrating Angela Rippons’s ‘Let’s Dance Day and International Women’s Day !
The Girls kicked …. Today !
Fun as ever in the studio !
Thank you all for coming ! So honoured to take class for you all you are all smashing! Great fun Lots of laughter. And boy u worked it today ! Tap
Class was great ….as well a full 2.30 hours of what you love Dancing such a great feeling x
Spring is in the Air ….
Dearest Reece and Danny WEDDING INVITATION …… Bless so happy for them
they did a beautiful invitation xxx The Wedding is in Malta next year so Im sure it will be the event of the year !
Dougie would be so proud x
Well the BIRTHDAY Celebrations have finally finished …..
It started on the 8th of february birthday not until 26th with Generation family dancers after class in the pub with fabulous no egg cake and a celebrating drink … huge thank you to Martine and Fran for organising they are just amazing … a beautiful card and gift which I didn’t open until 26th on the actual day had a lovely day ( mostly answering FACE BOOK and INSTRGRAM MESSAGES .. there were quite a few so very touched by all the beautiful messages and cards … How lucky am I to know such wonders friends with such lovely kind words … In the evening went to my sisters and mum for a meal which was just perfect and lovely ….
Next day Drove up to Blackpool To see Reece and Danny and Molly … The drive was actually okay .. I arrived at Franks apartments number 1… ( Reece runs a Stays in Blackpool company ) amazing air band b apartments bang in the centre of Blackpool , stylish and just fabulous ….
they had gone to town .. bless them huge balloons flowers … candles … phone charger and a huge card they totally spoilt me …. we then went for a Italian with Sim Whom I used to workj with at Pleasure Beach it was a lovely evening …. saturday breakfast at Reece and Danny's and a big cuddles with Molly before a lovey walk on the prom the sun shinning just perfect … went to see Don and Terry Reece’s Mum and Dad so lovely to see them … then we went out to dinner a tapas bar on white gate drive fab food , then it was to Funny Girls new show ….. It didnt quite work for me but the audience loved it so thats all that matters .. then went to hotel bar for drinks and watch a drag artist belt out the classics before going to Oscars for another drink a new club on the Funny Girl site …. couldn't keep up with the boys so went to bed ….
how they do it amazes me ! breakfast at THEIRS AND A TOTAL CHILL DAY which was needed just always a pleasure to be taken the p..s out of all day and spend time with them and of course more cuddles with Molly the best … Monday had coffee with Reece before heading to Manchester to meet up with Simon George for dinner before heading back great chinese at HOME restaurant … the rain stopped so it was a easy journey home no traffic listens to the radio and smile on my face eat the lovely time i had had thanks to one and all x
Well low and behold …In 1958 Dougie did a musical Twenty minutes South… never had much information on this until now ….Oh wow ! Never seen that before !! It opened the same week as mousetrap Dougie always said … he became Great friends with Hattie he loved her she was so much fun x
I have bought the last copy cd with Dougie playing a cockney singing on it ! he would of loved this …. just amazing after all this time x
I have been so very touched today with the out pouring of Love in celebration of Dougie’s Birthday…. It has filled me with love, happiness and joy … I know how he would have appreciated your kindest likes and words and been humbled and proud … He meant so much to me so many people ….
Thank you all for always giving me support, care and love …. It means so very much ….
Well tonight in my heart I celebrated… my dear friends Geoff Pine and Richard white had got me a gift of a golden ticket for Paddington !
Dinner at Jamie Oliver Theatre Royal Dury Lane and a bonus meeting up with Peter Todd….
Paddington utterly charming … beautifully produced … clever witty … very touching …
You so believe that Paddington is real …
Cleverly created …
It is always wonderful to see a production where everything all the creative , technical, production ,direction,music ,lyrics , design, cast , crew, theatre staff and management merge together as a total theatrical experience…
Wonderful to see Bonnie Langford …. Every young and not so young performer. Should watch her skill as a performer on stage … not a second goes by that it’s not 100 percent … she fills the entire audience with her presence
A lesson I learnt from her mother that you take it all in eye contact to the entire audience… she does so brilliantly…. I’m admiration of her wonderful talent …
Dougie would have loved this Paddington.
Been so proud Of Bonnie … his spirit was with me xx
just had a enjoyable week , seeing spring appear although its still cold , and very wet … the Test is very high indeed … I went to Winchester ,to the cathedral for the globe that is hanging in the alter , I had a lovely walk around , visited my sister janet and my dear mum had a lovely lunch and seeing the sun at Warsash WAS Lovely and seeing my mum beam with her smile made my day … Had Lunch with Emma which as always was great fun xx its birthday week …. haha
The Dance weekend at Champneys health spa in Tring, with Jackie Travers and Mark Short
we took classes all over the weekend in various styles of dance . we had a fun time lots of laughter and hopefully everybody enjoyed the crazy dance classes !
