A group of our Silver Swans ballet dancers will be performing at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dance on 1st November. The 10 dancers, all of whom attend Silver Swans ballet classes for ages 55+ across Worcestershire and Warwickshire, will be taking part in the Royal Academy of Dance’s Silver Swans Celebration at the organisation’s headquarters in Battersea. The group are one of 12 groups who have been selected to perform in a live show at the Aud Jebsen Studio Theatre on the second day of the event.
The group, all of whom attend classes with Helena Jane Classes & Coaching, will be performing to a piece of music which has a special connection to one of our Silver Swans community. The music, entitled Farewell to Budapest, was originally composed by Stephen de Bastion, whose daughter Julie attends Silver Swans ballet classes in Henley-in-Arden. A pianist working in Hungary in the 1930s, his music career was cut short by the Second World War when he was sent to a concentration camp. One of just eight survivors, he moved to Stratford-Upon-Avon after the war, where he raised his family. His music has recently been remastered by his granddaughter, Roxanne de Bastion and published alongside a book about his life.
Helena Mitchell, who has choreographed the ballet piece, says “When Julie shared Roxanne’s remastered recordings with me I loved the music and the RAD Silver Swans Celebration has given us the perfect opportunity to use it in performance and tell Stephen’s story.”
The Silver Swans celebration will bring together dancers, practitioners and teachers from around the globe for a series of fun, insightful practical workshops and talks. The second day will also see live performances celebrating all things dance along with the benefits it can bring to ageing and physical and mental wellbeing. There are 1600 trained Silver Swans Licensees across the world delivering weekly Silver Swans classes within their local communities.
Performer Moira said of the performance “For all of us as a group it’s a great opportunity but for me in particular it’s something I feel is a bit of a stretch…but that’s the reason I want to do it, to prove to myself that I can.”
Helena Jane Classes & Coaching offers dance classes for adults across Worcestershire and Warwickshire as well as opportunities for amateur adult dancers to perform, socialise and participate in special events.
Click here for more information about the Silver Swans celebration.
Find your nearest Silver Swans class here.