Our second demonstration dance Ballroom dancing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t realise just how important it would become in shaping my future until I had to take the place of one of my bosses following an accident. Dancing Queen A novel by Louise Anne Smithson Copyright© 2013 Louise Anne Smithson All Rights Reserved.

Our dress rehearsal on Friday evening went according to plan. Mum and David both came along and Mum helped me to put on the long cream dress and make the finishing touches to my hair. We then performed our Viennese Waltz, this time incorporating the spin that we intended to tack on to the end of the dance. Executing a fast quadruple spin without getting giddy was no easy task, especially whilst wearing somewhat higher heels than I’d grown used to at work, but I’d always been taught to dance on the balls of my feet and was getting used to the higher heels. Mum and David were enthusiastic with our efforts although they also made a couple of last minute suggestions. I then did a quick change into the purple and gold dress for the Quickstep, which also went to plan. Once again there was a mixture of congratulation coupled with a couple of minor suggestions from our audience.

‘OK. I think we’re all set for tomorrow,’ announced Alan after we’d performed it for a second time.

Then, turning to my mother, he said: ‘David and I were wondering whether you and your daughter would like to come out for a meal after the demonstration tomorrow evening, Mrs Williams. I haven’t thanked you properly for giving me that suit belonging to your late husband.’

‘I’m sure that we would both love to go,’ said Mum, without even consulting me, ‘and do please call me Jean.’

There was a perceptible difference in the way that Alan and I were received for our second demonstration, compared to the first. Two weeks before there had been a degree of doubt about the wisdom of our dancing together, and of my role in particular, but now we’d proved ourselves in one successful demonstration and this had been confirmed during a couple of subsequent rehearsals. We were therefore accepted as the principal representatives of the society and accorded respect as such.

I’d arrived at the venue, together with Mum, an hour before Alan and David, as it would inevitably take me longer to get ready. I was whisked off to the ladies’ changing room where Joan proceeded to remove my breast forms and check that all was well, before carefully re-attaching them. She also inspected my hair, nails and earlobes and declared herself happy with them.

‘Congratulations, Michelle, my efforts haven’t been in vain,’ she said.

‘Thanks in part to Mum.’ I said.

‘Would it be safe for us to replace those studs with proper earrings?’ asked Mum. ‘I’ve brought along some crystal drops just in case.’

(As a rule dancers don’t wear a lot of jewellery as it can get in the way, but nice earrings were the one exception.)

‘I’ll put them in for you if you wish,’ replied Joan. ‘But once I have done so it may be wise to leave them in place for a few more days just to make sure.’

‘Go ahead then,’ I replied. ‘Crystal drop earrings should look alright with both of my dresses today and won’t look out of place when I go into work next week.’

Once my new earrings were successfully in place, and she had sprayed on some antiseptic Joan was happy to leave me in Mum’s capable hands to finish my hair and makeup and get dressed whilst she helped some of the other lady dancers to get ready. Mum brushed my hair up and back to form a neat pony tail held by a band, and then proceeded to thread it through a sock with the toes cut off and rolled up to create a soft doughnut shape. Once this was in place. Mum spread my hair around it and pinned it in to place to create a tidy bun that would keep my hair out of my face whilst dancing and not be a distraction either to me or the audience. She finished it off by inserting a few hairpins with crystal tips that would sparkle in the light to match my earrings and the embroidery on the bodice of my dress.

Mum put somewhat more makeup on me than I was used to wearing for work, but I realised that it would be necessary because of the strong lights. Then she helped me to put on the long cream dress and shoes and attach the arm and wrist bands for the four floats.

‘How are the shoes, Michelle?’ she asked.

‘OK, I feel much more confident wearing high heels these days.’

‘Good, now remember everything I have told you.’

Sarah arrived ten minutes before we were scheduled to start, just to check that all was well.

‘Wow, Michelle, you look so lovely in that dress. I’m so glad that we enlisted your mother’s help.’

‘Me too,’ I said, smiling and then made my way with the other ladies to where our partners were waiting for us.

There is not a lot more I can say about our Viennese Waltz that I have not already said. We waited for the plaintive sound of the trumpet solo at the start of ’The Godfather’ to begin our waltz. We danced well – in fact everybody danced well - and the fast pivot turns executed by Alan and I at the end secured us all a standing ovation. But unfortunately I wasn’t able to listen to all the compliments forthcoming for as soon as the applause had died down and I’d regained my breath I was whisked off by Mum to change my dress and get ready for our solo Quickstep. Alan, on the other hand, could hang around for all the congratulations of his colleagues and the audience as he had no need to change. In this respect there were decided advantages to being a guy although I had to admit that getting myself ready was part of the fun.

‘You did very well with that Viennese Waltz, Michelle, it was a real credit to me and your father,’ said Mum smiling as she helped me out of the cream dress and put on the purple one. ‘However, it is the Quickstep which really shows a true dancer.’

‘I can only do my best, Mum,’ I replied.

‘Yes of course, dear, but you’re a good dancer and you also have a good partner so I’m sure you will both do well.’

Twenty minutes later I joined Alan backstage whilst we waited for our solo dance to be announced.

‘Michelle, you look amazing and dance wonderfully,’ he said.

‘Thank you,’ I said colouring slightly, but also feeling as if the compliment had been earned. ‘Let’s hope this next one lives up to the standard we’ve set so far.’

This time it was Rob who did the announcing: ‘Now we come to the solo demonstration – with Luton’s answer to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers – it’s Alan Page and Michelle Williams.’

We stepped out on to the dance floor to the enthusiastic applause of the audience, and took our places. Over the years I’ve admired the dancing of Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey and John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John but, as far as I was concerned, none of them could ever match Astaire and Rogers. Three weeks earlier the idea that I might one day dance in either of their roles would have seen quite ridiculous to me, especially that of Ginger Rogers who had always been my true heroine. Yet here I was about to go and take her part. The orchestral intro began and we started our routine. The liquid voice of Nat King Cole spread across the dance floor.

‘There may be trouble ahead …’

The remainder of the dance was obscured by the sheer pleasure of immersing ourselves in the music and that warm baritone voice. I can honestly say that I’d no idea how well we’d danced until the enthusiastic applause brought me back to earth and I received a hug and kiss from my partner who was clearly delighted with us both.

As soon as Alan led me off the floor, Mum, David, Sarah Rob, Louise and just about everyone else that I knew crowded round to offer us their congratulations. This time I did not have to rush away to get changed, but could bask in the good wishes and congratulations of both our friends and those we’d never seen before.

‘You two were spectacular,’ said a middle aged guy, that I didn’t recognise, ‘especially you, young lady.’

We both thanked him. He then turned to Alan.

‘I don’t suppose you would be interested in giving another demonstration like that to our dance society in Bristol?’

(He didn’t exactly say that he didn’t want to trouble my pretty little head with business matters, but I had the impression that he probably thought as much.)

‘Are you talking about all four couples or just the two of us?’ asked Alan.

‘Just you two of you, if you could adapt the Viennese Waltz to become a solo partner piece.’

‘Our fee would be £500 for an afternoon’s demonstration,’ Alan continued, without even consulting me.

The guy didn’t go white or choke as I’d half expected.

‘Plus expenses,’ added Alan as an afterthought.

‘Of course, He replied. ‘But I’ll need to discuss possible dates with my committee and then come back to you.’

He then took Alan’s mobile number before leaving us.

I was just a tiny bit put out that neither of them had bothered to consult me on this matter.

‘I expect that’s the last you will hear from him,’ I said, to lessen his enthusiasm.

‘I’m not so sure. We may as well earn ourselves some money for the time we've taken in practice,’ said Alan.

‘Alright but if he does ring back remember that I’ll only have two Saturdays free between now and the date I’ve completed my set of dances.’

I hadn’t said anything about Sarah’s offer of a promotion, with the implication of an extended period living as Michelle, as I’d still not made up my mind what to do about it. In any event, I wanted to discuss it with Mum first.

Alan left me to find David and after acknowledging a few enthusiastic comments from strangers and even signing an autograph for a thirteen year old budding girl dancer, who told me that I was ‘awesome’, I looked around for someone that I knew to talk to. I noticed that Mum, Helen and Sarah were talking to one another whilst sitting at a table, and so I went over to join them.

‘Oh Michelle, I’m so envious of you to be able to dance like that,’ said Helen as I approached. ‘You danced so beautifully.’

I coloured and thanked her.

‘I’d no idea that she would be so good. That Quickstep was faultless,’ added Sarah, almost in a state of shock.

Mum nodded her head, knowingly.

‘It is partly a matter of her having the right partner, but there is no question that she has real talent. I don’t think I have ever felt so proud of my child as I did this afternoon,’ she announced.

All of this congratulation was beginning to get embarrassing for me, so I smiled and left them to continue their conversation, hoping that I might have a word with Richard, who I felt sure would not be quite so gushing. I also wanted to see whether he had videoed us successfully. I found him but he seemed to be deep in conversation with some other guy that I’d never seen before. I therefore made my way back to the ladies’ changing room where I changed into some more normal clothes. I also removed my stage makeup, replacing it with the cosmetics that I wore to work. However, Mum had done such a good job with the sock bun in my hair that I decided to leave it in place.

Next time: Mum has an idea for a future costume for me

As usual, thanks to Bronwen for editing and to everyone else for comments and kudos which are always appreciated.Louise