Five Foot Two

By

Jacquimac

Edited by Jonelle

Part 4

Many people will walk in and out of your life but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt 1884 - 1962

The dance club got a sizeable donation from the ticket sale as well as a new building donated by one of the big conpanies in the area. We were now starting classes for different types of dancing covering everything from clog dancing to Ballet.

More and more students enrolled after every show we did, even some of the sports teams took up dancing to improve their coordination. No longer were we referred to as Ponces by the bigger kids, we had proved ourselves to everyone and came up smelling of roses.

It was laughable the first time the Rugby coach brought the team in for ballet training, 20 six foot boys having to do the bar exercises with girls that were half they`re height and only 8yrs old, but they finally admitted it was harder than running around trying to catch a ball.

All the sports team did well that year and watching the rugby team doing ballet steps to avoid a tackle was a sight to behold, especially at the end of the game when they started to perform a little ballet in front of opponents they had just demolished.

I was now accepted by everyone and was often asked for dates to dances, although I usually ended up with Alec.

My nickname had now become Five Foot Two to everyone who knew us, why ? because that became our signature tune and aslo as it was my exact height.

The rehearsals for the nativity started and I with some of the other girls were in the scene where Herod issues the decree to kill all male children under the age of two. Those harem costumes are a bit revealing and cold to wear near a draught, but it was fun and again was enjoyed by everyone.

Twice a year a musical would be put on in the theatre with the dance club providing the dancers and nearly always had packed houses.

It was funny when a stranger came into the Dance Club and approached Me and Alec who were talking to Ms Mays and Gran, he asked if he could ask a question and we said yes.
He told us he had seen the 1920`s revue we had put on and asked....
Why did we start with "Five Foot Two" as the opening number and not the Charleston??
Ms Mays laughed and pointing to me said " Her costume was from the 1920`s and she was the best dancer for the Charleston, not only that she is only Five Foot Two"

That set us all laughing even the stranger, who asked if they could talk in private.
After they went to the office we decided to call it a night and went home after saying goodnight to everyone.

As time went on the dance club went from strength with a few of dancer ending up as professionals. Sad to say Gran, passed away peacefully in her bed three years later leaving me everything she possessed, and a lot of joyful memories.
The stranger who visited that night was a big show producer and had been looking for new talent, and a few of us were asked if we would like to perform in professional productions. I declined as I was content with what I had but a couple did sign contracts but never made it big.

Alec and I finished school, he went to medical school and I went into nursing, once we had both qualified and Alec had got a position as a surgeon in a nearby Hospital I had SRS and a few months later we married.

Obviously I couldn`t have children and we adopted twins a boy and a girl, who we adored, now they`ve grown up and married and have their own families, although we see them a few times a during the year.

Alec and me still attend the dances that are held in the local area and the kids ask us to show them some of the dances we do,we still prefer the old dances to the stuff they call dancing today, no style or elegance in todays dancing.

Don`t think we`re old Fuddy duddies we`re far from it and all the kids love it when they see us dance especially when I do the Charleston or the Belly Dance.

Yes for us those were the good old days, the days of our youth, our fun and our hopes.

What happened to Ms Mays you ask, well she never got married and continued with the Dance Club until she was 70. She`s still around and we meet often and remember old friends and good times, she doesn`t dance much now not being as nimble as she once was but she will give advice to those who want it.

I went back to the Dance Studio and saw all the photos of the original members along with those of Ms Mays and Gran, they`re hanging in a room they now use as a Hall of Honour, some with us in costume, some in groups, and single shots of everyone of us.

One of the students saw me and not knowing who I was started to tell me all about the club, I noticed the photograph of Alec, Gran and myself in a corner well away from the other photos, I asked about it and was told that they were troublemakers who almost got the club closed down. I didn`t say anything and continued looking at the photos remembering names and faces.

Mary Anne James who now ran the club and we had known each other from the start walked in and seeing the position of the photograph, asked the student why it wasn`t with the rest. The student gave her the same answer as she gave me.

Mary Ann took the photograph and placed it above and centrally to the rest, the student didn`t seem to understand and told the young girl that if it hadn`t been for the people in the photograph the club would have closed years ago. I noticed the inscription on the brass plate said " Five Foot Two with Gran And Alec"

Mary Anne apologised to me saying that the memorial room was a new addition and the students hung the photographs. I asked the young girl "who told you those people were troublemakers" and she said the mother of one of the Ballet dancers.

I was introduced to the young girl who`s name was Shirley Jane Temple, jokingly I said "no you can`t be your much too young" Shirley didn`t understand and we ended up telling her about Shirley Temple the actress.

We went on to explain all about the early days of the club to the young girl, who looked very embarrassed, it was pointed out that if the first students hadn`t diversified and learned the many different styles of dancing the club might not be there today. I still make the occasional visit to the club and am held in a kind of awe by the younger members, especially when I dance them off they`re feet.

The last Visit I made I took Alec in Top hat and tails and wore my Charleston costume, when we arrived Mary led Alec onto the stage and he started singing "Five Foot Two" and I surprised the hell out of them by coming on stage all dressed up and doing the Charleston.
Mary introduced us as "Alec and Five Foot two" and the students went wild with cheers and applause.After a while the place fell silent and the students looked at us in expectation.

Alec said a short prayer to those who were no longer with us. One or two had died in the service of their country.

The silence continued and fond memories of those dances, the music and old faces stirred in our memories

AH the memories of days gone by, memories that will remain in our hearts till the end of our days.

Memory
By
Siegfried Sassoon
When I was young my heart and head were light,
And I was gay and feckless as a colt
Out in the fields, with morning in the may,
Wind on the grass, wings in the orchard bloom.
O thrilling sweet, my joy, when life was free
And all the paths led on from hawthorn-time
Across the carolling meadows into June.

But now my heart is heavy-laden. I sit
Burning my dreams away beside the fire:
For death has made me wise and bitter and strong;
And I am rich in all that I have lost.
O starshine on the fields of long-ago,
Bring me the darkness and the nightingale;
Dim wealds of vanished summer, peace of home,
And silence; and the faces of my friends.

The end