Pink Stockings: The Twinkle Toes Files…

From the age of four my mother did what all Durban North mothers did and kitted me out in pink stockings, a black leotard, a pink waist band and too-tight leather pumps for my first day of ballet.

 

I walked with little trembling footsteps up the concrete pathway and into the dance room – the floor was shiny (back then – now it's the parking lot of an office park) at Minette De Klerk's Dance Academy, there was a big mirror on the left facing wall and the Barre ran along the right hand side and across the back before coming back down the left. We all sat in a circle and the teacher manipulated us into thinking that it was ok to run around on the tips of our toes…despite the agony (this was what we were 'looking forward too' as we could only do this when we were older) and I spent the next decade trying to achieve this goal.

 

As I recall, we spent most of that year skipping in a circle, and ended up doing an exam where we dressed up as little Bo peep or something and skipped in a circle holding a frilly umbrella. I have a photo of myself dressed as a clown, a maid, a sailor, a mermaid and a rainbow fairy. Good times. I still don't think that I ever successfully learned an entire dance. I merely relied on my good childhood friend Carol for the moves, I was always a split second behind the rest – you would only be able to pick it up in slow action replay….bwahahahah.

 

After ten years I accepted that I was too curvy, had size 8 shoes and just could not be bothered to "float like a feather" across the room anymore – so I took up Jazz dancing. Now that was what I liked, I think it was Jean Weirich-Wiggil who took our class, we had such a ball. I ended up with my International Bronze Levels for Jazz*

 

We sis shows at cool theatres, we dressed up, we had cat fights, we judged each other, we laughed at the one whose boobs grew first and then laughed at the one whose boobs grew last. Good times. I was the latter.

 

Now my cousin who is 6 years younger than me, he did soccer as a kid at the sports fields by the Virginia circle – anyone know of it? Were there any other ballet teachers in DBN-North at the time?

 

I also remember that at Chelsea we had Hobby Day on Fridays and we could choose from a number of hobbies to take part in for an hour before home time. I did gardening (will go into that horrific tale of forced hobbies another time – eek!) Woodwork,  Flower arranging and then Porcelain doll making before the school choir mistress stole the hour for choir where we sang "groovy kinda love" every Friday for a year. Good times. What hobbies did you have?

 

 

Yawn.

For those LEGENDS who have recently joined us please check out the past posts so that you can see what the heck we're on about. For those of you who left and then rejoined (jax) welcome back! And to the faithful cling-ons who don't leave - good on ya.

 

Have a great week guys

 

Sands x

 

PS. Cris Gill is looking for a traindrivers hat and a big silver whistle for when he storms the mini train track at virginia later this year..

 

PPS. Thank you Charlton for your reply! Glad to see that at lease one person is enjoying the memories...

 

 

 

*I have now made peace with the fact that singing is my forte – I'm a fully trained Opera singer and Professional Voice Coach.