Group dances back in time
Dancers are taking a twinkle-toed step back in time and looking back over the history of their dance school as part of celebrations to mark its 50th anniversary.
Wolverhampton's Lytton Dance School is marking the milestone with a special show at the city's Grand Theatre – which will feature some of the performers who have been there since the start.
Mother-of-one Alison Norton, aged 50, from Tettenhall, who first joined the dance school as a six-year-old, said: "It has become a way of life. I cannot remember a time when I was not going to dancing.
"I fell in love with it from the word go and fortunately there were at least three others who felt exactly the same about it.
"We have been dancing together ever since.
"We all managed to fit it in around having babies. We danced during our pregnancies and were back on the dance floor as soon as possible afterwards.
"We have all become great friends and are known as the golden oldies. We went to the dance school twice a week until recently reducing it to once.
"It will be heartbreaking to stop because it is such an important part of our lives but there will be a time in the near future when we will have to give that prospect serious thought."
Other long-term members are Gill Fenner, Shirley Sunderland and Judith Lathbury-Howell, whose mother Catherine Lathbury launched Lytton Dance School in 1962. It opened in Penn and other branches followed in Wombourne and Coven and all still operational with its 200 pupils ranging from three to 66-years-old.
Mrs Lathbury-Howell, who now owns and runs the dance school, said: "Gill was the first to start, closely followed by Alison and Shirley while I was there because it was launched by my mum.
"When we were younger we did disco, tap and stage dancing but now we stick to tap and comedy.
"We might be a bit too old for disco these days but I am sure there is still a few years dancing left in our legs."
She added: "The 50th anniversary is a major achievement for the company." Her 28-year-old son Richard will be among those appearing in the dance school's annual production at the Grand Theatre.
This year it will be called Gold in honour of their half century. It is on September 30 at 6.30pm. It will be repeated at The Mill theatre in Sedgley on November 24 at 7pm and the following day at 2.30pm.
[gallery order="DESC"]
