Thank you.
“Nice to meet you Laura.” She said with a kind smile. In that second, at five years old, I looked up into the eyes of the woman that would define and mould my future. Her name was Miss Sloan and she would be my ballet teacher. I remember thinking how beautiful she was with her sparkly eyes highlighted with blue eyeshadow and her immaculate pink nails. I was shy and I wasn’t quite sure what ballet entailed but she took the time to describe what we would get up to. She pointed to the room behind her, which was set up for a social evening not for ballet classes, and said that this would be where we would dance every Friday afternoon after school. I remember picturing myself with a beautiful tutu on springing from bar stool to bar stool and thought, actually, that could be quite fun. And that was that.
Every Friday night for the next six years you would find me at Bonnybridge community centre with my little sister Jamie. First was ballet, then came modern and tap. Then dancing on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. “The Dancing” as we called it, became our everything and Miss Sloan made it all possible. You see my mum was a single parent. She would never of been able to afford the fees and everything else that came with having two young children involved in dancing on her own. But anyone who knows Miss Sloan will know how generous she is and she helped my mum make it possible. I am eternally grateful.
Miss Sloan saw potential in me and recommended to my mum that I audition for The Scottish Ballet Junior Associates. Unbeknown to me it was my first step towards becoming a professional dancer. I got in and for the next year, I did ballet every Tuesday and Thursday evening along with Jenny Dougan another pupil from The Bernadette Sloan School of Dance.
Now, at eleven years old Miss Sloan felt I was ready to audition for The Dance School of Scotland, a boarding school in Glasgow for young dancers aged twelve to eighteen. It was a big step but my mum trusted Miss Sloan implicitly and on her advice my dream of becoming a professional dancer was put into motion. I was given a place along with my new friend Jenny.
Since then Miss Sloan has continued to play a massive role in my family’s life. My mum went on to become an integral part of The Bernadette Sloan School Of Dance for another thirty years - you may know her as Ada - and my talented sister Jamie was adored when she was a teacher there.
I’m telling you all of this because, this year, after running her successful, highly respected dance school for over forty years, Miss Sloan is retiring. I know there are hundreds of families (maybe even thousands!) that Miss Sloan introduced to the world of dance. Time and time again my mum saw ex-pupils bringing their own children, the next generation, to the classes. What bigger endorsement and compliment could you possibly give anyone.
Miss Sloan, you will be greatly missed but you have done a wonderful job in finding the right person to continue your legacy. My old friend, Jenny Dougan will be taking over the school and I can’t think of a better person. An ex-pupil of yours and one of the most talented dancers I know. A woman that I shared my Dance School Of Scotland days with. A woman that I moved to London to study dance and musical theatre at The London Studio Centre with. A woman who who gave me the great honour of being her Chief Bridesmaid on her Wedding Day. Jenny, I know how disciplined you are and how hard you work. I remember I would always try to stand behind you at the ballet barre to keep my motivation up! Congratulations on this new adventure and as we used to say all those years ago “Chuckas!”
Miss Sloan, thank you. Thank you for your kind words to that shy five year old. Thank you for your unwavering encouragement. Thank you for always doing the best for your students. You have been the catalyst for the dreams of so many girls and boys, always encouraging them to push further and upwards if they could.
Thank you for kickstarting my career as a performer but most of all thank you for introducing me to my passion, to my joy, to my dream.
I wish you a very happy retirement and I want to take this opportunity to celebrate and to highlight just how powerful an influence you were in my life and in the lives of many, many others.
Congratulations on a job well done!
Lots of love,
Laura x
