Devotion to dance spans a lifetime
Gillian Francis has taught thousands of students in the 40 years she’s been the director of the Nelson Academy of Dance.
Francis grew up in Christchurch, running around the house on her ‘‘tippy toes’’ from an early age.
‘‘I think that’s why my parents took me to ballet,’’ she said.
No one else in her family danced, but they were all into ‘‘arty musical type stuff’’.
Her dancing career started with the New Zealand Ballet Company, with which she performed around the world as their principal dancer.
The Australian ballet company and P.A.C.T South Africa followed.
Francis then founded the Southern Ballet in Christchurch.
In 1976, she and her husband decided they had enough of Christchurch. They packed their bags and moved to Nelson.
The move came with the opportunity to take over Jillian Gay’s Nelson dance studio.
Forty years later, the dance studio is still going strong, and so is Francis, who turns out one or two dance productions each year.
‘‘Every year I think they’re getting better.
‘‘I think putting a production on stage is somewhat of an achievement in itself.’’
Francis said when she took over the studio in the late 70s it was already a well developed dance school.
‘‘Now I’m actually teaching daughters of the mothers [I taught] from way back.’’
Francis said her ‘‘great passion’’ was to get children who really struggled to dance to achieve their goals.
‘‘For them to achieve something is really special, really rewarding.’’
Francis said she couldn’t chose one particular production that was a highlight, as all of them were good.
‘‘I just like to achieve something and see the kids enjoy themselves and have fun on stage and see what they can do.’’
After two hip replacements, Francis said she doesn’t dance herself anymore, not even in her own living room.
‘‘I dance when I’m teaching but I don’t do anything myself now. I just demonstrate.’’
As for the dance studio, Francis said running it and teaching children never gets old.