Barbara’s ballet skills are still on point at age of 81
BARBARA Peters is extremely lightfooted for her age.
So graceful is she in fact, she has just marked her 81st birthday by passing a top level exam in ballet.
Barbara has been ballet dancing since she was just two, and spent decades teaching the art at a dance school in Huddersfield.
The Examiner reported on Barbara’s love for ballet last year, when she passed her Grade 7 exam.
Shortly after this, the Greetland great-grandmother went for her Grade 8 in September – the top level for the board – and has now announced she has passed.
“That’s it – there’s nothing more to do now,” she said. “Grade 8 is the highest you can go with this board.
“Grade 8 is more of a performance exam. You have to learn four solo dances. The execution is no more difficult, there’s more emphasis on presentation.
“I found out I had passed last month but I wanted to keep it quiet for a little bit. Now I’ve just had my 81st birthday so I’ve made it official.”
Having started dancing as soon as she could walk, Barbara sat her exam with the Royal Academy at 19 and went on to set up her own dance school, Barbara Peters Dance School, at 22.
The school was established in 1961 on Market Walk in Huddersfield town centre and remained open until five years ago. Barbara, who has three children, eight grandchildren, three stepgrandchildren and a great-grandchild, also organised shows at venues such as the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield.
She said: “When you get older, you put all your energies into your kids and grandchildren and you pale into insignificance – but this has given me a bit of credibility in my own right.”
When you get older,
you put all your energies into your kids
and grandchildren.