ILONA RETURNED TO BALLET AT THE AGE OF 72

As a child, I performed pirouettes whenever I heard music and fell asleep dreaming of arabesque moves. I longed to become a professional ballet dancer but in my late teens, I hung up my ballet shoes after my father announced he didn’t approve of dance as a stable career choice.

I went into the art world instead. I missed ballet terribly but life took over. I married Peter and together we had two sons. My career as an art dealer took off, and Peter and I travelled the world before settling in the Cotswolds where I opened my own art gallery.

For years, I did no exercise, I was entrenched in my career, telling myself I had no time or inclination to dance again.

In September 2013, I was carrying a painting when I lost my balance and fell down the stairs. I suffered a concussion and was covered in bruises.

But the biggest knock was to my confidence. The accident made me realise I was losing my balance and my core muscles needed strengthening. There was only one thing I could do to truly feel strong once more. So, three months after my accident and 52 years after I’d last danced, I found myself at the ballet barre.

It didn’t feel strange, it felt wonderful – like ballet had been patiently waiting for me all this time.

I now attend ballet class three times a week. It’s an excellent way of keeping mind and body in peak condition. The way it makes me focus on good posture and form leaves me feeling tranquil and exuberant all at once. n Ilona trains with the RAD Silver Swans. New classes begin in January 2017 – visit RAD.ORG.UK