Taking on dance at the age of 73

IT was a Friday morning at Littleborough Coach House, where I was about to meet one of our borough’s inspirational figures.

My first glimpse of him was on the back row of a group of female dancers who were energetically participating in a Can’t Dance Can class led by dance teacher Olivia Peers.

He moved with grace and co-ordination in time with his colleagues, as they took a final runthrough of the piece they will soon perform in the Gracie Field’s Theatre at the Our Blue Planet showcase.

As the session came to an end, he was remarkably fresh and ready to talk.

This inspirational man is David Lloyd, retired for the past nine years from his job working for the local authority as a civil engineer.

David informed me: “I have always done some sort of sport – rugby, football, cricket, badminton, until my late fifties, then not very much.

“I still do some stage management for local groups such as Phoenix Opera Society, who perform at the Curtain Theatre on Milkstone Road. I have been doing that for more than 30 years, always backstage, never front.”

I wanted to know how dance had appeared in his life.

He said: “Completely by accident. Marion Fuller, my scenery painting partner and I were painting a back cloth on the floor at Spotland Methodists.

“There was a group of people in the room starting a Can’t Dance Can Class which Marion joined in.

“The week after, I went along with her. I had always used my body in physical activities, but never in a co-ordinated way like that.

“It is such a challenge to do all the disparate movements. You can’t think about it, you have to get into it.

“I then also started going to Silver Circus as well to do a bit of juggling.”

Does he now want to perform, to move from back stage to front?

He said: “That is overstating it slightly, but I am looking forward to performing in a group.

“We will be doing a specific dance, I am here this morning to try and get it into my head, it doesn’t come naturally to me, but I love the challenge.”

That is what makes David such an inspiration. He is taking on new challenges at the age of 73.