The one lesson I’ve learned from life
Historian Lucy Worsley
TV HiSTorian lucy Worsley, 43, studied history at oxford before becoming the joint chief curator at Historic royal Palaces. Her shows include if Walls could Talk and The Six Wives of Henry Viii. She lives in london with her husband mark Hines.
A BIT OF RAZZLE DAZZLE MAKES EVERYTHING OK
MY LIFe-LeSSON was taught to me by former Strictly judge Len Goodman. In 2014, we were working together on a series about the history of dancing.
Obviously Len has experience as a dancer, but I’m completely hopeless at formal dancing; I’m mal-coordinated, I don’t have rhythm. I can learn the moves but I can’t do it with any conviction — it’s like a dead body being jolted alive by electric shocks.
When we were working together on the series, we had to perform these historical dances. Len hadn’t danced since 1975 and had a bad leg, so when we danced the Charleston — which involves flicking out the leg from the knee — in London’s Cafe de Paris, it had to be choreographed so Len bent his leg only one way.
I’d spent four hours having my hair set into a Marcel Wave, and my dramatic flapper make-up made me look like a vampire. I should have been excited, but I was terrified.
Len came and sat in my dressing room and I said dolefully: ‘Look, we’re no good, are we?’ And he said. ‘Come on, Luce, me old sausage, give it some razzle dazzle.’
And so we did. Once I was descending the staircase, with the band playing and the spotlight tracking me, I razzled as hard as I could. even if I didn’t exactly dazzle, I did have more fun than ever before in my life. It made a lasting impression, and taught me to be brave and stop worrying about looking a fool.
I learned to ski as a 40th birthday present; it was a mid-life challenge and really good fun. It’s so easy to fall into the rut of not getting new life experiences. But you literally have to decide not to be embarrassed. Which is funny because I’m a very uptight, neurotic person who’s generally over-controlling in all areas of life. Letting go is hard!
Not everyone believes it, but I’m an introverted show- off. So when I’m performing a role, I embrace the razzle dazzle — and then I don’t feel shy.
ParT two of lucy Worsley’s nights at The opera is on BBc2 on Saturday.