Princess Diana was a long-time lover of dance, and although she took some ballet and tap lessons as a child, it wasn’t until she married into the royal family that she pursued her love of dance in a more formal way. in new book Dance with DianaSpeaking to her former mentor Anne Allan, she revealed many inside stories of working with the late royal, including the time she managed to hide Diana backstage during a surprise performance.
In her memoir, Allen wrote that in September 1981, a maid to the Princess of Wales, who had just married Prince Charles two months earlier, approached her and asked if she would give private dance lessons to members of the royal family. Their lessons were secret, and Ellen didn’t even tell her husband at first, but as time passed, the two grew closer and Diana began to confide in her dance teacher about her marriage to Prince Charles. .
Two years later, Ellen, who has joined iconic dancer and choreographer Wayne Sleep’s new company, shared how the Princess of Wales asked if she could watch their new show, sprint. The only problem is that she doesn’t want to make a mess, she’d rather sneak in and watch from the background.
Princess Diana attended a performance of “Swan Lake” in 1997 and was a long-time supporter of the ballet.
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The dancer wrote that she had been hesitant about the idea, explaining that “if you have no experience with how things work, there is always an element of danger” and that having the princess “on the court” would be “safe nightmare”. “Black” area.
Ellen also revealed that the show included a royal-themed dance that she feared might offend the princess. The dancers “warned the princess, and Wayne created a very funny skit based on her son William, wearing baby clothes during the scene” (which is British for “pyjamas”).
Luckily, Diana found this hilarious. “She burst out laughing and said she had to see it,” Allen wrote.
The dance teacher finds sleep and comes up with a plan to have the princess only participate in the second half of the show. They feared there would be “unnecessary risks for people seeing her during half-time” and that the media could be alerted.
Fortunately, everything went according to plan, and Diana and her offer of protection were whisked backstage unnoticed to take their seats in the wings.
Princess Diana shot to fame when she danced with John Travolta at a 1985 White House banquet.
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“Diana loved the whole atmosphere backstage, and Wayne was a bummer and would occasionally play in the corner where she was sitting instead of in the front, which made her smile from ear to ear,” Allen recalled.
As for Prince William’s skit, it was a hit. “Princess Diana’s favorite was ‘Baby Wales,'” Allen wrote, adding, “Wayne told me how much he loved Princess Diana’s ability to laugh at herself and embrace intentional humor.”
The dancer noted that they were eventually able to sweep Diana out the back door, but “the press will never know.” However, the cast were in for a surprise when they saw her backstage.
Allen said the dancers had no idea Diana was there “until they saw her as they were getting ready for the entrance,” noting that “it was an exciting second act.” I know seeing the shock on their faces probably made for an unforgettable night for Diana, too.
Dancing with Diana: A Memoir by Anne Allen
