Rhumba Numba.

This week, since I have a moment to spare, I thought I would learn a couple of new dances!

Salsa and Rumba........

I have danced seriously, since I was three, and after classical ballet, I went for Flamenco, jazz and anything else that I need in order to work in theatre.....the music is SO Great!

Every morning after singing Lady in the Dark (Kurt Weil and Ira Gershwin) in Palermo, and then Rome, I clambered up 85 stairs to ballet class at 9.15 am.

The dancers looked astonished as they draped themselves, elegantly drawing on a cigarette, around the old theatre staircase.......(Nicotine cuts your appetite and thus your weight) and I would labour away at the barre, with my towel and bottle of water, gazing at the puddle of sweat beneath my feet. Dancers don't work near air-conditioning nor open windows..and this was in 40 degrees C.

 Singers go near smoke at their peril.  

So....singing Carmen is a piece of cake if you can dance and, in Madrid I said during rehearsal....."If all of these wonderful dancers come on as I am singing.......you hardly need me!"

" I'll sing if I can dance flat out when I"ve finished".

This we all did, and then I went on to dance for half of the night, and out after breakfast for the magnificent art galleries in Madrid as well. Two weeks in the Prado was hardly enough....

This is my Rhumba Numba frock..which I wear for a fun second half in concert....or indeed for anything else!