THE LADY at the back

Humiliated, Julie was all set to quit the dance class- until she spotted a friendly face

- Susan Hayward

The young teacher was frowning at her, but Julie was really doing her best to maintain her balance. It wasn’t so easy when you reached your 50s to do a hop, shuffle, ball change and stay upright.

Julie was beginning to feel her choice of exercise class – Adult Tap – may have been a mistake. She had thought it would be OK. After all, she had been quite good at ballet and tap when she was a youngster. But that was many years ago. Now she felt ungainly and ill at ease in her old leggings and loose top.

The teacher, Sian, had been friendly when Julie had rung to enquire about the class. She had emphasised that a lot of her students were ‘mature ladies’, and had assured Julie she would have no difficulty coping with the dance routines if she had some previous experience.

‘Just come in comfy, loose clothing,’ she had said. ‘You can borrow some shoes for the first session. I always have a few spare pairs kicking around the studio.’

But when Julie had arrived, a little later than she had planned due to parking difficulties, Sian had been rather brusque and waved her hand in the vague direction of a cardboard box in the corner. ‘Just help yourself,’ she had said. ‘There should be something in there to fit you.’

The nearest thing to a good fit was a pair of very worn black fabric shoes that offered little support. Julie felt shabby and out of place among the other students, looking svelte and well turned out in designer leisurewear. They all seemed to know each other and had barely acknowledged her presence.

She could feel tears sting her eyes. She had been really looking forward to this class and making new friends.