Ballroom Icons: By Brigitt MayerThe Launch Party by Jack Reavely

It's time for the big launch of the big book ... Poor BriglttMayer ... she will be a bundle of nerves having taken theopportunity to do what she felt was a necessity to her life andthat was to write a book, based on the people whom sheconsidered to be Icons of Dance ... Spanning many generationsand when it was eventually produced it came out as an utterlyfascinating, magnificently presented book which would gracethe bookshelf of any fervently Interested In how the dance oftoday was so Influenced by those of yesterday ... and those oftoday as well. Harry Smith-Hampshire, Nina Hunt and DimitriPetrides, Len Colyer, Bobby Short, Gillian MacKenzie, PeterEggleton, Espen Salberg, Henry Jacques, Rudi Trautz, Anthonyand Fay Hurley, Len Scrivener, Victor Silvester, Phyllis Haylor,Walter Laird ... etc etc ••.so many of the Icons stripped of theirtail suits or Latin gear .••laying bare their Inner thoughts andfeeling for dance, showing how many handle their "normal" lifeaway from the spotlight which usually illuminates them.

Some dressed casually inthe photographs within the bookandseemingto be so relaxed,asthey transmit to us, the infor-mation on their thoughts, andhow their life in dance hasevolved over the years ofparticipation. I found it par-ticularly interesting to read thecommentstowardsthe end of thebook by famedexponentstalkingabout other famed exponents,manyof whomare no longerwithus ... The insight gained into thehistorical aspects of danceenable us to almost feel thatthose who are no longer withintoday's world, are in fact talkingto us from beyond deeperhorizons.Ron Gunn, the tailor

extraordinaire who is featuredwithin the book, tells me that hetells wee white lies at times.

Rube Scobie worked with himand his daughter danced withMichael Barr in his early days,which is why Michael was so welldressed presumably. Ron madean overcoat for DouglasFairbanks the famed film starand once, when sitting in atheatre watching the show Ronspotted Douglas in the audienceand, during an interval took theopportunity of tellingDouglas thathe hadmadethe coat ... Douglaswas delightedand gave our Rona large Cigar. I could of coursego on and on about the book ... Icommend it to your eyes and Itell you this, if your eyes are notglistening, when reading, thenyou are indeednot humanor nota true dancer. It is geared to letpeople know of the tremendousinput these gents and ladies hadto dance and to dancers. It fulfilsBrigitt's dream and when shewas introduced at the launchwithin the Winter Gardens, tearswere flowing down her cheeksand it was so understandable.The relief and undeniable

pride in her personalachievementmust have inducedsuch emotion,when she saw allthe people wishing her well, asthey scoffed champers andgoodies ... it was, like the book,asophisticated and educationalmoment in time which she willremember forever.

The book's title Is BallroomIcons and is available for £105in its present luxurious form witheach one being numbered and

especiallyabout his age andwithfingers crossed behind his backhe assures me that he is thirtyyears younger than the dategiven in the book.All I can say isthat he certainly looks young butnever foolish.There is absolutelyno truth in the rumour that his"Gunn" is loaded and pointedtowards Brigitt for telling thetruth. Ron tells us in the articlethat he made clothes for theKing of Greece, Torvlll andDean and a great tailor called

only 2500 printed. Presumablyanother edition may well followwith a reduction in priceso that itbecomes available to those whocannot spare the cash for theoriginal. The lovely MargueriteHanlon from America, sadlynow deceased, had a dreamsimilar to the one which Brigitthas now realised and she hadintended something on similarlines assisted by John Ford ofcourse. I'll bet that if it is possibleMarguerite will be reading it from

cover to cover, and her headwillbe noddingwith sheer pleasure,as she was herselfa fanaticwhocontributedso much becauseofher generosity within sponsor-ship, which was rewarded withthe thanks of so many whomJohn and herself had assisted.You can read within the book ofher story in dance. Manysurprising anecdotes crop upwithin its pages ... You will find itdifficult if not impossible to putdown .. I commend it to yourgaze, especially if you wish achuckle, a tear or two and awarm feeling of the utterconvivialityof the world of dancewhich is transmitted beautifullyfromthis book.

DanceSport International'sadvertisement can be foundbelow for details of how toobtain this beautiful book.

Pictured: Column one,from top to bottom: DoreenFreeman. Kristi and BrianMcDonald with Rita andRobin Short. Peter Townsend,Barbara Ambroz, WendyJohnson, Meryem Pearsonand Ann Harding.

Column three, from top tobottom: Brigift Mayer. JulieLaird. Oliver Wessel- Therhomand Peter Eggleton.

Column four, from top tobottom: John Kimmins.Peter Dobner and Malenevan Hauen. Alan Fletcher,Gil/Ian MacKenzie, HazelFletcher and Ann Harding.

Column five from top tobottom: Bryan Allen, AnnBaker, Sandra Wilson andRita Short. Lorraine, GunnarRohdln and Doreen Freeman.

Column six: Heinz Spakerand Rudi Trautz.

Photographs by Ron Self.-------------