Doris Boothroyd School of Dancing

DESCRIPTION

NameDoris Boothroyd School of DancingEvent LocationShellharbour City LGADescriptionThe Boothroyd family taught dancing in Shellharbour from 1956 to the year 2000. There were three generations teaching at the same time, Doris Boothroyd born 1919 and Rosalynne Boothroyd born 1949 both born in England, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, and Chantelle Ford born 1981 in Wollongong.

The story begins in 1956, when Doris Boothroyd started the first dancing school in the Shellharbour Municipality. The first classes were held in the Shellharbour School of Arts in Mary Street Shellharbour Village. The classes were moved to Oakleigh Park Warilla, when Warilla started to grow.

In 1970 Rosalynne opened a school in the church in Hill Street Warilla.

We outgrew the premises and then moved to what was known as the “Police Boys Club” Lake Illawarra. We also taught at Barrack Heights School, Minnamurra School and Kiama at the tennis rooms in Terralong Street and the CWA rooms.

We taught classical ballet, tap dancing, jazz ballet and acrobatics. The students over the years were very successful in local Eisteddfods and also competed in Sydney, Goulburn, Queanbeyan, Bowral and numerous other Eisteddfods and won thousands of trophies and medals over the years. We have produced many dance teachers. We taught Sher Roach, Debbie Sheldrick, Angela Hall, Kate Wilson and Amanda Lay, just to name a few.

Doris retired to Queensland in 1983 and I Rosalynne, continued to teach in Shellharbour till 2000. My daughter was a gifted dancer and Gymnast and also taught classes with me. Chantelle gained her teaching certificates after leaving school and is now a pilot with Qantas and adjudicates theatrical dance under her married name, Chantelle Galosi.

We entertained at many shopping centres in Shellharbour, Wollongong, Warrawong and Sydney. School holidays were always fun as we toured NSW in Roy Cressey Pantomimes.

I started Shellharbour’s first Theatrical Dance Eisteddfod in 1977 at Warilla High School and this ran till I retired in 2000. I had a lot of support from mothers’ clubs etc.

Doris Boothroyd started Shellharbour’s first Dramatic Society in 1957. Shows were rehearsed at the School of Arts and were performed at the old Empire Theatre in Addison Street, Shellharbour.

In 1959 my Mum organised all the festivities for the 100 Year Centenary of Government in Shellharbour. There were street parades, Centenary Princesses, a grand ball at the Centenary Hall at Albion Park, May-pole dancing in Little Park in the village.

Doris organised everything. I was at the crowning of the Centenary Princess, and was flower girl/attendant and carried the Centenary queen’s cloak with 5 other attendants. 50 years later I still have the cloak. We have used it in the many dancing class pantomimes I produced.

Oh! The pantomimes. These were in the days before Roo theatre and were originally held at Shellharbour Public Hall (now Roo Theatre).

We moved to Shellharbour Workers Club as we could fit in more audience. I wrote and produced Cinderella twice, Pinocchio twice, Dick Whittington twice, Wizard of Oz twice, Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs twice and many many more.

Doris still teaches tap dancing for U3A in Kiama Downs and will be 90 this year. I examine dancing for the British Dancing Assoc. and adjudicate dance Australia wide. In 1993, I started Australian Dance Adjudicators Inc (ADA) and am now the President. ADA is a professional association for theatrical dance adjudicators and is also a training body.

Article courtesy Rosalynne Boothroyd 2009.

Photograph

Shellharbour Public School Fourth Class 1958

The Boothroyd Family

Doris Boothroyd School of Dancing

Stanley Boothroyd

Rosalynne Boothroyd

Doris Boothroyd School of Dancing

Rosalynne and Tony Boothroyd

Rosalynne Boothroyd

Boothroyd's Dancing School.

Photo courtesty of Rosalynne Boothroyd.

CONNECTIONS

PlaceOakleigh ParkLocalityShellharbour Village

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Doris Boothroyd School of Dancing