90-year-old Woking ballerina pliés once again

A Woking care home resident and former ballerina has had her wish of a special day celebrating her love of the dance granted thanks to a local ballet school. 

Shirley Pryke, 90 and resident at Care UK’s Greenview Hall on Streets Heath in West End, was visited by dancers from the Classical Ballet Centre Surrey, bringing back fond memories of her pirouetting days.

She began with a one-to-one lesson with dance teacher Jo Young, listening to music from her favourite ballet, Swan Lake. Shirley instantly started dancing again, naming each move.

The four young dancers then put on magnificent performances both individually and in pairs, featuring impressive, en pointe choreography.

Shirley said: “It was an absolute pleasure to watch such talented young ladies which took me back to my dancing days.”

Shirley's passion for ballet dancing started at the very young age of five when her mother fought for her to start lessons.

Shirley explained: “My mother had always wanted to do ballet lessons herself but was never allowed. My father was against the idea, but my mother was persistent.

"I loved ballet, everything about it: the dance moves, the music and the outfits.”

Shirley worked her way through all the stages and became a teacher in her own ballet school, ‘Shirley Warren School of Dance’, in Surrey.

She sold her dance school to a close friend 10 years later when she moved down south to marry her husband, Jeffrey Pryke.

Shirley said: "Dancing was such a passion. It had always soothed me to watch classical ballet, whenever I feel overwhelmed it grounds me.”

Shirley’s experience was made possible thanks to Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, which encourages residents to suggest ideas for new hobbies they’d like to try, places they’d like to visit or even activities linked to past careers. From skiing trips to a fish and chip supper, the programme is designed to help residents lead fulfilling lives.

Meera Govindapillai, Home Manager at Greenview Hall, said: “We had an amazing time watching Shirley join in with the Classic Ballet Centre Surrey dancers.

“Ballet has played a big part in Shirley’s life and she has many fond memories of dancing and running her own school. The activity presented a wonderful opportunity to reminisce about her younger years as she watched and joined in with the ballet.

“Here at Greenview Hall, we are passionate about making residents’ dreams come true, whether that be welcoming furry friends into the home or a performance from ballerinas.

“We’d like to say a big thank you to the dancers, and we look forward to bringing Shirley back to centre stage soon.”

Greenview Hall provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to lead active and rewarding lives, while also promoting independence, the home incorporates plenty of opportunities for hobbies and leisure activities. The layout of the building has been configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.