Dancing through life – at 70

[caption id="attachment_69970" align="alignright" width="199"] MARIANNE VAN DER MERWE-VAN DER LECQ -[/caption]

Royal Academy exams keep grandmother on her toes

STUNNED by her own ability to spin, stretch and jump, a Mossel Bay grandmother who last year passed her Grade 7 Royal Academy of Dance ballet exams with distinction is planning on doing the Grade 8 exam this year – at the age of 70.

Marianne van der Merwevan der Lecq defied the odds by passing the exam which is usually undertaken by students of about 15 years old.

The grandmother of four was a professional dancer with the Performing Arts Company of Transvaal (Pact) Ballet Company in the 1960s but gave up her career to become a mother and housewife.

But the yearning to dance remained and two years after moving from Gauteng to Mossel Bay in 2009 she joined the Mariki Viviers Ballet Studio, at the age of 64.

The energetic dancer says her ability to master the art again came as a surprise.

“I was more shocked than anybody else. I was going just to get the feeling of dance again. My intention was simply to do one or two activities and then watch the other dancers.

“But after hearing my story, my instructor encouraged me to try Grade 5 ballet.

“I couldn’t believe I still had the ability and managed to complete the entire sequence. I must admit I have always kept fit with things like jogging, yoga and so on.