Ballet dancer performs at nearly 90

By Katie Pearson

Meet Britain's oldest ballet dancer who is still performing aged 87.

Barbara Peters' life has pirouetted around ballet since she first took it up in 1940 aged two.

She gained a place at the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in London to train as a ballet teacher in 1956 and opened her own dance school at just 24 years old.

She also became an examiner at RAD aged 25 – the youngest at the time – and worked with the likes of Dame Margot Fonteyn and Dame Darcey Bussell.

All three of Barbara’s children – and eight grandchildren – have danced at one point, with her daughter Claire O’Connor, starting up a dance franchise for preschool children called ‘babyballet’.

Despite planning to retire in the early 2000s, when Claire introduced adult classes, Barbara decided to return to dancing.

In 2019, aged 81, she received the highest accolade possible from the Royal Academy of Dance – grade eight in ballet.

The grandmother-of-eight passed with a rate of 73% with no concession made for her age.

Barbara still occasionally teaches and attends weekly classes called 'Silver Swans' - for over 55s - with the next oldest attendee 20 years her junior.

Despite recovering from a broken arm in March 2024, Barbara, who has been dancing for 85 years, has “no plans” to stop any time soon.

Barbara, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, said: “People ask ‘why are you still dancing?’ .

“My answer to them is 'why not?'.

“I’m really fortunate to have good limbs and a good heart.

"I definitely think my health and fitness is down to the fact I have been dancing throughout my life.

“I’ll keep going for as long as my body allows me too.”

Barbara began dancing as a toddler but says she didn’t take it seriously until she turned 10.

From then on, she would attend several classes a week and achieve her grade five in ballet age of 12.

“I got in trouble in at my grammar school because I was doing so much ballet and my work slipped,” she said.

“But it didn’t matter, I would be there [at the studio] every night if I could.

“I knew I wanted to be a dance teacher.”

As a teenager, Barbara gained a place on the teaching training program at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) - a world-leading school in dance education and training.

She even left school early and worked for six months as a 'clippie' - female bus conductor - before landing a summer dance entertainer job to save money for her tuition.

“The course was great – really intensive and comprehensive," Barbara said.

“I was sent by the principal to Italy to meet with a school that planned to use RAD’s syllabus.

“I was meant to be there six months, but I was invited to stay longer to watch a famous Russian ballet dancer perform.

“That was very special.”

On returning to the UK, Barbara opened her own dance school called Barbara Peters' Dance School when she was aged 24 in 1962.

A year later, she was invited to become an examiner at RAD aged 25 – the youngest at the time.

Barbara worked at RAD and taught thousands of students over the years.

Her next venture was with her daughter, Clare, a business owner, when they set up 'babyballet' - a dance franchise for pre-schoolers.

Barbara took a step back from teaching when she sadly lost her husband, Jack, to a brain tumor when he was 77 in 2011.

But when Clare introduced adult classes in 2015, Barbara's passion for dance was reignited.

She said: "babyballet is now in the UK, Australia, New Zealand.

"Claire is currently in Dubai, launching it out there - I'm planning to join her.

"It's lovely to see that happen and be involved.

"I am so grateful to Claire for introducing those adult classes, if it wasn't for her, I don't think I would have done it."

When Barbara was awarded her grade seven in 2018 the Royal Academy of Dance told her she was the oldest ballet dancer in the UK.

In 2019, aged 81, she donned her pointe shoes for one last exam – achieving the highest accolade in ballet – grade
eight.

She underwent six weeks of intensive daily lessons – for two hours each day – to prepare for the 50-minute exam.

Amazingly, she did her exam on the same day that her granddaughter, Mia, now 17, gained her grade two.

Barbara said: “Grade eight didn’t exist when I was younger.

“The ladies in my adult dance group were taking and encouraged me to go for it.

“They said ‘if we can do – you definitely can'.

“I really wanted to knuckle down and achieve it while I still could."

Even during the national lockdown, in 2020, Barbara continued teaching and taking part in dance lessons online.

She unfortunately sustained an injury while on holiday in Spain in March 2024 after tripping on a curb and breaking her right arm.

But after a few months of healing, Barbara was back to dancing, and she continues to attend classes every Monday evening in Halifax, Yorkshire.

She still occasionally teaches too and hopes inspire others to pursue their dancing dreams - no matter their age.

Barbara said: “The mistake I see is people making is giving up dancing as a child or teens.

“It’s so good for you to keep going or take it up in later life.

“Angela Rippon did some research and of all the activities, ballet is the one that keeps you most supple.

“The RAD Silver Swans is for women over 55 – you really can do it at any age.”