My Gurus – Avril Hitman

Margot Fonteyn

I learnt ballet from a very young age and, like many young girls, I dreamed of being a ballerina. As I grew up I discovered that I had a passion and desire to dance, and decided to train to be a dance teacher.

During my student days at the London College of Dance and Drama in the 1970s, I saw many different dance performances at Covent Garden, sitting high up in the gods (all I could afford as a student). I was privileged to see Fonteyn and Nureyev perform together.

I saw how dance can transform lives and take the audience out of their everyday lives. I also watched many contemporary dance performances and noticed how different dance styles can complement each other.