Patronage

Kate Simmons Dance is proud to have two patrons. Miss Barbara Fewster OBE, who was principal and teacher at the Royal Ballet School for 25 years, and Brenda Last, former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet. Both who offer great support.

Barabara Fewster OBE

Barbara Fewster joined the Sadler's Wells Ballet School in 1942, aged 14. In 1943, during World War II, she danced and toured England with the Sadler's Wells Opera Company. In 1946, she became a founder member of the newly formed Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet Company (now the Birmingham Royal Ballet), under the direction of Dame Ninette de Valois and in 1951 became Ballet Mistress. During these periods, Barabara worked closely with renowned choreographers such as Ninette de Valois, Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Andrea Howard, John Cranko and Kenneth MacMillan. In 1954, she was invited to teach at the Royal Ballet School and in 1968 succeeded Miss Moreton as Ballet Principal. Around this time she joined the Council of the ISTD, and Cyril Beaumont, founder of the Cecchetti Society, awarded her an Honorary Fellowship of the Society. Miss Fewster is also an Honorary Fellow of the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance). On retiring from the Royal Ballet School in 1988, Barbara Fewster was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for services to Ballet. In 1993, she mounted Coppelia for the Turkish National Ballet in Istanbul assisted by the British Council. She has also revised La Fete Etrange for the Royal Ballet. Amongst Miss Fewster's numerous other activities, she created a technical video for the teaching of pointe work, and is still involved in several projects.

Brenda Last

Brenda Last had her early training with Biddy Pinchard, Vera Volkova and Andrew Hardie - a very distinguished lineage, which led to her winning the Adeline Genee Gold Medal in 1955. She then joined the Royal Ballet School but after only a year she was told that her height meant that she'd never be taken into the company: so she left, and for a couple of years led a freelance existence in pantomime, film, television and cabaret. In 1957 she was invited to join the newly-formed Western Theatre Ballet, and stayed there until 1962 when Ninette de Valois offered her a contract in the touring Royal Ballet. Within a couple of years she was promoted to Principal, and she later served as the company's ballet mistress. From 1977 to 1980 she was the Artistic Director of the Norwegian Ballet, From 1980 to 1994 she was, with Ronald Emblen, senior ballet tutor at the London Contemporary Dance School. She has also taught world-wide for the R.A.D., served on the Arts Council Dance Panel and the Olivier Awards. She is presently Director of Training for the British Ballet Organisation and teaches regularly at London Studio Centre.