FOLLOWING THE SUN

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29235, 20 June 1960, Page 2

FOLLOWING THE SUN

Dancer’s Five

Summers

Through keeping dancing engagements in different countries, Miss Pamela Moncur, of the Royal Ballet, has enjoyed five summers in succession. Now, facing a New Zealand winter while on tour with Miss Beryl Grey, she finds herself thinking very often of her forthcoming holiday in Spain.

“I am looking forward to the beach and the sun,” she said in Christchurch, yesterday. “I am

going to spend two weeks on the island of Ibiza near Majorca after this tour.”

The word “elfin” would describe Miss Moncur well. Short and slender with dark hair, she has a light dusting of freckles over an otherwise perfect complexion. She first began ballet lessons at the age of five, not because she had shown any signs of becoming a ballerina or wishing to, but because she was shy. "My mother was worried about my shyness and she asked the doctor if he could suggest a remedy. He thought lessons at the local school of dancing would help.” The school was in her home town in Cheshire and Miss Moncur studied there till she was eight. Then came lessons at a school in Manchester which resulted in a place at the Royal Ballet School (or Sadlers Wells as it was known .then) when she turned 13.

This is her second visit to New Zealand and only a very small part of her world travels. She matches a few week-ends at home in between engagements in London, or Ireland perhaps, or like last year, South Africa. Besides the thrill of seeing her parents again, Miss Moncur loves to renew her acquaintance with her three poodle pets. They are Beverley, Baxter and the older dog, Annabel. "They are clipped but they are not show dogs,” she said. “In fact I suppose they are really quite scruffy dogs. We have a cat too.”

Asked if there is any ballet role ihe prefers. Miss Moncur replied:

“1 am still at the stage where 1 enjoy any part. They are all so different and become different again as I work with them. No, I couldn't have any favourites.” . In Australia and England Miss Moncur has done a little television work but she would rather dance before an audience. “On television it is much harder to work up an enthusiasm for the dance you are doing,” she said. “You are really dancing only for one tiny eye. There is a definite bond between the audience and the dancers in a live performance. The more the audience gives you, the morte you can give back in return. A poor audience can make you feel absolutely flat.”