Strictly Ballroom

by Diana Melly

At the age of 76, Diana Melly took up ballroom dancing. She was suffering from bereavement, having recently lost her husband George to dementia, and was told that dancing might help. It has done much more than that, opening up a whole new chapter in her life. In this disarmingly funny and moving book, Melly takes us on a whirlwind tour of modern 'Ballroom': from wardrobe mishaps and tea dance etiquette to the perils of Argentine tango and how to stay upright in rough seas on the QE2. We meet her new circle of friends, including her dance teacher, Dino -- 'I'll teach you , darling; it would be a pleasure.' Strictly Ballroom is a memoir unstinting in its honesty and glowing with humour and spirit. It will have you reaching for your dancing shoes...

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

Published November 5, 2015

Reviews

[Bev]

A slim volume this written by Diana Melly, wife of the late, great, George. The book tells of her forays into ballroom dancing and how this helped with her grief when her son, husband and daughter died. It's a cheerful book but when Diana talks about her daughter's death and the time leading up to it I did shed tears.

[Wilde Sky]

An elderly widow starts ballroom dancing.

I found this book reasonably interesting but the writing was slightly flat and the narrative was a bit incoherent.