When Rachel Thompson was 63, she went to a dance workshop at her local activity centre in Islington, north London. The session was organised by Sadler’s Wells, and Thompson jumped at the chance to go – she knew the dance company was a big deal and she had been to see its shows. “I’m the sort of person who will do anything that looks interesting. I have an open mind about trying things,” she says.
Having enjoyed the workshop, she did another one. What Thompson didn’t know was that this is how the Company of Elders, Sadler’s Wells’ dance company for non-professional dancers over 60, scouts out new members, to avoid the pressure of an audition. The company whittled it down to a few people, including Thompson, and they were invited to dance at Sadler’s Wells. “I was phenomenally excited and very nervous,” she says.
Now 70, Thompson has been dancing with the company ever since. “It’s been a complete and utter joy,” she says. She still remembers how she felt going to her first rehearsal. On the bus there, someone offered her their seat. “I said: ‘No thank you, I’m on my way to dance at Sadler’s Wells!’ I was high as a kite – and I still get that feeling,” she says.
Before the workshop, Thompson had never danced. Her career included everything from PR to helping reintegrate children with cancer into education. “Dancing was very far from my life in those days. It wasn’t on my radar,” she says. She has spent time living in Sheffield and London. At 59, she retired and moved back to London.
Two years ago, Thompson’s husband died. He had Parkinson’s disease and Thompson cared for him, as well as caring for her mother in Yorkshire. “It wasn’t an easy time, and dancing was like therapy,” she says.
Becoming a member of the Company of Elders has reinvigorated her life. They meet every Friday morning for a two-hour rehearsal at Sadler’s Wells. “It’s the highlight of our week,” says Thompson. “You might go in feeling low because of something that’s happened, but then you start dancing. It’s uplifting.”
They work with different choreographers and have done everything from Taiwanese dancing to hip-hop. They perform at least once a year, but often more, and not just at Sadler’s Wells. They get invited to perform at other venues, too, and in 2018, they performed in Japan. “It was out of this world.”
Being part of the company is a serious commitment and includes signing a contract, even though the position is unpaid. “You can’t just swan off on a cruise for a few months,” says Thompson. “They’re giving us this massive opportunity.”
Beyond the weekly rehearsals, the dancers also practise at home. “Sometimes two or three of us will meet at somebody’s house to practise. I practise in my living room. We’ll ring each other up and say: ‘Is it three steps that way or four steps?,’” she says.
For Thompson, the benefits of being part of a dance company have been huge. She has made new friends, she is more active, and it helps her mental health. It has also helped her embrace retirement. “It’s a shame that people are frightened of retiring. It’s the start of a new, exciting chapter of your life,” she says. “It’s important to find something to enhance those later years, and not make you feel like a little old person who’s only identified by the job they once did.”
Thompson has two daughters and five grandchildren, all of whom come to her performances. “I can’t leave an amazing legacy but when my grandchildren go past Sadler’s Wells, they’ll be able to say: ‘Granny used to dance there.’”
While she doesn’t want to quit dancing anytime soon, Thompson is conscious that there are limited places in the company. She won’t stay indefinitely, because she wants to give someone else the opportunity. Thankfully, the company also has a monthly session for retired dancers.
Whatever happens, dancing with the company has changed Thompson’s life. It has boosted her confidence, created lifelong memories and broadened her horizons. “At this age, you have to embrace everything that comes your way. Try to say yes, not no – because who knows where it will lead?,” she says. “I would never have thought in my wildest dreams that I’d be dancing on the stage at Sadler’s Wells. If I’d known that was on the cards, I might have looked forward to my retirement more!”
Sadler’s Wells Company of Elders will perform an excerpt of The Exchange with ZooNation Youth Company at the Southbank Centre on 21 July as part of their You Belong Here Summer series