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(Dame Beryl is presented with a bouquet by young dancer Jessie Knott)

The fifth Rebecca Skelton Fund fund-raising event held in September welcomed former principal dancer with Sadlers Wells Dame Beryl Grey.

Dame Beryl, former prima ballerina with the company, has been Vice President of the Royal Academy of Dancing, President of the Imperial Society of Dancing and a Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

The Fund invited Dame Beryl to talk aout her experiences at a tea held at Ditchling in Sussex.

She told the audience it was a wonderful experience to meet other artists.

'We are all chasing beauty, using whatever form to express ourselves. Artists are always chasing illusive perfection, which cannot be reached without strong technique, patience and self discipline and that is in short supply today but vital to achieve real freedom of expression.'

Dame Beryl delighted the audience with her talk about her career, which started at just four years old and which led her to work for Ninette de Valois when she was only nine.

Rebecca's mother, Myrtle, with actress Greta Scacchi

She had the following advice for young artists, gained from her own years of experience: 'Watch everything, learn everything and when you have the chance, take it because you never know when you will get that chance again.'

The afternoon also saw two recipients of the Fund talking about how their awards had helped their work.

Chris Iannedes said the award is helping his PHd in Dance at Chichester University, where he is studying everyday movement to see if there are new tools or ideas that be extracted artistically.

Joe Moran, contemporary dancer and choreographer, said his grant had enabled him to stay in the US, where he had worked with the American choreographer Deborah Hay, helping him improve his artistic practice and win him specific performances.

'There are so few funds in dance and dancers need to ask and learn. The RSF has very quickly come to the centre of that and of dance ecology in the UK,' he said.

The afternoon also included dance performances by dancers Sophia, Laura and JooNDance.

JooNDance, Laura and Sophia

Music Festival

In August, 2009 Ross Luke and Jake Bicknell raised 240 for the Fund with a private music festival.

THE NEXT AWARD IS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICANTS CLOSING DATE :

For further information about the fund please contact :
Sandi Bough, Administrator

THE REBECCA SKELTON FUND
c/o Dance Research Department
University of Chichester, College Lane
Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6PE
Tel: 01243-816470
Fax:01243-816080
Email: artsresearch@chi.ac.uk