UK Congress 2016 – Part 2

‘An Audience With Anthony And Fay Hurley’

by Jack Reavely 

The great John Kimmins and Greg Smith were in their usual roles using questions galore during ‘An Audience With Anthony and Fay’ and whose combined knowledge of dance and its requirements is mesmeric. 

Greg paid tribute to the magnificent assistance which John gives so that the Congress and Audience With are able to be organised … we are all very lucky to be able to bask in the ambience of the surroundings and are to be given an insight, into both the production of top class dance, and also through the Interview a glance back in time to some of the golden moments enjoyed by Anthony and Fay … 

Although Fay was unable to travel the long distance from Australia, where she and Anthony now live, the magic of DVD filming was magnificently presented by the BDFI fanatics, as they arranged questions and answers to be filmed in Australia and transported to the BIC for everyone who attended to see and it was wonderful to see and hear Fay, to whom we all send our very best wishes … One part of the film showed her sitting comfortably on a sandy beach, showing a blue sky and a warm sunny day … it was freezing cold outside the BIC, but the warmth from Anthony and Fay today made everyone glow with anticipation and eager beavers were not even trying to hide their excitement. 

John Kimmins, Anthony Hurley & Greg Smith

encouragement and assistance that I started scribbling notes about dance … he even gave me a typewriter which I used for so many years, that it is now an antique. Another couple were winning all the competitions all the time and Tony and Fay gritted their teeth in some frustration, wondering what they

In 1960 they were married and won their first Amateur British Open Amateur Championship at Blackpool … the thrill of thrills … at that time they were taking lessons from Frank Alback, Elsa Wells and Josephine Bradley and the cost for a half hour was sixty- two pence in today’s money … very expensive don’t you think? For example with the ultra famed Josephine they had to learn to walk round the floor, both solo and also together and learn how to use every part of each foot, so that they looked sophisticated and under their control … as well as using them also to induce rise and fall … they were not allowed to stray from parallel floor boards, so that they practised what they call foot tracking … an essential for dance Champions to acquire … and they also had to learn just how vital the use of ankles was, if they wished to climb the ladder to utter fame.

The fantastic sound of Billy Ternent and his superb dance orchestra filled the air as Tony walked to the stage … John Kimmins and Greg Smith were singing “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie”, as they watched the film and it was John’s amazing assistance, which made this terrific interview possible … Thank you John and don’t blush too much … you deserve praise from all dance lovers world wide … The famed Arthur Murray studios world wide are lucky to have John as their president and we are lucky that he eats, sleeps and lives for dance … I can hear Fay saying in the Gold Coast … “It’s a hard life folks, but someone has to do it and why not me” …

Fay started dancing at the tender age of 21⁄2 and she did ballet and tap and the Ballroom … She danced her first com- petition, which was an All Girl and with her partner Mavis they won … Tony Collard was her next partner and with him, she won the great Star Junior Championship … This was a fantastic event and one of the venues was the Earls Court Arena which was simply fantastically presented. Tony started late … he was all grown up at six years of age … His mum was a Professional and in his early days, he did lots of ballet and tap … he said that when he was at his peak as a tap dancer, hefelloffthetapinthesink…He reckons, quite rightly, that the early training was of great assistance to him and helped his future in Ballroom events, and also in Latin. In 1952 Tony danced with a young lady called Pamela Curtis, who herself came from a great dancing family. They went to a wonderful man called Frank Alback for lessons and also a famous Champion, Wally Fryer … gosh my memory bank can see both of them and believe me, they were ultra famed and in fact Frank became one of the greatest friends I ever had, and it was through his encouragement and assistance that I started scribbling notes about dance … he even gave me a typewriter which I used for so many years, that it is now an antique. Another couple were winning all the competitions all the time and Tony and Fay gritted their teeth in some frustration, wondering what they could do, to close the gap and beat them … Guess who the other pair were? … No less than our Len Armstrong who at that time danced with Elaine Welch and they were a formidable team indeed. Tony decided that many top expon- ents were wearing watch chains so he thought perhaps, as he wasn’t, if he acquired one and wore it then it would make such a visual difference, that he could win … it didn’t change anything and Len kept winning … On the day of Tony’s 15th birthday there was a competition at Richmond … the result was announced and Tony and Fay had at last beaten Len and Elaine … To Tony’s utter disbelief, the next day he received a phone call, telling him that there had been a scrutineering error and the winners should have been Len and Elaine … They gave the trophy back to Len …

The Star Championship day came along and that was one of the major events, with no less than four orchestras, playing from early morning to late in the evening … Tony’s eyes glazed over as he spoke, so affectionately, about that simply wondrous day of dance

Hugh Carter, himself a Euro- pean Professional Champion suggested to Fay that she should have a try out with Anthony … “But he is still a Junior” said Fay. Hugh replied that he was ultra promising and Fay agreed to the try out … Fay saw the potential and they teamed up … According to Fay, after sixty-one years she is still giving him a try out … Fay’s mum and dad bought a hairdressing salon for Fay as she was a hairdresser and Tony decided after being used to sweep up and look after the premises etc to himself qualify also … and he succeeded and tells us that he was rather good at it too … no end to the talent eee? grrr …..

In 1960 they were married and won their first Amateur British Open Amateur Championship at Blackpool … the thrill of thrills … at that time they were taking lessons from Frank Alback, Elsa Wells and Josephine Bradley and the cost for a half hour was sixty- two pence in today’s money … very expensive don’t you think? For example with the ultra famed Josephine they had to learn to walk round the floor, both solo and also together and learn how to use every part of each foot, so that they looked sophisticated and under their control … as well as using them also to induce rise and fall … they were not allowed to stray from parallel floor boards, so that they practised what they call foot tracking … an essential for dance Champions to acquire … and they also had to learn just how vital the use of ankles was, if they wished to climb the ladder to utter fame.

Then they went to a famous exponent, Henry Kingston, who was rapidly making himself in such demand as a coach of eminence, that couples even took lessons at midnight, so that they could avail themselves of his expertise … Tony says that Henry was different and clapped his hands to show timing, instead of talking it out … It was all about rhythm for Henry and he became a great mentor to Tony and Fay and many other couples. Henry himself was a Professional Champion, and I remember vividly that he wore shoes which seemed heavier than most, and they always attracted my attention. Henry’s wife and great partner was Joy Tolhurst and they were a married couple, whose daughter Cherry, had the privilege of dancing with our Len Goodman.

1960-1962 Tony and Fay won almost everything, including the 9 dance Championship and their most special win for them, was that first British Amateur Championship title.

A lovely reminiscence of which Anthony is extremely proud is that he was a teacher to both Greg and John … Greg was dancing with Marion Alleyne who eventually partnered and married Kenny Welsh, and in one lesson, our Greg, wildly anxious and so fervent, spun our Marion outwards and she lost balance and her knees crashed to the floor … Greg decided that today was the right time, so he apologised profusely to Marion, who perhaps privately replied it was ok as it made her knees much tougher for all the competitions to come. 

As for John who was dancing with Carol Kimmins, Tony tells everyone that poor Carol was no wilting flower … no fear, the sun- shine in Australia had ensured that she was a rejuvenated lady of dance, whose carriage and superb mid body tone also carried in her ability to give poor John ‘the look’. At that time John struggled to discipline his left arm position and was continually told “You won’t win the British with that left arm position”. Carol would merely give ‘The Look’ without speech and instantly John would at least know he was once again transgressing … Eventually Tony showed John a film of his dancing and as soon as John saw it he said, “Oh dear” or words to that effect, and he fixed the arm because he was convinced by the film.

As the interview continued we were treated to Fay on film and Anthony on stage, to laugher and tears too, of nostalgia and of course Tony is and has always been utterly unafraid to voice his opinions … His sense of humour was lovely.

Hazel Fletcher reluctantly joins the stage

“We all did Latin you know” Tony said and he cajoled the great Hazel Fletcher to the stage without prior notice … on she came and without any rehearsal, Hazel followed as if it was her routine … simply marvellous and Tony I am sure congratulated her and thanked her for being braver than the brave.

A very clear film of some of the 1960 Star Championship was shown and the commentary was by the great Peter Millen ex manager of the Hammersmith Palais, who so encouraged good Ballroom dance at that famed venue.

On one great occasion when the Anglo-Danish team match was a great highlight of the dance year, the British Team travelled to Denmark and they were bowling along on a coach, with lots of luggage and bags tied on the top. They checked and a case had been lost … everyone looked to check and it was Fay’s case … The eagle eyes of Michael Houseman travelled to a river which flowed nearby and he yelled “There it is, floating down the river”. Eric Donaldson, a great dancer and a paratrooper during his army service said “Leave it to me” and he leaped over a wall to get to the river and landed in two feet of snow … he looked like Father Christmas, but the case was rescued. At one time Tony and Fay had to make a decision between paying the milkman or using the money to have a lesson .. the lesson won and the poor milkman lost out for a small time.

After turning Professional their first event was the Midlands Championship and they made the Grand Final and were delighted to come 6th in a great quality event … the winners were that wondrous pair, Benny Tolmeyer and Sylvia Silve. 

In 1969 Anthony and Fay won the British Open Professional Championship at Blackpool after a monumental struggle, with the couple who epitomised sheer elegance, Michael and Monica Needham … it was very close and required a tie to split by Rule 11. Fay of course came to the stage at the BIC throughout the day and her thoughts were eagerly swooped upon and digested by the audience from the TV screen.

Tony then lets us into a wee secret that he was friendly with the band leader at Blackpool, whose name was Charles Barlow and Tony asked him what tunes he was going to play on the Friday evening … Charles said “Do you have some favourites” so Anthony instantly named them and they were played … Mrs Ida Ilett was the organiser at Blackpool and she knew everything that happened during the festival … She went to Tony after his win, and retiral and said “You’ll be judging next year but, as a judge you won’t be able to choose the music” … Tony was mystified as to how she found out, and still is.

Some pointers from lessons taken by Anthony and Fay … Victor Barrett the great exponent, whose lovely partner was Doreen Freeman, influenced Tony and Fay a great deal. He was a lovely leader and when he danced he said that the lady should feel your inner emo- tion and also your feel from inside the music you hear. Josephine Bradley the ‘Pioneer’ was a stickler for progression on a straight line and she always said that she liked to see what you left behind your body as a leg line … Henry Kingston was great on inventing new groups and he gave you fabulous con- fidence in your own ability … Sonny Binick gave magnificent lessons and Tony always checked Sonny’s ashtray and, if it was full, you received a great lesson. Sonny could see the problems you had, before you even mentioned them, and his explanations were simply terrific … Sonny always said you must listen to the melody and the music and go with it. Eric Hancox … you sometimes have to visit for lessons from someone you feel is perhaps not quite right for you … Tony had not been for a lesson, but kept getting marked sixth by the famed Eric when all the others were marking him first … Off he went for a lesson … Eric instantly

said “I expect you are here to find out why I mark you last in Tango?” … “Yes please”. “You use far too much physical energy” … For two hours, the Tango was broken down and analysed … next competition they lost the Tango … but they had been warned by Eric to persevere and they did … took six weeks to gain the action etc which Eric had demanded, but suddenly it all felt much better, as they coupled his reflex to Fay’s reaction and that is what was necessary. They retired in 1973, although Fay said that it was an extremely difficult decision to make. Josephine Bradley told them … “You may now call me Jo”. Gosh wasn’t that nice? and she insisted that Tony should stand for the ISTD Ballroom Committee and he was elected and then served on the faculty and assisted with a revision of the revised technique, to further clarify the famed aspects, which made this country so pre- eminent in the analysis of dance.

Anthony sharing his anecdotes

With Anthony’s major connection to the competitive world, he wasn’t quite satisfied mentally, so he stood down from the ISTD. Tony eventually became Chairman of the Ballroom Dancers Federation and he also worked like a trojan to get he BDFI floated, so that other countries could be integrated and it worked out magnificently. There were £10,000 in the bank when Tony took over and there was £250.000 when he left.

Tony and Fay had a great dance studio in Guildford and Tony was in great demand all over the world … all the girls always said that dancing with Tony was like sitting in a comfortable armchair … The great man says that a girl is a physical extension of everything he dances … and he reckons that he sees too much ‘open leg to open leg’ dancing today.

Fay completes by telling everyone the fantastic JFK (John Kimmins) was a wee bit wild in his younger days and when she was asked what makes a Champion, she replied “It’s the couple with the best movement”.

This proved to be a lovely interlude, prior to the commence- ment of the United Kingdom Cham- pionships and everyone was leav- ing the venue, with a smile on their face as they had been cascaded with so much knowledge, so much humour also and they received an insight into the minds of two of the greatest Champion Ballroom ex- ponents of all time … “Good on you Anthony and Fay” and we so hope fervently that we shall see you both, and talk to you, in time to come … You have given us today, a taste of the Australian sunshine, courtesy of John Kimmins who, with Greg, coped superbly with the fast moving interviews and they at times roared inwardly with laughter as you Tony deviated a little from the script… don’t all Champions? I am sure they do,