The ballet teacher hangs up his shoes at the age of 89 while students welcome the “end of an era”

Sheena Gough is 89 years old but she can easily lift her leg on a ballet bar to demonstrate elegant dance movements to her class.

The Ballet teacher, who trained in London and Paris, has students who travel hundreds of kilometers each week for his 90 -minute lessons in Edinburgh.

But now the Great Lady has decided to hang up her ballets after a 72 -year career.

BBC Scotland News joined its last class in the city’s stockbridge region, where its students said it was the “end of an era”.

Sheena signed up for the Scottish School of Ballet in Grosvenor Crescent in Edinburgh at the age of 14.

At the age of 17, her talent had attracted the attention of the dancer and choreographer of English ballet Anton Dolin – who begged her parents to let her teach by Olga Preobrajenska, trained in Bolchoi in Paris.

“Fortunately, my parents agreed,” said Sheena.

“I was really nervous, my parents took me back in the car and dropped me off from someone’s apartment in Paris and left me to continue.

“It was not even a school, she was just someone that famous dancers around the world would go to attend her lessons, so it was a bit intimidating.”

Margot Fonteyn – The Royal Ballet Prima Ballerina – was one of the other students of Sheena in the classes, who were carried out in French.

“She was sweet, I remember that she had had difficulties with one of the stages. It was a whole adventure,” said Sheena.

But it was when she moved to London that she seriously injured her ankle while doing peak work – where the dancers perform on the end of their toes – and her parents told her to return to Edinburgh while he was healing.

There she helped teaching her former ballet school during her recovery.

“And now, I discovered that I was much happier to teach than to play-and I never looked back. I have been teaching since,” she said.

Ian Johnston, 60, regularly makes a round trip from 200 miles from Carlisle to join Sheena’s lessons.

He first joined his class when he lived in Edinburgh in 1991. Now he brought his son, Sandy.

“I travel this distance every week because Sheena is unique, her lessons are inspiring and her teaching style is very exciting,” he said.

Ian contacted the BBC via Your voice, your BBC news To suggest that we tell the story of Sheena.

“There is no one else who teaches like her,” added Ian.

“His lessons are notoriously difficult and rewarding.

“It will be quite a shock from not having it anymore but I will hear her corrections in my head and she says:” Where is your face? Where is the joint? Where is excitement? “Whenever I do other courses in the future.”

Ian’s son, Sandy, added: “I can’t tell you how much the lessons are missing, they are the best I have ever been and that don’t look like anything else.

“She leaves us nothing, she notices everything, and she knows what you can aim for.

“I am very sad that she retires because you no longer find a lot of lessons like these.”

Sheena said that she had decided to retire after being worried that she could not stay at her peak.

But she does not plan to rest.

“There is the garden and my house to store,” she said.

“I think I should facilitate the task for anyone who has to adjust the adjustment after my departure.”

Another student, the scientist Ryan McManus, said it was the end of an era.

The 34 -year -old man, who travels more than 100 miles per week for the class, said: “It’s the highlight of my week to come and have a good time learning to do things and get corrections.

“I went to other courses and what I like in Sheena is that she insists very on the fundamental principles: on the correct placement, the correct posture, on the right technique.

“I saw a great improvement in me and it is entirely due to its accuracy, which I really appreciate from a scientific environment myself.

“I had tears in my eyes at the end of the class, I am so sad and I sincerely doubt that we can find someone like her.”

Tracy Hawkes, a ballet dancer who has the dance studio in St Stephen street where Sheen lessons take place, said the professor had left a wonderful heritage.

“She is certainly one of the big ladies in Scotland,” she said.

“Having someone who has gone through decades of change in style and teaching methods but who has continued to have been such a font of all knowledge and knowledge, to have someone who is still 90 is simply incredible.

“I was so proud to have it here at the studio and it is a very sad day now that she retires.”

Some Sheena students went to Ballet Royal, Ballet International and Ballet British.

“One of my former students is about to move to the Scottish ballet and when he heard that I retired, he was on the phone saying that he wanted private lessons, I will make you tickets to come and see me if you just give me private lessons,” said Sheena.

“So, it’s supposed to be the end – but we will see.”