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Dancing With Diana: A Memoir by Anne Allan
Client: Sutherland Press (2024)
Project: Dancing with Diana: A Memoir by Anne Allan
“Dancing makes you feel heaps better” – Diana
In 1981, after the wedding of the century, Anne Allan, a dancer, and ballet mistress with the London City Ballet, was offered an unusual assignment. Her Royal Highness Diana, the Princess of Wales, wanted dance lessons. Would Anne be her teacher?
Anne and her royal pupil were soon meeting at a private studio for the first of hundreds of secret weekly one-hour lessons that were never on the princess’s official schedule and never be discovered by the ever-lurking press. Over the course of nine years, teacher and pupil became close friends. Diana appreciated having an outsider to whom she could speak candidly about her personal challenges and her place in the royal world. They would talk, laugh, cry, and—always—dance.
Most importantly, Diana learned to express her true self in physical movement. By her last class, the Princess had learned to carry herself with confidence, poise, and grace, both inside and outside the studio. Dance, says Anne, had “nourished and renewed her soul.”
Service: TEC Editor Beth McAuley worked closely with Anne Allan for several months on the development of her manuscript, keeping the collaboration under wraps throughout the process. The editing and sharing of Anne’s story was inspiring and provided a completely different take on who Princess Diana was and how much she trusted her relationship with Anne. The editing was equally as trusting. For more about the book, visit Sutherland House.
