VINTAGE LUNDIN LINKS AND LARGO
  • Blog

Ida Ballingall's School of Dancing

7/5/2021

4 Comments

 
Picture
Over many decades, one of the notable activities that took place in the Crusoe Hall was the range of dance classes offered by Ida Ballingall's School of Dancing. Ida (pictured above in costume in her younger day) was born in 1930 to house painter Thomas Cunningham Ballingall and his wife Jessie Aitken Watson. Jessie was one of the daughters of local baker David Watson of Keilside Bakery (see photograph below from circa 1907).

Picture

Thomas and Jessie were in fact married at the Temperance Hall (which would later become known as the Crusoe Hall) in 1929. Their daughter - full name Isobel Davina Watson Ballingall - was born the following year and the family lived just a stone's throw away from the hall on the west side of Hillhead Street. Ida first took up dancing at the age of four. As a youngster she learned ballet, tap and Highland dancing at a class in Anstruther. Newspaper archives from the 1930s show that even as a 7 or 8 year old, Ida had the skill and confidence to perform in public. The example below from the 17 February 1938 Dundee Courier notes a dance performance for the Largo W.R.I.. 
​

Picture
Picture

​Her interest in, and talent for, dancing led to a three year course at Madame Ada's School of Dancing in Edinburgh. This qualified Ida to become a teacher of dance herself. In 1954, the opening announcement for the Robinson Crusoe School of Dancing appeared in the Leven Mail (25 August, below). Now a Member of the British Ballet Organisation, Associate of the United Kingdom Alliance (of dance, founded in 1902) and Professional Teacher of Dancing, Ida was fully qualified to teach a wide range of classes, some of which are listed on the notice below. Further details of classes were available from Keilside Bakery, where Ida was now living with her widowed mother. The venue for the classes was of course the Robinson Crusoe Club Hall - a place so well known to Ida and her family. 

Picture

​Over time the Dance School also offered classes in other towns, including St Andrews and Leuchars. In addition to teaching dancing, Ida was a well-known all round entertainer - singing, acting, playing piano and the accordion, as well as dancing, all over Fife and beyond. Below is an advert for the 1955 Leven Warden's Party where she led a party of 20 artistes. She was an active member of the Leven Amateur Musical Association.

Picture
Picture

From the very beginning, the Robinson Crusoe School of Dancing put on regular shows, displays and award ceremonies - opportunities for pupils to showcase their skills and entertain their parents, friends and community. In 1955 a 'Showtime' dancing display was put on in the Montrave Hall with all funds raised going to the Fife Society for the Blind. The above photograph may have been taken at this event (or a similar repeat performance) as the letters 'O W T' are likely to be part of a 'Showtime' sign.

Bright and colourful costumes were always an important part of these events - the result of many hours of hard work by the mothers and grandmothers of the performers. Many of the routines were set to classic tunes from theatre and cinema. Examples from my memory include those shown below - The Irish Washerwoman, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah and The Wedding of the Painted Doll.  
​
Picture

​The Wedding of the Painted Doll was brought to life in 1981, at the Centre in Leven, shown in the photograph below. Dance pupils took on roles such as the bride, groom, bridesmaid, preacher man, photographer and the toys (who were wedding guests). A newspaper clipping from this event is also shown below, as is a piece on presentation of awards. Exam success results from the Dance School were another regular feature in the local papers for many a decade.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Also in 1981, Ida sat an important exam herself - to gain her Fellowship with the United Kingdom Alliance of Professional Teachers of Dancing - an award she had long dreamed of achieving (see photo below from the East Fife Mail). Around the same time, she became a life member of both the UK Alliance and the British Ballet Organisation (in recognition for 25 years' service to the teaching of dance). In 1985, Ida and some of her pupils had a key role in the celebrations for the centenary of the unveiling of the Robinson Crusoe statue - appearing on the 'Weir's Way' television programme. 

​Ida Ballingall inspired many pupils to go onto a career in dance themselves, both as teachers and as professional dancers. She kept in touch with many of them and hugely enjoyed hearing about their achievements and their travels around the world. Alongside her long teaching career, Ida entertained at many functions and weddings with her dance band. She also continued to travel around Scotland as an examiner into the early 2000s. Ida's life was filled with music and dance until she sadly passed away in 2010, aged 80. She will long be fondly remembered by the hundreds of young people that she taught to dance and those that she entertained over many decades.

Picture

With many thanks to Craig Stirrat for the photographs of Ida playing the accordion and hosting 'Showtime'.

4 Comments
Craig Stirrat
11/12/2022 10:53:31 am

Thank you for this great tribute to my mum - she would have been very chuffed - I’m impressed that someone could have known and recalled this detail - must have known my mum very well- who is the author?

Reply
Carlyn Kirkcaldy
4/3/2024 04:42:24 am

So lovely seeing this tribute to my old dance teacher !
She was such a talented lady and was the best teacher I ever had she encouraged me to push myself into styles of dance I might not have tried and later on when I went on to dance professionally these skills were used over and over again . I am eternally grateful to Ida for giving me my love of dance ❤️

Reply
Elizabeth Smith
4/3/2024 12:22:20 pm

A lovely tribute to an amazingly talented lady. She never changed down the years, giving her pupils over the years (myself included) all the benefits of her time and talent. Fondly remembered....

Reply
Shirley ballantine
5/3/2024 09:39:51 am

Ida was an amazing teacher. I have the most wonderful memories of all the concerts we performed in. Also the encouragement given by Ida was second to none. She helped everyone achieve their goal. Sadly missed xx

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    About

    This blog is about the history of the villages of Lundin Links, Lower Largo and Upper Largo in Fife, Scotland. Comments and contributions from readers are very welcome!

    Search

    There is no in-built search facility on this site. To search for content, go to Google and type your search words followed by "lundin weebly".

    Contact

    Categories

    All
    Antiquities
    Beach
    Boarding Houses
    Business
    Churches
    Clubs And Societies
    Drummochy
    Facilities
    Farming
    Fishing
    Golf
    Houses
    Keil's Den
    Largo Law
    Lower Largo
    Masseney Braes
    New Gilston
    People
    Railway
    School
    Shops
    Standing Stanes
    Streets
    Tourism
    Upper Largo
    Viaduct
    War

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Links

    Largo Baywatch Blog
    Fife Family History Society
    ​
    Polish Parachute Brigade Info​

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.