THEY say you can’t teach old dogs’ new tricks, well try telling that to 80-year-old Wendy Crellin who is doing just that.
After many years of experience dancing in the National Theatre, the former PE teacher has put age aside and began to teach ballet to those over 60 in the region.
Every Tuesday, Crellin gets her group together at the Wonthaggi state coal mine’s century old Rescue Centre, now an arts centre of which she is the president.
It has grown so popular that she’s had to expand to two classes.
Speaking to the Sentinel Times recently, Crellin spoke on what gave her the idea and her history with ballet.
“It’s something I’ve always done, since I was a little girl, I’ve danced and I kept on doing community ballet since moving back here,” she said.
“Then my John died five years ago, he was the resident surgeon here for 40 years and I guess I was a bit sad and thought ‘what can I do’.”
“I spend a couple of days a week at the state coal mine rescue station, and I looked at the space and thought we could put some bars up here and offer some classes for mature age people.”
Having moved back to Wonthaggi and taken classical ballet classes, PE classes and chorography with the local theatre over the years, Crellin had the nous for teaching, she even took the local under 18 footballers for a ballet class at the oval.
“My boys were very good footballers and trained for the rovers down here and I actually took the thirds for ballet classes around the football oval, hanging onto the fence, so footballers have done ballet,” she said.
Obviously, the Wonthaggi local is no stranger to the performing arts and passing on her knowledge to those willing to learn.
“I possibly am a better teacher than I was a dancer, even though I danced with the National Theatre I love to teach, I love to see other people get joy from dance,” she said.
Her talents are being put to good use too, with regular attendees seeing many benefits and enjoyment from Crellin’s classes.
“What do they get out of it, well, they seem to enjoy it and they seem to be getting fitter.
“The reason they’ve come is because they either have a love for ballet and they’ve never experienced it, or they want to rekindle that love they had when they were 10 and went to the church hall.”
“They’ve come because they want to stretch, they want good posture, strength and most importantly balance, because as we get to my age (nearly 81) our balance isn’t good, so it’s pretty important in the class.”
Crellin preached the old adage “if you don’t use it, you lose it” when speaking of reasons to get involved with her classes, and expressed the great level of support the group has for one another.
“We go down there and work out, have fun and achieve something, we’re very careful we don’t do anything that is going to cause an injury, they work at their own pace, but also as a unit.”
“They’re all different shapes and sizes and ages, anyone can do it male and female, we’ve got one man and ex footballer with broken fingers, and he loves it, I’d just say if anyone has that desire to come along, they can.”
“All the ballet terms are in French so they’re learning another language as well, so that’s exciting too.”
The ballet classes are all free of charge and Crellin said she’s looking forward to many more classes in the future.
“I’m happy to continue going down there and running some classes as long as people want to come, we’re going to have an open day where anyone can come along and just see what a class is like.”
The open day is scheduled for November and all over 60s are welcome to join classes on Tuesday at the State Coal Mine rescue centre.
