| Date | 21 April 2011 |
|---|---|
| Source | Slough Observer |
| Reference | VP-0130 |
| Volume | Views of the Past |
| Collection | Press Clippings |
Transcript
Remembering the great Ada Unsworth, an old-time dancer
During the 1950s and 1960s, Slough became a mecca for the world of dance. Many regional competitions were held in the Slough Social Centre, later Slough Community Centre, situated on the Farnham Road.
Last week I was shown a booklet which gave Freedom of the Borough of Slough to, among others, a lady called Ada Unsworth, who was the leading light in ‘old-time’ dancing in Slough, if not the South East of England and beyond.
I was recently talking to an elderly dance teacher from Birmingham who, while reminiscing, said: “Of course, we came to Slough in the 1960s because Ada Unsworth was there.”
Ada Unsworth was born in Warrington, Lancashire, in July 1916 and came to Slough with her parents in 1924. She first started dancing at the age of five and continued to dance in Slough at a social club in ‘Timbertown’, which was the forerunner of the Social Centre in Farnham Road.
In 1937, she became a founder member of Slough Social Centre and began dancing there, focusing on the revival of old-time dancing.
Ada was educated at Farnham Royal Church School and, during WW2, worked at Hawker’s Aircraft Factory in Langley, which built Hurricanes.
In her spare time, she helped with evacuees who were bombed out in London and were accommodated temporarily in the Centre, until they could be rehoused.
After the war, Ada competed in dance competitions until 1949, when she turned professional. She started dancing classes for children and adults at the Centre, where she trained several future British champions.
Her ‘Slough Formation Team’ was famous and appeared on television in ‘Come Dancing’. The team won three times for the Home Counties North area and regularly appeared on television for over 10 years.
The formation dance team also gave demonstrations at Buckingham Palace before the Queen and Royal Family, as the Queen was an avid watcher of ‘Come Dancing’.
From 1963 onwards, Ada was an examiner for the International Dance Teachers’ Association.
Ada Unsworth died in 2002 and she is remembered with the Ada Unsworth Memorial Inventive Dance Competition, which is held each year in Addlestone, Surrey.
■ REMEMBERED: Ada Unsworth in 1988 just before her admission as Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Slough; left, wearing her trademark white fur stole in 1964 with a trophy from a competition held at the Royal Albert Hall, along with Colin Hallett (left) and Alan Town (right).
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