The name Bryan Allen conjures up a mental image of a young utterly fervent, inquisitive man of dance, who possessed an air of cultured sophistication as, in his young days, he walked to the floor, ready to compete with his then partner Edna.
The scene is set, the curtain rises and off they go, into a lovely waltz within the Butlin Open Championship at Filey. They portrayed the elegance of an almost forgotten age, and there was no cluthery of variation structure as they pinned their hopes to a presentation of beautifully protected fundamentals.
As the event continued, Bryan and Edna were producing a thrilling spectacle of dance, and they proved their excellence, by being selected for their first major final in this prestigious event.
The great exponent and world renowned coach, Phyllis Haylore didn’t hide her appreciation to me in a conversation after the event concluded, and she mentioned that Bryan was the possessor of sophistication, which beamed a message that it most certainly deserved the accolade of their grand final appearance.
As time passed, Bryan was lucky enough to meet Ann, whose fervour for dance was the equal of Bryan’s and who, from the time they met, backed up Bryan, by ensuring he was relieved of much mental pressure by her marvellous input. They settled down to live a life of comfort and happiness with the quest for Bryan to make an indelible mark within the world of dance.
It became obvious that Bryan was the possessor of multi talents and his mind grappled with rules, technique, meetings, procedures and diplomacy, and he always was able to remain as if he was a founder member of the ultimate judiciary of dance in the U.K. which was so respected worldwide, we call it the British Dance Council.
Because of the intensity of interest which Bryan possessed, his knowledge in depth of the rule book, ensured an acceptance that he would be an man of such eminence and character, that he was catapulted into the position as B.D.C Chairman, and his knowledge of procedural function was instrumental in controlling timescale at meetings and by maintaining procedure etc etc.
Bryan became an Icon of Dance. For many years Bryan was able to accept the responsibilities the chairmanship elicited and his name and reputation escalated but it never made him deviate from his aims of betterment through knowledge and consideration to the views of others.
The Blackpool Festivals, the UK, and the International events renewed the blood flow to Bryan’s intellect, and for many years, at those great events Bryan wrote marvellous articles and his opinions when unfavourable, were like a body blow from a professional Boxer, but the opinions were always honest, expert, and beautifully carved, as if by a surgeons scalpel.
The loss of Bryan’s input into dance, and his almost savage protection of the fundamentals was his life’s task, so that he could encourage the good and castigate the unacceptable.
The fundamentals were paramount and his wise words, in print, were eagerly looked forward to, and he became “Extraordinary” and a very wise and respected figure, whose comments were angled towards the “Golden Days of Dance”.
This appreciation is not just for Bryan’s input but also for his wonderful wife Ann and his family and daughter Justine who were a monumental major part of Bryan’s success. “Immortality” is a word which is never promised or bestowed as a gift.
Bryan Allen, Ladies and Gentlemen, was already tinted with a clearly concise award of that magnificence which can only be awarded to those who, like Bryan, give of themselves, which is like a cherished coat of arms, given only to those who convey a Royal presence, coupled to humility.
Thank you Bryan, for being one of the most ferociously fervent fanatics of dance, coupled to your enormous mastery of the politics which you used wisely- So very wisely.
If you wish to perpetuate your existence in dance, you simply must be the possessor of unusual attributes which are a sumptuous gift to only a few.
Bryan Allen most certainly illuminated the dance scene because he had the necessary attributes in abundance
Jack Reavely
Images: Handwritten Tribute to Bryan Allen by Jack Reavely
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