I travel back for a considerable number of years to “Somewhere in Time” and a picture floats into my mind, of a Mum called Norah and her 8 year old son. The scene is the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool, the venue which is so protective of dance and nourished juvenile and junior dancers for many years, as the British Open Championships were held there and the memories are cherished by many dancers.
The young boy was sitting in his seat, his legs dangling downwards to reach the floor. I was seated next to the happy pair and a juvenile ballroom event came to the floor. The small young man leaped to his feet and took to the floor with his lovely partner Audrey Pankhurst to dance in the magnificent environment. I watched them set up stance… off they went and, in the midst of many couples, it was as if a beam of laser light was shining towards them, and my mind was flooded with that lovely shiver of anticipation, not for just that particular event, but for the future. I said to the young boy’s Mum that I could see a future world class exponent in her son, if he had the necessary commitment and mental affinity. The young couple actually, in that year did particularly well in the latin events and they transmitted sheer happiness and fervour in the latin style.
Over the years which followed, this young boy developed into one of the most ferociously fervent classical ballroom exponents of all time, and as a lecturer he is, in my opinion, pre-eminent. He has, with his partners, carved his and their names with pride into the folklore of dance his unyielding attitude towards fundamentals, has added a Golden Crown, to his undeniable excellence as an exponent who never wishes to and never did, cross the line, between utter beauty and what he would call distortion. His name? Well, I will whisper it to you, it is “Andrew Sinkinson”.
I managed to entice Andrew to talk to me at Blackpool, through the courtesy of a hired Rolls Royce , a chauffeur and a ghostly silent ride along the Blackpool promenade, so that I could compare the suspension and rise quality to his slow foxtrot. I had to admit that his foxtrot was actually smoother than was the Rolls.
Dancers are the creators of illusion, but some top class exponents, such as Andrew and his partners, were able to transmit the “ART” of Ballroom Dancing. It made me shiver with anticipation as Andrew and I conversed at length…the subject?…Guess what…Dance, Dance and more Dance.
Emmy, Tony and Academy awards all went to the great choreographer Bob Fosse… never achieved before, surely Andrew deserved such accolades and I therefore bestow these to his memory, which will live in the minds of all who knew Andrew.
Andrew had a common denominator asset of ASSETS when he competed, and his partners were ultra aware of it. You see he had developed his feet and ankles to superhuman level, and the girls he danced with soon learned to take advantage of the opportunities he made available through this magnificent aspect. He always had an affinity towards classic performances and would merely shrug and say no if he was asked to allow inroads of items he couldn’t stand in his dance performances. He made sure his dances were caressed and blessed with his undeniable technical expertise, and anything not classic was dumped. By concentrating on pioneering principles be incited gasps of envy from spectators.
The passing of Andrew was as if those who heard had themselves been decimated mentally, and the Ladies who danced with him, such as the wondrous Loraine will, like many of us still here on earth, be shedding tears of nostalgic reminiscence as they think of Andrew’s impact into their lives in dance. They will, through the miracle of reminiscence, be able to recreate practise sessions, competitions and demonstrations and they will be able to convey their despair, whose fangs will flood them and everyone who knew Andrew will have reminiscences of privacy to keep their memories warm.
Choreographic exclusivity is apparent in the top class exponents but it is merely fleeting medal, placed upon the originators, as they will be copied almost instantaneously and the exclusivity is then broken into 1000 pieces, and then, if desired by many, some can become an integral part of the dance scene. Andrew would never use flashy additions, especially in foxtrot, in an effort to escalate their challenge…no fear…if it wasn’t based on classic understanding it was confined behind bars.
In a colony of conformists, the use of individuality can be viewed either as utterly fascinating or as a rebellion against conformity. Dancers like Andrew had capabilities which ensured their chosen pathways were based on the fundamentals laid down by our Dance Pioneers, and he would never deviate from good taste.
To Andrew’s wife Irina, his son Mark and his daughter Sophie the entire world of dance sends the warmth of their conviviality in an effort to alleviate in a small way the pangs of sorrow which will surround them, and to Norah, Andrew’s lovely Mum, who herself has not been well for a time, everyone will hope that she will recover, and come to terms with the dreadful news of Andrew’s passing.
World class dancers like Andrew, leave behind them a trail of effort, keen observation and fabulous commitment and the trail they leave is one which is talked about for very many years. Andrew was one of the Greats and his name will light up pathways to success, to those who follow in his footsteps.
Jack Reavely.
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