78 years and counting

written by Janet Bosson

Dance is a captivating career that draws you into an unpredictable and often surreal world. It evolves from a simple hobby into a passion that enriches your daily life.

Our family has been on this journey for 78 years, filled with learning and emotions.
It all started when a young deaf girl, just 14 years old, joined a dance and was warmly welcomed.

She achieved many victories, faced challenges, and found love along the way.

Where it began

Dorothy Addison was born with hearing difficulties and became completely deafened by the age of seven. Growing up in a low income family in Liverpool during the second world war, she wouldn't receive her first hearing aid until she was 21.

At the age of 14 with her first weeks wages as a milliner in hand she asked her mam could she join a local dance school.. After earning her medals, she joined the Liverpool Ballroom dance scene of the 1940s and 50s, alongside her cousin and partner, Jimmy Swan. They were trained under the guidance of Jack Millington in Bootle and Alf Redmond, in Waterloo.

Cyril Lee, he had been deafened since the age of 14 because of Otosclerosis which meant he wasn't 'called up' for National Service like his mates, so became a Master Butcher and by 18 he was in the local dance hall, learning to dance.

Though meeting at 18 it took him another 10 years to ask Dorothy out but eventually they where married and

together, they became formation dancers and captains of the esteemed Millington’s formation team, eventually training as Standard Ballroom teachers with the UKAPTD.

Life was not without it challenges, especially when Cyril lost his sight two years into their marriage and with a new baby (me) to care for. However, with determination, help from extended family and their dance friends they persevered, and after 18 months, Cyril regained most of his sight, allowing them to return to the dancing they cherished.
My brother and I were born into a world filled with music and dance despite having deafened parents; in fact, they were still competing at small levels when my mother was seven months pregnant with mepregnant with me.

As hearing children of deafened parents there we probably challenges but as young children we didn't notice, and because of their connections we were fortunate to learn from exceptional dance teachers; including Irish Mayers, the daughter-in-law of Constance Millington, who by then ran Millington’s, Margaret Redmond, the daughter of Alf, who my mother had look after as a child (baby sitter) and Eric Lashbrook, a close family friend who shared the same birthday and age as my mother, and played a significant role in my dance education.
These teachers inspired us, just as their families had inspired our parents, contributing to our development as dancers, performers, and individuals, and while my brother eventually stopped dancing as an adult, it became my passion, and at 58 still is.

welcome to my world

A world that just excepted me when I too became deafened at 29 years old and has allowed me to grow and flourish ever since.

I remember when I first became deafened my mums word’s

welcome to my world

They were the best words she could have ever said to me because it made be realise, that if she could do all the things she did deafened from seven years old then so could I at 29 years old.

And I’m sure my dad had the same words of wisdom for my brother when he to had sight problems and became blind in one eye.

I was never so proud as when he took to the floor several years ago with his new bride for their first dance and negotiated the edge of the floor perfectly, leading his new bride beautifully round the floor and i so wished my mum had been their to see, but maybe she was1

I’m sure it is both the support we had passed down to us from our parents but also the support as children of deafened parents that the dance world gave us that has shaped our values and given us the determination to fight for our dreams and to never give up.

allowed to achieve

First working with my parent in Southport and later running my own school of dance JLC Dance in Southport, Preston & Blackpool.

This year I have been celebrating m 35th year as a dance coach now based in Cumbria

My Qualifications

I had so many opportunities and I feel so grateful for them from

Competing and performing as a child
Winning coaching competitions like the North West GPTD
Becoming a Fellow in both Ballroom and Latin American with not only the UKA but also the IDTA
Working with the BBC and Chanel 4 & 5 and even Japanese TV
Qualifying as an examiner with the UKAPTD
Coaching the Lancaster University Team
Performing and coaching in the Tate
Teaching and performing at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom
Being the runner up in the Dancing Times Teacher of the year awards 2017
My work being written about by the American Author Hazel Rae Minnick The Unlikely Dancer
Meeting and working with coaches from all over the world,
Having Strictly pros coaching in my studio
Coaching students from not only the UK but China, Sweden, Brazil, Australia, Germany and Hawaii
Working with Blind, Deaf and people with Dementia and learning difficulties through the years