I want to relate a story here I heard on a Ted talk by Sir Ken Ronbinson. Have you ever heard of Gillian Lynne? She helped produce the show Cats and Phantom of the Opera.

When she was 6 she had trouble sitting still in class. Born in 1926 ADHD had not yet been ‘invented’ yet and kids got the ruler across the back of their hand for being rowdy. The school wrote to her mother suggesting perhaps a teacher/parent meeting would be a good idea as she might have learning difficulties.

The mother attended the school with Gillian in tow for the meeting. She sat quietly and listened for 20 mins while the school doc talked to her mother about her in school. The doc then turned to Gillian and said I’m going to have a private word with you mother in the corridor please wait here but as he left the room he turned on the radio.

Once outside the room he asked the mother to look. Gillian was on her feet dancing. The doctor went on to say ‘Your daughter is not sick, she’s a dancer. Put her in a dance school.’

The mother did just that.

She later founded a ballet company went on to help produce shows that awed millions. She became a millioniare inspired countless women and artists, is a Dame and still alive and in good health today.

Perhaps today the answer would be to put them on meds.

One thing every society of humanity has had is dancing.

She is arguably the best ever. Certainly the most successful in my eyes.

Full respect.

 

 

‘Dame Gillian Barbara Lynne, DBE (née Pyrke; born 20 February 1926) is a British ballerina, dancer, choreographer, actress, and theatre-television director, noted for her popular theatre choreography associated with two of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. At age 87, she was made a DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2014 New Year Honours List.’ – Wikipedia.