Diana’s Passion for Dancing
Lady Diana, who would have turned 62 today (she was born on July 1, 1961), has been gone since 1997. Yet her memory, and interest in her, is more alive than ever. So much so that new anecdotes and revelations about her keep coming up. The latest in order of time is linked to her passion for dancing. Diana loved to dance.
The Rules for Her Dance Partners
But not everyone could have the honor of twirling with her. As Landon Jones reveals in his new book Celebrity Nation, the Princess only accepted dance partners who met three precise rules. The first criterion was height. The Princess, who was about 1 meter and 78, wanted her dance partners to be a few centimeters taller than her. In addition, Lady Diana only wanted married partners (she seems to have considered them safer and more reliable). Last rule: to be able to twirl with the Princess you had to be “good dancers”. Diana demanded partners who could lead her gracefully and safely on the dance floor.
Dancing with John Travolta and Charles
Diana’s passion for dancing is well known. She took lessons at Kensington Palace and many photos immortalize her while dancing, even with John Travolta. It happened in November 1985 in America, during a dinner at the White House. And the star has never forgotten that moment. Two years ago, in an interview with Esquire Mexico, talking about twirling with the Princess, he told: “I remember it was midnight and the dance floor was a dream. I approached Diana and touched her elbow, inviting her to dance. She turned around and gave me that fascinating and sad smile at the same time, accepting my invitation. So we found ourselves dancing together for 15 minutes, as if it were a fairy tale. Who would have ever imagined that something like this would happen one day? That’s why I was so clever to imprint that moment in my memory as something magical and very special”. It was more difficult for the Princess to convince her husband to dance with her. She didn’t succeed often. But in the rare shots that portray them while dancing together, for example in Melbourne, Australia, in 1985 (photo above), they appear smiling and serene like never before. Also in 1985, on the occasion of a charity gala held at the Royal Opera House in London, Diana even danced under the spotlights. The Princess, after taking her seat next to her partner in the box reserved for her, at one point sneaked away. Her partner noticed her absence, but certainly didn’t expect what was about to happen. Diana, in fact, had sneaked into the crowd, climbed onto the stage and invited one of the guests to dance. Needless to say, the audience melted into applause.
