A Clifton dance teacher who inspired thousands of children and was awarded the British Empire Medal has died at the age of 106.
Angela Redgrave was the principal of the Bristol School of Dancing for more than fifty years. The school is based in premises in Lansdown Road in the centre of Clifton Village, which Miss Redgrave acquired in 1970.
She began to learn dancing when she was 10 years old and at the age of 16 she joined a dance school in London, where she was taught the Royal Academy syllabus which she followed for the rest of her life.
Miss Redgrave’s love for dancing was such that the thought of closing the Bristol School of Dancing during the Covid lockdown did not cross her mind. With the help of her daughter she moved lessons online so that her pupils could continue learning without any interruption.
Two years ago Miss Redgrave was awarded the British Empire Medal in the late Queen’s Birthday Honours. The citation said the honour was for her “services to dance”. She said at the time that she felt “very honoured to be presented with such a lovely award”. Miss Redgrave was the oldest of 1,134 people to be honoured in the 2022 Birthday List.