FROM BALLROOMS TO BROOMLANDS STREET: THE JOURNEY OF DANCEDREAMS THEATRE SCHOOL
On the precipice of opening the doors to their new studio, we spoke to Bonnie, Sharon and Ashleigh Barr about the history of their prestigious academy.
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ome people crumble in the face of mounting pressure. Others, such as the familial unit at the core of Dancedreams Theatre School, take even the most cumbersome hurdle in their stride. Standing in their soon-to-be finished new headquarters in Paisley’s West End, Bonnie, Sharon and daughter Ashleigh Barr exude an unfettered can-do energy that’s practically airborne. Just weeks away from ushering in a new era for their celebrated academy, they took time out of overseeing the renovation of the Broomlands Street premises to discuss the lineage of the business and their intentions going forward. Formerly known as The Barr School of Dance, the artform is enmeshed into the very DNA of the family by their late patriarch, Bobby Barr. A 70-plus-year veteran of 22 MILL
the ballrooms and boleros, Bobby’s eldest daughter Bonnie speaks with unmistakable pride as she recounts the Paisley native’s unlikely journey. “He was born in 1919 so it’s a long time ago”, she laughs. “He actually started dancing when he was 17 years old. He was dragged by his older brothers and within six months, he was hooked. By 19, he was winning tango and quickstep competitions in the Paisley Town Hall. He became consumed by it. Some of his brothers moved to America and he joined them in 1948, where he got a job teaching for Fred Astaire. He worked there for 11 years but sadly, due to my mum’s health, we moved back. Then, Sharon was born here in 1960 and he opened a studio on the High Street. We had breakfast, we had dinner, we had tea and then we had dancing”, Bonnie recalls. “That was our life from when we could walk.” A cyclical industry in nature, the Barrs’ history is filled with enthralling tales such as becoming Sir Alex Ferguson’s favoured majorettes’ troupe during his tenure as St Mirren manager and offering “Saturday Night Fever”
