Mrs. Simpson Legacy Series: Dancing With Mrs. Simpson

Authors

  • Cecille Depass
  • Denise Desnoes
  • Pat Cumper
  • Sydney Burke

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18733/cpi29607

Abstract

Preliminary sections of a tribute to the legacy of Mrs. Fay Simpson with memories  of her school on Hope Road in Kingston, Jamaica.

Author Biographies

Cecille Depass

Senior author Cecille DePass has lived and worked in Calgary since 1977. A former Commonwealth scholar, Cecille DePass, PhD, is an Associate Professor Emerita, of the University of Calgary. She taught graduate and undergraduate students in the Werklund School of Education (the former Faculty of Education) from 1989 until 2014 when she retired.

 In retirement, DePass has collaborated with a few colleagues in order to produce the following: a published academic book with Kim Koh and Sean Steel, is currently working with two colleagues (Sandra Dixon and Kim Huynh) on two further books, as well as with Denise Desnoes on this e-book. As importantly, Cecille DePass co-edits Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry which she co-founded. She is the recipient of the Comparative and International Education’s, David Wilson Award for Excellence.

Denise Desnoes

Denise Desnoes has lived in Ontario since she migrated to Canada in 1990. She was formally trained as a professional ballet dancer in England, by a former member of the famous Diaghilev Ballet Russe, after studying with Fay Simpson in Jamaica, for many years.

When Denise returned home to Jamaica, she performed with many of the major theatrical groups and the leading modern dancers. As importantly, she was a co-founder of the Movements Dance Company of Jamaica which still exists. In this e-book, Denise Desnoes shares her memories of learning to dance at Mrs. Simpson’s school. In particular, Denise concentrates on her leading role when she performed at the Ward Theatre in Simpson’s version of Giselle in the early1970s. As well as teaching dance, Denise Desnoes has worked as a masseuse, an aesthetician and a Pilates instructor.

Pat Cumper

Pat Cumper, MBE, for services to the Arts, is Mrs. Simpson’s niece. Born and educated in Jamaica, Pat Cumper won a scholarship to successfully undertake and complete her studies at Cambridge University, England. Pat returned to Jamaica and proceeded to launch her career in writing popular radio plays. Pat Cumper returned to London in 1993, where she has continued to live, work and rear a family. Pat has become a highly respected and award winning playwright, producer, director and arts administrator. In addition to writing several original plays and a book, Pat Cumper’s work includes adapting several novels and works by Alice Walker, Angela Levy, Maya Angelou, to name a few. She has also adapted Toni Morrison’s, well know book, “Beloved” for BBC TV.

Sydney Burke

Sydney Burke and Fay Simpson had a friendship that lasted for most of their lives. As a young adult, Sydney learned dancing from Mrs. Simpson. Her most memorable performance was that of the puppet master (puppeteer), Dr Coppelius which she performed at the Ward Theatre. Sydney was so convincing in her role, that the Gleaner critic commended ‘the chap’ who played Dr Coppelius.

Sydney was one of Simpson’s key helpers backstage when Cecille was a teenager. Even after Sydney Burke migrated to Toronto in the 1970s, the friendship between the two friends remained strong.

Miss Burke played a very important role in providing information and photographs for this book. Unfortunately, Sydney Burke passed away suddenly in 2019.

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Published

2022-04-05

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 3 (2021): Dancing With Mrs. Fay Simpson

Section

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