Jane Seymour- My life story

In those days, I wasn't in the position to ask for anything because I wasn't doing too well at school. I wasn't more stupid or clever than the other girls in my school. I simply wasn't interested in what they were teaching me. I imagine my parents had talked about it because, when faced with my determination to become a ballerina, they decided it was time for me to change schools. And they gave the the best gift of my life. They put me into a dancing school. My life then began to change.

My grades soared spectacularly. My first school (Wimbledon High School) bored me a lot because it didn't interest me. I spent my life studying things that didn't matter to me at all. Things were very different in my second school. The day was divided in two parts. The first part was dedicated to normal school subjects and the second was exclusively dedicated to dancing. I started getting all A grades and when I finished studying (a year ahead of time), my results were excellent. It was a mixed school, that is if you can call mixed a class with 20 girls and two boys. At any rate, I wasn't interested in either of the boys because at that time of my life I already had found my first love.

He was called Jimmy, and he's a very famous astrologer nowadays. Jimmy and I were neighbours and we had grown up together. But one day we realised that we preferred to be together (alone if possible) than with the rest of the gang. And this is when our relationship began.

We used to swap stamps. And I still have with me the one on which he wrote 'I love you'. With time we passed from words to deeds. We started holding hands, which was great, then we went on to kisses, which was even better.

Our love story ended when I became 13 years old. He started growing interested in things more thrilling than swapping stamps, and I began working harder at my chosen career. Today, we're very good friends.

My first ballet. My first real chance to dance in public came with The Nutcracker Suite. I was 13 and, of course, I wasn't anyone important. I was only a little mouse whom you could hardly tell from the rest. If you looked very hard, maybe you could see me there, second one from the left ... And then I was a clown. But I was very nervous.

This is a constant feature of my life. I'm always, always very nervous before playing any part. If I have to go on stage, I can hardly speak before the curtain rises. I'm terrified. If it's the cinema, I tremble like a leaf on the first day. Then things get better.

The only thing that makes me feel better, is the knowledge that I'm not the only one. In my case, I try to channel the energy produced by my nerves into my acting. I try to, but I don't know if I always succeed.

With time my stage fright has increased. Once you have built a reputation for yourself, it's easier to spoil everything because there are more eyes fixed on you. I had nothing to lose when I acted for the first time because only my family was watching me, and I can assure you, they were extremely benevolent.

What I recall best of that day were the lights, the sounds. While we waited in the wings, I could only hear the murmur of the public and the swishing noises of our little outfits. Then came a great silence. The curtain rose. The lights went on. The music started. And I went out on stage.

I felt that feeling again, that communication, that magic of the theatre which has never left me.

That day I confirmed to myself again that dancing was what I enjoyed most in my life. I had chosen my profession well. What I didn't know at the time, poor me, was that it wouldn't last long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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