AFTER more than 40 years as a professional in dance, Birmingham Royal Ballet assistant director Desmond Kelly could be forgiven for wanting to put his feet up. But as the 66-year-old prepares to retire from the company he has helped lead for nearly 20 years he is planning anything but slowing down. In fact Desmond, who was born and trained as a dancer in Zimbabwe and has performed all over the world, is not only taking over the position of artistic director at Elmhurst School for Dance he is also looking to represent The Balanchine Trust across Europe, overseeing productions of one of his favourite choreographers. And the ever energetic Desmond says he is more than ready to take on the new roles. "I just can't see myself not doing anything," he says. "I love dance and I can't imagine not being part of it. My wife Denise says I will never stop." As a dancer in the 1960s and 1970s Desmond partnered many of the greats including Margot Fonteyn, Natalia Markova and Antoinette Sibley. And once his days as a principal were over, rather than hang up his ballet shoes, he moved over to teaching. "Teaching is a real passion for me," he says. "I have been fortunate to work long enough to have seen many dancers progress through their whole careers. "I am passionate about passing on to the dancers what I have learned through my career. Teaching is very gratifying." After working for so long with one company, Desmond acknowledges that leaving BRB will be difficult. "It is like my family here," he says although with daughter Emma, son-in-law Ceri, son Joel, daughter-in-law Josie and grandchildren six-year-old Mylo, two-year-old Hugh, two-year-old Freddie and eight-month-old Daisy, he has more than enough family to keep him busy. "But the work at Elmhurst and the Balanchine Trust will mean that I am cross referencing back to here all of the time." And he has only praise for the company, its dancers and its staff, particularly director David Bintley. "This company has grown so much under David's directorship," he says. "While it has never stopped doing the classics, David has been able to keep it moving forwards and I like that in a company. "When the company first moved to Birmingham I didn't want to come. It was my wife who persuaded me. And she was right. I know everyone says it but this city has developed so much in that time." BRB could not let one of its key members of staff go without a party so tomorrow it hosts the Desmond Kelly Gala at Birmingham Hippodrome which sees a number of former company members and friends returning to perform many of Desmond's favourite works. But he has been kept well in the dark on the programme. * A few tickets are still available for the Gala on 0844 338 5000 and www.birminghamhippodrome.com | 
