Penny putting on a show at dance championships (From Bournemouth Echo)

Penny putting on a show at dance championships

8:00am Wednesday 20th January 2010 in

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YOU can’t keep a good woman down. Despite being plagued with serious health problems, 88-year-old Penny Brion will be taking centre stage at the UK Dance championships tonight.

The fleet-footed octogenarian, who has survived a heart attack and two strokes, also suffers with angina, high blood pressure, osteo-arthrtitis and a condition called Lipodermatosclerosis which causes swelling in her legs.

At one stage, doctors warned Penny she may never be able to walk properly again. And yet now the glamorous grandmother, who started modelling at the age of 60, can do 100 high kicks and she has dancing lessons several times a week.

Penny credits her friend Dorothy (who also happens to be Richard Branson’s grandmother) for introducing her to ballroom.

For many years Penny helped to entertain audiences at local dance shows until she was forced to quit several years ago because of ill health.

But now she’s back by popular demand and Penny will be taking to the floor once again with her dance partner Douglas Whittle to perform the slow fox trot during the interval of the dance contest at the BIC.

“Apparently I have a bit of a fan club and people have been asking where I’ve been!” says Penny, who is wearing her favourite diamond encrusted black La Perla dress which she wears for her performances.

“I was thrilled because I don’t consider myself to be a marvellous dancer - my technique is not perfect by any means. But music makes me feel uplifted – I always say I dance with my soul – and I enjoy giving pleasure to others. That’s what really matters.”

Penny shares her Southbourne home with her husband, who is battling cancer, and her only son, who is also seriously ill – and yet she still has more energy and va-va-voom than many women half her age.

She credits her zest for life to her mother who was a well-known foster mother, and her love of dance.

“The wonderful thing is almost anyone can dance – even if you don’t have a partner. Dancing is a good way to keep you fit, it’s good for your posture, it’s very sociable and it helps to keep you young at heart too. And as my mother always used to say, if you’ve managed to put a smile on someone’s face today then you’ve achieved something.”