Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough
Words: Chris Poynton
Published: Winter ‘23
It is not every day that you get to meet someone who has met people that were regarded as pioneers for change in the dance industry and has worked with some of the most famous pop icons over the last 40 years. However, as I sat with Kidbrooke Village resident Dr Patrick Williams – a distinguished ballet dancer and teacher whose career has spanned 40 years, I was left in complete awe and admiration. Patrick became an even more inspirational figure when he explained to that doctors gave him 18 months to live following his terminal diagnosis of prostate cancer in 2020 and he is still here to tell his story. While his fight against prostate cancer would not take place until his 60’s, it was the battle he faced in his 20’s which is where we will start and how his passion for ballet was nearly over before it had even begun.
“My career as a dancer began many years ago. It was in the late sixties, very early seventies that I started. But I was denied the ability to dance ballet, here in the UK, because at that time black people did not go into that profession because we were barred. There was an active sort of barrier to going into doing this and it was policed with the greatest ferocity.”
“This led me to go via the American route because they did not have the same rules that we did here. I got introduced to ballet at a great height at the world famous Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (New York). It was there that I not only performed, but got to meet a multitude of people including Beryl McBurney. She came from a school of dance that was so big that she was in the same league as another pioneering woman called Katherine Dunham.
“Katherine was one who appeared white, so she was able to break the barrier and get in. Then eventually she told them, ‘Hey, I’m not a white woman, I’m a black woman’. As soon as they realised, they started to panic. That was it and it opened the door for a lot more black women to get involved and black people period.”
Patrick was the first to admit that a career as a performing ballet dancer had a limited shelf-life. As he was coming towards the end of that chapter, he was introduced to commercial dance by Alvin Ailey. A move that would see him work with the ‘King of Pop’.
“One day we were rehearsing a choregraphed routine in the studio and at first we had no inclination of what it was for. We were just doing what we were asked. Then we were told that it was for Michael Jackson’s new song ‘Thriller’ and that we had already been picked to appear in it, minutes later he walked through the door.
“For us, that was big time and we were told that even though we would be performing with him our names would not be circulated to say so, as Michael didn’t want that. We felt a bit robbed of something in that sense but we were getting paid. When it came to filming, I was positioned at the back but I thought nobody is going to know who I am if I am at the back. So I wormed my way to the front! We did that take 27 times because there was a fault with me. In the end, they ran with it and you can see me in prime position in the front row.”
Rubbing shoulders with the stars did not step there as Patrick would later work with Michael’s sister (Janet Jackson) on her Rhythm Nation Tour in 1990. The nine month trek ran from 1st March to 16th November and would see him take in concerts in the: United States, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
Other notable names include Grace Jones who Patrick described as “A woman that was unique in every aspect.” Not content with having performed with the King of Pop, Patrick would work with the Queen of Pop.
“I was there with Madonna when she first came to the UK in 1984 and she danced at the Hacienda in Manchester. I was supposed to do Vogue, but another dance opportunity came up. Michael Jackson had come up with Smooth Criminal and I was going to be in that. However, I accidentally fell and injured my back a bit and that was the end of that.”
After being bedbound for a number of weeks, Patrick came to the realisation that his body was unable to take the strenuous physical demands of professional dancing. Instead, as most dancers do, choreography and teaching would be the next point of call, with the latter being supplemented by gaining a PhD in Dance.
“Over the years, I have worked with many bands who wanted to get into the big time. I remember Floyd Anthony Pearce from Hot Gossip asking me to work with Take That and butch up some of their dance routines which were quite feminine. I also worked with Rhianna on the choreography for her ( Umbrella ).
With so many incredible professional experiences achieved, Patrick’s life would be turned upside down in a hospital room in January 2020. This was when he was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and was told the devastating news that it was incurable
“I cried for hours, I was just in total shock. I knew something was wrong but like most people I just ignored it and thought it would go away. If I had known more about Prostate Cancer, who it can affect and the symptoms then perhaps I could have taken more preventative measures. I was determined not to let it beat me and I went through the chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Today, I am pleased to be here and I am a survivor of prostate cancer and actively visit organisations and businesses to make people aware the danger it poses. Over 12,000 men a die a year from prostate cancer. I would urge all men to visit Prostate Cancer UK’s website and check out the list of symptoms. It could save their life.”
In March last year, Patrick moved to Berkeley’s Kidbrooke Village in Royal Borough of Greenwich, where he would soon get involved in sharing his expertiseand passion for ballet and dance.
“I have been at Kidbrooke Village now for just over 20 months and the first thing I thought when I moved here was how beautiful it is. I couldn’t think of living anywhere else. Now, originally, I was just going to enjoy my retirement but then Iwas asked to choreograph a short ballet called Island Movements with Darren Panton, the first black British dancer to graduate from the Royal Ballet School. Upon accepting, I suddenly realised that a new dance studio had just been built at Kidbrooke Village and nobody was using it. So we used the studio there to choreograph the tale that explores Windrush and the impact of this generation’s experiences on their families, communities and society. We launched it at the Royal Opera House at the end of October and had six performancesacross the country ending at Kidbrooke Village’s Dance Studios.”
Capitalising on the facilities available at Kidbrooke Village, Patrick has been busyputting together a Christmas ballet pantomime called ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. The world premiere is set to take place at the Kidbrooke Community Hub on Tuesday 19th December at 2.30pm with subsequent performances taking place on the 20th and 21st December. Details of which can be found here.
“It is the first time that this has been done and what I am trying to do now is pass my skillset to the next generation of dancers. Those who do dance as a curriculum subjects and those who want to do dance. In time I would like to develop a scholarship programme for them and I am actively looking for companies to get involved and sponsor it.”
With such an infectious passion for life and the ability to maximise all potential opportunities, I look forward to catching up with Patrick in the near future. If his past endeavours are anything to go by, it is bound to be a ‘Thriller’.
Dr Patrick Williams is currently in the process of launching ‘Patrick Williams Dance Theatre’. Further information can be found via his website.
