Remembering Janet Lupino

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of former bbodance Chief Examiner, Fellow and Life Member, Janet Lupino.

Right Photo: Edgar Brind

Janet’s association with bbodance goes back to her early childhood when she was trained by her aunt, Molly Ball. Janet studied ballet, tap, modern, Greek, singing, speech, drama, piano and gymnastics, but ballet was her dream. Janet gained her British Ballet Organization Advanced Ballet, Solo Seal and Advanced Tap; she was even coached by Edouard Espinosa himself! Molly spotted an early aptitude for choreography in Janet, encouraging her to create routines and get involved with television.

Her early career was mainly working in television where she both danced and choreographed for names including Eric Sykes, Charlie Drake and Eamon Andrews on prime-time Saturday night shows. Janet also had extensive stage experience starting in her childhood, in productions including Dick Whittington, London Melody and Those Glorious Years at the Palace Theatre, London.

Photo: Norman Mays Studios

Upon deciding to focus seriously on teaching, Janet was asked by Anne Heaton and John Field to train as a bbodance Examiner and later by John Travis to become Examiner Representative, which later became Chief Examiner. She was a Fellow and Life Member of bbodance and was also involved in the Teaching Qualifications and syllabus development, crossing paths with countless members and friends of the organisation.

bbodance President, Brenda Last OBE shared some kind words of her time working with Janet:

“It is with great sadness to hear of the passing of Janet Lupino. I admired her for her lifetime’s association as a respected and committed member of the British Ballet Organization staff, becoming Chief Examiner. As a colleague I found her very generous with a lot of common sense and a great deal of integrity. She will be much missed by the dancing fraternity.”

Janet was incredibly dedicated to dance and bbodance and was a true inspiration to so many people. She will be sadly missed by many, and our thoughts are with her family at this time.

If anyone would like to make a donation to celebrate Janet's memory, her family have given details of CAFOD, a charity close to Janet's heart - https://cafod.org.uk/

Please contact us for the details of Janet's funeral.