Gwenethe Walshe, was a leading British Latin and ballroom dancer. Born in New Zealand, she lived most of her life in England and moved to Australia after her retirement. She arrived in England in 1936, and by 1938 she had founded a dance school bearing her name in London's West End, which (as of 2006) is still operating as the Central London Dance. During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 she worked by day as a WVS

WRVS

The WRVS is a voluntary organisation concerned with helping people in need throughout England, Scotland and Wales....

 nurse and by night continued to run classes, even during air raids

Strategic bombing

Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...

. Gwenethe simply turned up the music and the dancing continued!

Taught latin dance by the leading experts of the day, Monsieur Pierre

Monsieur Pierre

Monsieur Pierre, or simply Pierre, was the professional name of Pierre Jean Phillipe Zurcher-Margolle, . Pierre was a professional dancer and dance teacher: he was primarily responsible for introducing the Latin American dances to England, and for codifying them, and laying the groundwork for their...

 (Pierre Zurcher-Margolle) and Doris Lavelle, Gwenethe and her partner Dimitri Petrides

Dimitri Petrides

Dimitri Petrides was a ballroom dancer who was important in developing Latin American dancing in England. He left Cyprus when he was eighteen with his mother after the death of his father, eventually settling in England...

 won the first Latin dance competitions. Gwenethe went on to became a key member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing

Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing

The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing is a leading dance teaching and examination board based in London, England and operating internationally. Established on 25 July 1904 as the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, it changed to its current name in 1925 and is now a registered educational...

. In particular, she helped to develop the technique of latin dancing and the framework for its teaching and competition assessment.

"The Latin American Faculty was formed in 1946 by Monsieur Pierre, his partner Doris Lavelle, and colleague, Doris Nichols. They were later joined by Gwenethe Walshe and Dimitri Petrides. This small band of dedicated specialists worked vigorously to establish an examination system of set syllabus for both amateur and professional dancers." http://www.istd.org/dancestyles.html

Career highlights

• Member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) Grand Council and the ISTD Latin American Faculty Committee
• Gwenethe Walshe School of Dancing
• Central London Dance Studio originally named Gweneth Walshe Dance Studio
• Dance advisor for the 1992 British film L'Amant '
• Judged the International Championships at the Royal Albert Hall in London, for many years
• Taught ballroom dancing teachers
• Through television, taught the general public ballroom dancing
• 1999, received a special award from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing for her services over her career
• Served as a WVS
  WRVS
  The WRVS is a voluntary organisation concerned with helping people in need throughout England, Scotland and Wales....
  
  nurse by day and a dance instructor by night.