I still don't know what sort of a grip he had on the girl , but she was slightly bent back and he had his chin resting on her left shoulder . They whirled past me in a quickstep while I stood by the door , looking on in both amazement and envy. I fully expected that one of the teachers would step in and insist on a trifle more separation , but such was not to be .

Perhaps it was the slight loosening of restrictions that was slowly taking place in 1941 but the previously firmly enforced separation of bodies was becoming a thing of the past , even at school dances . Then again it could have been the acceptance of the skill of the pair , for though this was indeed only a school dance , they were obviously a couple who had honed their skills at many a town dance .

The rest of us youngsters were satisfied enough with the old traditional Barn Dance and Gipsy Tap . At least in the Progressive Barn Dance , one was able to tread on the feet of most of the girls of one's year , and some of them even raised a weak smile as you accepted them into a not so close embrace .

Once or twice on some occasions I was able to ask Shirley to dance with me , she being the local undertaker's daughter on whom I had a schoolboy crush that lasted for at least three years. On one occasion too, during the Lady's Choice , some other girl must have dared Pam , the belle of our class , to choose me , and to my surprise I found myself accepting and enjoying a brief moment of glory .

But since I never got round to escorting one of the young ladies home after the last dance , the occasions were generally pretty much of a loss as far as my social life was concerned . The most exhilarating night of all my high school days was not a dance , but VJ night , when I was cornered by Dorothy and thoroughly snogged. Perhaps it was lucky that she had her young brother in tow , because indeed the celebrations that night were riotous almost to being bacchanalian. and there was , I believe , a lot of horizontal dancing taking place.

My University years did not lead to much involvement with Terpsichore . One one occasion a hostel mate in 1949 persuaded me to go with him to a Surf Club dance , in order , I presume , to take his partner's girl friend out of the way . I recall that as being one of the most boring evenings I have spent , but then, anything for a friend !

By the time I had reached the last year of University I was convinced that I did not have a skerrick of rhythm in my body. That was unfortunate in a way, because my wife-to-be was /is a good dancer , and dragged me onto the floor at various socials held by varied groups . For me , the major thrill of those evenings was to be able to hold her as firmly as that boy held his girlfriend in 1941 .

Even with the non-contact form of dances that came along during the fifties and sixties I was never greatly tempted , except at the weddings of my daughters . But there was the one memorable occasion when we accompanied my elder daughter and her Greek husband to a New Year's celebration at a posh restaurant . Let's face it , you can't stop a Greek from his dancing , and Alyson had become expert in it as well. Before too long the infection set in , and Bet and I became part of the group.

I did not conform to the traditional style , but managed to hold my own with variations of one kind or another , luckily with no-one's toes to crush.

One of the greatest compliments that has ever been paid to me was that given by a teacher of dance , who was taking a movement session at a drama conference. I know that I have no hope of keeping a body rhythm going , but she took me aside after the session was over , and told me that I moved with a great deal of grace . The word grace floored me , and I can only imagine that the mental improvisations that I was engaged in somehow translated themselves into movement that captured the lady's attention .

However , I know that I will never look good on a dance floor .

On on occasion , at a party some years ago , I was sitting out the dancing , talking to another guest , a lady . Suddenly there was a commotion on the dance floor , and I rose to help the lady's husband who had collapsed . She reached out and grasped my arm and said , Don't bother , it's just his party trick . He pretends to have a heart attack at every dance party .

I wonder if the story of the boy who cried wolf has ever caught up with him .