Widower takes up ballet to make friends because he’s lonely without his wife

When retired electrician Bernard Bibby lost his beloved wife four years ago, the OAP felt the true meaning of loneliness.

The 75-year-old, from Rochester, lost 69-year-old Celia to cancer and needed a new purpose in life.

So the dad-of-two decided to take up an unexpected hobby – ballet.

The widower began classes so he could make some friends but now he’s developed quite the knack for it.

This week, Bernard was thrilled to receive a bronze certificate in his Grade 1 exam.

Delighted at the result, Bernard said he’s never passed anything in his life until now.

He is also encouraging other older men to get into ballet to dismiss archaic assumptions it’s only for women.

‘I never expected to pass because I froze up during the exam with nerves and thought I’d flunked it,’ explained Bernard.

‘After losing Celia I decided I wanted to have as much fun in my life as possible.’

The first step for Bernard was getting rid of the television so he could save money from paying the license.

He knew that getting rid of it would force himself to get out to pass the time.

‘I thought “I’m going to get rid of it and force myself to get out”,’ he said.

‘I never thought when I first went into this fours years ago that I’d be sitting here today with a Grade 1 certificate, it feels spectacular.’

He added: ‘I think ladies are far better at dealing with things like grief and other emotions than men because of what they deal with all through their lives.

‘There’s no doubt that the women in the ballet class have helped me with the loss of Celia.

‘I never feel left out, that’s the most amazing thing, we can have a chat about anything.

‘We go down for a little bit of lunch at a local bistro after class and I’m still the only man but I don’t care, I barely even notice.’

Just three marks short of a silver award in his latest exam, Bernard says he now has something to aim for in his Grade 2 which he will sit this November.

The unlikely ballerina is using his success to encourage other men to get into dancing and to disregard the stigma that the pastime is ‘feminine’.

He said: ‘Footballers wear tights, men wear tights in the gym and Reebok makes tights for men now too.

‘It takes an incredible deal of strength to lift ballet dancers and do it with poise and grace, rather than grunting through the pain.

‘You have to marvel at their ability, there are some fantastic male ballerinas out there.

‘One day I would like to get tickets to see the ballet on stage at Covent Garden, but I think it’s a bit of a push to hope I might end up on the stage there myself!’

Watch this space.