Christine Thynne was nervous about going to her first dance class at age 68. Now, at 82, she is preparing to perform her first solo show, These Mechanisms, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show, which runs over three weeks, incorporates props such as planks, stepladders and water — 'things I shouldn't be doing,' she says.
Thynne, who trained as a physiotherapist in the 1960s, describes herself as an 'emerging artist.' She says the label fits because she wasn't a solo performer before. Her show blends elements of her life and passions, including her love of movement and the outdoors. She has been sea kayaking since her 50s, progressing to paddling the Lofoten islands in Norway.
Despite her adventurous spirit, Thynne hesitated when she saw a brochure for a free dance class for the over-60s at Dance Base, Scotland's national centre for dance. 'I thought: Dare I?' she recalls. She had done ballet and tap as a child in north-east England and loved sport, but she felt nervous about her ability. After attending, she found the experience 'won-der-ful,' describing the joy of letting her body move to music.
Thynne progressed to Prime, Dance Base's semi-professional company for the over-60s, and later received funding from Luminate, Creative Scotland and Made in Scotland. For These Mechanisms, she collaborated with choreographer Robbie Synge. 'It's almost as if I'm having another career,' she says.
Thynne keeps fit by hanging from a bar each morning and doing gentle stretching. She dances constantly, even moving from fridge to cooker. Her show tells 'a story of persistence, of joy, of risk,' reflecting her own philosophy. 'You could do this in your 20s, you could do it in your 80s,' she says. 'It's about the limits of the human body and the desire to make things happen.'
