Instructor Spotlight: Vivian Tomlinson

Written by Mary Lock Albrecht

Care to dance?

Teaching Madison area adults and teens how to dance has been a part of Vivian Tomlinson’s life for 32 years….and he still loves it.

Through UW-Madison noncredit classes, he has taught men, women, the old and the young, beginners and the experienced—"even UW football players," he adds with a chuckle.

Tomlinson, a native of Capetown, South Africa, claims his love of dance is rooted in the musical environment of his childhood as he was always surrounded by music as a child. “Every weekend, my parents and the neighbors would do ballroom dancing in our home and there were always musicians nearby,” he recalls.

The moment that directed Tomlinson to dance as a career was watching a film with Danny Kaye and the French ballerina ZiZi JeanMarie when he was 17 or 18. After that he took dance lessons and went to the university on a scholarship, where he studied the Cecchetti method.

After graduation, he was a member of the University of Capetown Ballet Company for 15 years. “The highlight of that time was dancing with Margot Fonteyn of the Royal Ballet in Swan Lake. I was so impressed with her because she was very gracious and humble. She sat on the floor with us and chatted like everyone else,” he says.

A friend convinced him to move to America—to Madison—to join the Wisconsin Ballet Company.  The company unfortunately closed in the 1970’s, but by then, Tomlinson had already started teaching noncredit classes. He went on to also teach credit classes with the dance faculty on campus.

“Teaching beginners is wonderful. You teach people to make ballet work for their own individual body. You get to see people progress,” he explains.

“One of my students is a gentleman who has been attending since the 1970s. He is now in his 70s. Another is a woman, a retired teacher, who has just started dancing at the age of 69.  I told her 'Do what your body can handle,'” Tomlinson notes.

And then, of course, there were those Badger football players—“all excellent students.”

Tomlinson smiles, remembering them. “They were huge boys. The coach wanted them to learn to be nimble on their feet. Well, I pulled them and pushed them—showing them the steps. I had to teach them to lead…and how to follow. It was a challenge at first, but soon I couldn’t stop them! They came to enjoy dancing,” he recalls happily.

“Dance is for everyone. It’s never too late to learn!” Tomlinson says enthusiastically.

Learn about upcoming dance classes including those taught by Vivian Tomlinson in the continuing studies catalog.