BNP Ballerina Teaching kids Ballet
F.C. Eggcup | 28.10.2009 22:07 | Anti-racism
On its website, the new dancing school prominently proclaims that its teacher is a former principal dancer with the English National Ballet. Oddly, however, it doesn't mention her name - perhaps because she is Simone Clarke, the ballerina who found herself at the centre of controversy three years ago when her membership of the British National Party was exposed.
At the time anti-fascist demonstrators disrupted a performance of Giselle at the London Coliseum in which Miss Clarke, who was dubbed the 'BNP ballerina', took the starring role. Last week she appeared, surrounded by little girls of three and four in tutus, in the community hall in the village of Shadwell, near Leeds, where she runs the Yorkshire Ballet Academy.
Miss Clarke, 39, has been a leading figure in the far-Right BNP. She has shared a stage with leader Nick Griffin and was once engaged to one of the party's councillors, Richard Barnbrook - a man who claimed mixed-race children were 'washing out the identity of the country's indigenous people'. Miss Clarke's move into teaching comes as the Government is scrutinising the BNP's role in public life. It is said to be considering a ban on BNP members working as teachers in schools.
The Yorkshire Ballet Academy is a private dance school and she does not require licensing by the local authority. Two years ago Miss Clarke appeared with Mr Griffin during a BNP 'Free Speech Evening' in Leicester and pledged: 'I will never, ever leave the BNP because they are the only people who can turn this country around.'
Miss Clarke retired from the English National Ballet after the outcry over her membership. In 2007 she was elected to the executive of the BNP-backed Solidarity trade union for a five-year term. Last night she was unavailable for comment.
Shadwell Hall treasurer David Parker, who rents the venue to her for £10 an hour, said: 'She didn't declare her politics. We have had no complaints or negativity. Whether or not the parents know about her views is up to them.
'I think like most of us our politics are separate from our normal lives
Shadwell Village Hall
Main Street
Shadwell, Leeds
West Yorkshire LS17 8JF
England
UK
Phone: 0044 01132 252223
Email:
davidtparker@ntlworld.com
At the time anti-fascist demonstrators disrupted a performance of Giselle at the London Coliseum in which Miss Clarke, who was dubbed the 'BNP ballerina', took the starring role. Last week she appeared, surrounded by little girls of three and four in tutus, in the community hall in the village of Shadwell, near Leeds, where she runs the Yorkshire Ballet Academy.
Miss Clarke, 39, has been a leading figure in the far-Right BNP. She has shared a stage with leader Nick Griffin and was once engaged to one of the party's councillors, Richard Barnbrook - a man who claimed mixed-race children were 'washing out the identity of the country's indigenous people'. Miss Clarke's move into teaching comes as the Government is scrutinising the BNP's role in public life. It is said to be considering a ban on BNP members working as teachers in schools.
The Yorkshire Ballet Academy is a private dance school and she does not require licensing by the local authority. Two years ago Miss Clarke appeared with Mr Griffin during a BNP 'Free Speech Evening' in Leicester and pledged: 'I will never, ever leave the BNP because they are the only people who can turn this country around.'
Miss Clarke retired from the English National Ballet after the outcry over her membership. In 2007 she was elected to the executive of the BNP-backed Solidarity trade union for a five-year term. Last night she was unavailable for comment.
Shadwell Hall treasurer David Parker, who rents the venue to her for £10 an hour, said: 'She didn't declare her politics. We have had no complaints or negativity. Whether or not the parents know about her views is up to them.
'I think like most of us our politics are separate from our normal lives
Shadwell Village Hall
Main Street
Shadwell, Leeds
West Yorkshire LS17 8JF
England
UK
Phone: 0044 01132 252223
Email:
davidtparker@ntlworld.com
F.C. Eggcup
Comments
Hide the following 10 comments
Question
28.10.2009 22:29
Does someones poltics, regardless of what they are, impact upon their artistic talent and ability?
Wayne Sleep
She's a racist
28.10.2009 22:43
Being as she is an active member of a virulently racist party I'd say that her ability to both treat and teach all children equally, irrespective of their ethnic background, has to be seriously in doubt.
JUst a thought
Answer
28.10.2009 22:48
No, but who cares? Fascists are scum who deserve whatever shit comes to them for whatever reason.
anon
addon
28.10.2009 23:03
Max
Logic?
28.10.2009 23:15
That one's lost on me Max
Antifascist
Most dont separate politics from our normal lives& find the BNP repulsive Nazis
29.10.2009 01:34
Direct democracy makes even more sense with the internet, though has worked vwell in Switzerland for 150yrs.
International brigader
Swiss democracy is not based on anarchism
29.10.2009 08:54
Most anarchists today seem to be enemies of democracy, and so should be treated with the same contempt as the BNP or the SWP etc.
Swiss Tony
Thanks for defending your Ex, Max AKA Mark "Lock Up Your Daughters" Collett
29.10.2009 10:46
The neo-Nazi BNP troll called Max used to plague the old Leeds-Bradford indymedia about four or five years ago, and was strongly believed to be the alleged paedophile and Hitler worshipper Mark Collett himself, which would explain why you are on a thread about the nazi ballerina, as you (supposedly) went out with her some time ago to assure the rest of your homophobic BNP mates that you were "straight as a die and not secretly gay".
You can deny you are the alias "Max" until the cows come home. One day, Mr Collett, those fourteen year old girls who many witnesses within your own party the BNP say you tried to sexually assualt (references Stormfront and NorthWest Nationalists) will come forward to tesify that you did indeed try to sleep with them.
When that day comes, Collett, you will end up in the Sex Offenders Wing of Armley Jail, and expect a hostile reaction from prisoners of all colours. Even your fellow nazis will refuse to be your friend!
Stay off Indymedia, "Max" (Mark Collett!)
Troll Fragmentor
Max
29.10.2009 11:39
Antifascist
Now you're copying the Daily Mail?
29.10.2009 12:35
The article above is copied and pasted straight off The Daily Mail. Yes, the word "repost" is added at the top, but it's still totally copied from the Daily Mail without acknowledging the source (possibly out of embarrassment). That's against the Indymedia guidelines, but - hey - I guess pasting on the venue's address at the end makes it different.
Norvello