Women's Journal
Simone Lahbib, 30, is an actress famed for her gritty roles
in TV's Bad Girls, London Bridge and the Young Persons Guide
To Being A Rock Star. As a child, she'd have preferred something
in pink.
'I started dancing when I was five years old. I loved tap, highland,
modern and stage, but ballet was always my main discipline.
It was a fairy - tale dance. As a little girl, I thought the
movements and the costumes were so pretty. One day, in my early
teens, my dance teacher asked me if I was interested in going
to grown - up ballet school. I only had to think about my answer
for two minutes. Ballet school sounded more entertaining route
than an academic one.
'I've never regretted making that choice. I had to give up a
lot of teenage pastimes for ballet, like roller skating and
horse riding, because they developed the wrong muscles. But
looking back, I appreciate that ballet gives a child poise,
imagination and expression.
'When I was 19, I left ballet school and stood at a cross -
roads of dancing and a new desire to be an actress. I was working
on a television job when the Dundee Rep, a renowned ballet company,
approached me to be in their next show. It is to my eternal
shame and regret that I didn't take part, that I chose acting
over my one big chance to be in a production. But they say that
being a great actress is what makes a great ballerina, so I
knew I could do both. I still remember how to do all the moves,
despite leaving school over 10 years ago - it's just that my
body doesn't want to do those moves any more. As a ballet dancer,
your body takes a real battering, especially the knees, backs
and ankles. I still have friends from school, but none of them
dances any more because of the strain on the body.
'Working on a TV programme like Bad Girls is brilliant for an
actress as lots of sensitive issues are discussed. I get to
play a tough yet vulnerable prison officer, Helen Stewart, who
is a lesbian, and I've had some really nice letters from viewers
about her. One woman wrote to me, telling me that she had lived
in a little village all her life and was ostracised when she
came out, but since Bad Girls, people's reactions to her have
changed for the better, I'd love to get back to my roots, though,
and do an acting job that requires some dancing and singing
- a Stephen Sondheim musical would be absolutely perfect'.
Hey, maybe they could do a Christmas Panto in Series 3, then
Simone could have wish of dancing and singing once again! (Editor)