Only once in a lifetime can one celebrate a golden anniversary of a special occasion – and it was truly an honour to host the achievements of Tanya Bayona’s dreams and vision when introducing the Cecchetti Method to Malta in 1965.

It was a celebration of a lifetime invested in helping dance to evolve on the island and of passing on knowledge to the next generation.

The choices were very simple – we could only have the best of everything, combined with a desire to educate and to promote Maltese heritage.

So I immediately contacted Diane van Schoor, asking her to direct six workshops on the vocational work of the Cecchetti Method.

Students and teachers from eight local schools attended the workshops. Ms van Schoor is an inspired teacher who has worked and trained in the top dance schools in the world. Since 2001, she has been on the staff of The Royal Ballet School, London, under the directorship of Gailene Stock. She is the former ballet principal of The Royal Ballet Lower School, White Lodge, a post she held from 2004 to 2014.

Our second guest was internationally acclaimed dance historian and dance critic Giannandrea Poesio. Dr Poesio is now a reader in dance and director of the Research Institute for Media, Arts and Performance at the University of Bedforshire.

Theresa Lungaro-Mifsud, Giannandrea Poesio, Tanya Bayona and Diane van Schoor.

Dr Poesio gave a mime workshop based on his reconstruction to the mime of the Lilac Fairy and Enrico Cecchetti’s role of Carabosse from the ballet The Sleeping Beauty. Cecchetti dance teachers, dancers, as well as dance enthusiasts, were invited to attend a lecture given by Dr Poesio, where he outlined the history of dance and theatre in connection with the captivating life of Enrico Cecchetti – one of the greatest ballet masters in history. The lecture was sponsored by The Cecchetti Trust and Farsons Direct.

Guests were invited to a small reception at Palazzo Pereira, Valletta. Ms Bayona and I toasted to the past, present and future of Cecchetti classical ballet. Evviva Cecchetti!

Theresa Lungaro-Mifsud is a fellow and examiner of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD).