My friend Simone Welds, who has died aged 46 of breast cancer, was an extraordinarily vital woman, passionate traveller and gifted dancer.
Born in west London, she was the daughter of Mary (nee Simons), a seamstress with Berman’s theatrical costumiers, and Anthony Norris, a singer and dancer.
Simone was raised by her mother and maternal grandparents, Bernard and Margaret, and inherited her family’s artistic and creative genes. Bernard made cashmere coats for Simpson of Piccadilly – and Simone went to school in a handmade cashmere blazer. Family friends included the Russian Cubist painter Marevna Vorobieff and her daughter by Diego Rivera, Marika Rivera.
Simone attended the Notting Hill and Ealing school for girls and was taught to play the piano by Eileen Roe, who thought very highly of her playing. She also took ballet classes at the Pamela Howard dancing school.
At the age of 18, while accompanying a friend to an audition at the London Studio Centre for Performing Arts in King’s Cross, Simone decided on impulse to audition too, improvising a dance on the spot.
Although a little older than her contemporaries, her talent was recognised and she did well. After graduation she worked as a singer and dancer on cruise liners. On one occasion, in her irrepressible way, she put on a spontaneous performance with the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés at Ronnie Scott’s club in London.
Simone qualified as a personal trainer and worked in the Covent Garden area for 25 years. Her great passion, though, was ballet, and she regularly attended classes in London at Pineapple Dance Studios, where I met her at a ballet class. Her concentration and hard work were an inspiration to those who attended class with her; and her wicked sense of humour provided much amusement.
In 2013 Simone was diagnosed with breast cancer, and despite a debilitating course of chemotherapy and an operation, the cancer spread throughout her body.
Within months she had met Daicia Welds, a lawyer, online. They were married in May 2014, both brides looking radiant and hopeful for a long future at their home in Covent Garden. Simone, with characteristic zest for life, was determined to survive her condition.
When her illness permitted, they travelled as much as possible, predominantly in Europe, but also as far as India and the US.
Simone is survived by Daicia and by her mother.
