A Wirral legend who inspired generations to dance has died aged 102.
Miss Nesta Bellis, who founded the Wallasey School of Dance in 1944, taught ballet and tap to children from across Wirral for 45 years until her retirement in 1989.
She died at her home in Cornwall on May 9 aged 102 and family and friends have paid tribute to a "very caring, kind and strong willed lady" who "made a difference to many" through her dancing and community work.
Her son, Kevin Johnson, told the ECHO: "She was a remarkable lady, she was well known through her dancing but the other side to her was she was a great mum, a great matriarch, a very strong lady and a lady of principles.
"She was very kind and did a lot of work in the community and for charity. She made a big difference to a lot of girls in Wallasey through her dancing, introducing them to dance and teaching them discipline, manners and courtesy, all important things."
One of Miss Nesta Bellis' first pupils, Barbara Roberts, spoke of the influence she had on her life after she opened the Wallasey School of Dance.
Before opening the school, Nesta Bellis trained in Southport and later under the tutelage of renowned ballet teacher Edouard Espinosa in London, who set up the British Ballet Organization which Nesta also became very involved with throughout her career.
Barbara told the ECHO: "There were six of us when she first started the Wallasey School of Dance in 1944 and I was one of them.
"She became part of my life forever. She was a lovely lady, very talented and devoted to dance.
"I was with her since the age of 10 and went up through all the grades with her, and aged 16 I started my own school, which I ran for 50 years and which my daughter runs now.
"It all came from Miss Bellis and her love of dance."
Another of her former pupils, Collette Clare described Nesta as an "elegant, loving and fun" person whose impact on her life was "enduring."
She said: "She is part all my memories through childhood. I started dancing with Nesta aged 2, we went on Tuesday nights, Friday nights, all days Saturdays, a big summer school and we would go down to London to the British Ballet Organization.
"With Nesta it was just the most amazing upbringing as a child, the training she instilled in you, it never goes away and is there through your life."
Collette says that she and Nesta kept in touch over the years and after she retired and moved to Cornwall, she would visit her and speak to her regularly.
For her 100th birthday, Collette posted in Facebook group Wallasey Memories asking people for their memories of Nesta, which she said received a "remarkable response."
Collette said: "We had a big celebration for her 100th birthday and she wanted all her ex pupils there. We all went down to Truro where she lived, all the old girls.
"A lot of her pupils went into the profession or then became teachers or yoga teachers and we were all dancing round the table and singing and had all the music on.
"Before her birthday, I'd put something on Wallasey Memories on Facebook and asked people. I said I wanted to do a memory book for her for her birthday and asked people to put her recollections and memories, I got the most remarkable response.
"Hundreds and hundreds of people left comments and sent photographs, from people who trained with her in the 1940s to children who remember her retiring and her last performance.
"She used to sit there with her book in her dotage and read all the comments. I don't think she realised what an impact she had on everyone."
Deborah Clark, who was also a former pupil of Nesta's and continues to run the Wallasey School of Ballet to this day also paid tribute to her former teacher.
She said: "I had an excellent training from Nesta Bellis and love my job as a result. The ethos of what she founded lives on."
For Kevin, Miss Nesta Bellis, who leaves behind seven grandchildren, will be remembered "not just as a ballet teacher, she was a mum, grandma, great grandmother.
"She was also the president of the Soroptimists and very involved with the local community with charity work and the professional body.
"Even when she retired, aged 70, and moved to Cornwall she led a very busy life.
"She supported her family strongly, and died in her own home living by herself, independent even to the last day.
"She was a remarkable woman, a very caring, kind and strong willed lady. I'm proud she was my mum."
