She is a woman who, with the help and support of her family, has devoted her the last 40-odd years to helping thousands of girls and boys in and around Norwich get the most out of life... and is a shining example of what community spirit is all about.
Today I would like to pay tribute to Sheila Moore, the 'Dancing Queen of Cloverhill,' who has given generations of young people the chance to express themselves, build their confidence, appear on television, travel to America, start a career in showbiz... and have an awful lot of fun and laughs along the way.
Now it is reunion time for all those who have been part of award-winning Kaleidoscope/Phoenix, the much-loved dance group based at Cloverhill, which has played such a leading role in so many lives thanks to the imagination, energy and leadership of the Moore family.
And, if you have been a member of the groups over the years then this is your chance to meet up with old friends and discover how their lives have turned out. A reunion is taking place at Cloverhill Village Hall on Saturday October 3 from 7pm. Tickets are £10 to cover the costs, the hall, a disc jockey, a buffet and a documentary film. Any profits will be donated to EACH.
So how did the story of Kaleidoscope start?
'I formed Kaleidoscope when my family and I first moved to Cloverhill, Bowthorpe, when it was a very new village in around 1977,' said Sheila.
'My four children were all very young then with Kenny being the eldest at eight. At this time I was running a children's entertainment/dance group at Cadge Road Community Centre in Norwich on Friday nights and Saturday mornings called Young Tymntappers,' she said.
'I kept this going for sometime after I moved but with no transport and four young children plus equipment to move back and forth, this eventually had to finish to transport back and forth,' recalled Sheila, who rarely got the chance to relax and put her own feet up.
'Kaleidoscope was born around 1979/80 with about six children, including two of my own, Kenny and Teresa, at Cloverhill Village Hall on a Saturday morning. The whole idea was to bring dance to children who could not afford dancing school fees or wanted a more freestyle group/club atmosphere.'
From lowly beginnings the group went on to have a membership of around 200 young people with ages ranging from five to 18 years. They loved it but there was more to this than just a dance group.
'We had many volunteers among the parents who helped to run the group, a lads football team, Kaleidoscope United, a dads football team, The Rusty Nails, and a ladies dance group by the name of The Fagged Out Follies,' said Sheila.
'Kaleidoscope auditioned and took part in many of the Junior Showtime competitions organised by Grace Corne at Norwich Theatre Royal, going from a new group at Bowthorpe 'without technique' with brilliant routines such as Spiders and Chess, creating our own technique through hard work and commitment by all involved,' she added.
The young men's group also took off and worked in cabaret at the Norfolk Dumpling – that was a great old pub - and took part in competitions at Hunstanton Princess Theatre and at the Great Yarmouth Winter Gardens.
The groups also put on a lot of shows for various charities, one with the much-loved Peter 'Dicko' Dickerson to raise money for Papworth following his transplant operations.
The awards came fast and furious for the brilliant Kaleidoscope: Norfolk champions, East Anglian champions. The group and solo dancers took top honours. They won talent shows across the country – danced at Disneyland in Florida, appeared on national television as the X Team in Granada's Can You Do It On TV? – and yes, they could.
Those in the team were Anja Stone, Nicola Welsh, Claire Longmead and Paul Kryala.
'We also had summer seasons at holiday camps and at the Wellington Pier in Yarmouth culminating in several young people going on to have a career in the entertainment field or running their own dance schools and groups,' said Sheila.
Shows and intergroup competitions carried on over the years giving young people and their families opportunities to choreograph their own routines and make the costumes.
Sheila went on to work in Thetford running a hostel for young parents. The group became Dimensions and when this finished she was asked to help run the group again... under the name Phoenix with a group of volunteer dance leaders including Jenny Bierley and later Teresa Moore. 'During this time we got a grant awarded to us - the first time any money was sourced from outside the group. It was to stage the musical Gypsy which was a great success at Earlham High School,' she added.
Over the years Sheila has been helped and supported along the way by her 'right hand man' - husband Jim who could be recognised at events by his T shirt which said 'Sheila is a Saint' on the front and 'Jim. General Dogsbody' on the back.
In the early hours, after the show finished and everyone had gone home, Jim was hard at work, carrying scenery and props to various storing places across the city. 'There are also many parents and family members who have given so much support and encouragement over the years,' said Sheila.
If you would like to go to the reunion drop Sheila a line at: jimthedigit@hotmail.com.
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