Repair Shop Guest Emotionally Overwhelmed as Expert Restores Historic Ballet Shoes
Britain's first professional Black ballerina, Julie Felix, was left utterly breathless and emotionally overcome after witnessing the meticulous restoration of her cherished 40-year-old pointe shoes on the beloved BBC programme The Repair Shop. The London-born dancer, of Caribbean heritage, brought the ballet shoes she wore during her debut professional solo performance four decades ago to the show, hoping the expert team could breathe new life into these deeply personal artefacts.
A Career Forged Against Adversity
During her appearance on the latest series of the hugely popular programme, Julie Felix opened up about the considerable hardships she faced throughout her remarkable career. She recalled being compelled to move to the United States in the 1970s after a London ballet company turned her away purely due to her skin colour, cruelly stating, "we can't have a brown ballet dancer in the line-up of the swans."
Speaking with the show's skilled craftspeople, Lucia Scalisi and Dean Westmoreland, she described how she was subsequently offered a contract with the renowned all-black ballet company Dance Theatre Of Harlem, based in New York. Julie revealed that seven years later, her ballet company graced the stage of the prestigious Royal Opera House in London, where she landed her first ever solo role.
The Significance of the Pointe Shoes
She performed in her "tan-coloured" pointe shoes – specially dyed to complement her skin tone. Julie explained the profound emotional weight these shoes carry: "These were the shoes that I wore when mum and dad came to see me perform on the stage of the Royal Opera House. And I said, 'mum, you were right. I've made it, and I'm here'. Right here on this table, these symbolise all the work, effort, love and devotion from my mother."
She paid tribute to her mother as her greatest source of support, a theme that resonated deeply throughout the restoration process. Julie shared her mother's specific request: "She asked me, 'Julie, when you're finished with these shoes, please can you get them fixed in such a way that I can put them on a display somewhere in the house as memory of my coming to see you perform at the Royal Opera House'."
An Overwhelming Emotional Response
Upon seeing her lovingly restored ballet shoes, Julie was visibly and powerfully moved. She described the moment: "I was winded, almost. I felt like somebody had just kicked me in the stomach. I was breathless for a few seconds. It was genuine tears, it really was. Even now when I'm talking about it, I'm getting a lump in my throat, any time I talk about my mum. I knew that these would be absolutely what she had wanted."
The experience transported her back to that pivotal performance: "That really choked me up because I just put my heart on my chest the way I did when I stood on the stage when she was alive. I looked up at the seats in the Gods, and I just said, 'mum, I'm here, I've done it' and it took me back."
A Lasting Tribute and Legacy
The cherished shoes now take pride of place in her home, serving as a daily reminder of her journey and her mother's unwavering belief. Julie added: "I see them every day, when I'm home all the time, and it doesn't take much for my eye to catch them. And I just think, 'mum, look at these'. That's what she wanted, and she wanted them in her house so she could see them every day. So, thank you The Repair Shop."
Awarded an MBE in 2024 for her outstanding contributions to dance education, Julie Felix has built a remarkable career spanning decades as a dancer, teacher, coach and author. She has tirelessly championed opportunities for Black people to forge successful careers within the arts, making this restoration not just a personal moment, but a symbolic one for cultural heritage and representation.
