Ballet Rambert's Sara Luzita, 100, still dancing at Ely care home

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Sara LemkowImage source, Lydia Dowling Ranera/BBC
Image caption,

Sara Lemkow still owns her wooden castanets from about 80 years ago

A former Ballet Rambert dancer has shown fellow care home residents a few moves at the age of 100.

Sara Lemkow (nee Luzita) toured Europe, performed in the West End and featured in films including the original 1952 Moulin Rouge.

On Saturday, she demonstrated flamenco dancing in front of residents during an exercise class at The Orchards in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Her daughter said "joie de vivre" kept her mother "young at heart".

Image source, Lydia Dowling Ranera/BBC
Image caption,

Ms Lemkow demonstrated some moves at an exercise class at The Orchards in Ely, Cambridgeshire

Ms Lemkow was born in Hanley, Staffordshire, before growing up in Brighton in East Sussex.

She said her mother encouraged her to dance from the age of four, before she trained in London, and then specialised in traditional Spanish and flamenco dancing.

She toured with the prestigious Ballet Rambert, since renamed the Rambert Dance Company, and among her film credits is performing as the can can dancer in the yellow dress, external in John Huston's Moulin Rouge.

Image source, Supplied
Image caption,

The 100-year-old specialised in traditional Spanish and flamenco dancing

She married Norwegian actor Tutte Lemkow - who played the Fiddler in the 1971 film musical Fiddler on the Roof - and she became an antiques dealer in London following her dancing career.

She still has her wooden castanets from about 80 years ago and can still, just about, raise her leg to her head.

"Once a boy walked up and said 'you can't lift your leg up to your head' and I said 'I can' and I did," she remembered.

Image source, Supplied
Image caption,

Ms Lemkow was the can can dancer in the yellow dress in the 1952 Moulin Rouge

Rachel Peacock said it "brought a lump to my throat" when the castanets were put in Sara's hand and she started playing them along to the flamenco music.

"She's still got it... the arm-ography, timing and her charisma," she said.

"I think her determination, joie de vivre and sense of humour have kept her young at heart.

"She said to me once 'never go grey'."

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