Elizabeth Twistington Higgins

Elizabeth Twistington Higgins MBE (6 November 1923 – 12 September 1990) was a British ballet dancer, and later a painter.

Elizabeth Twistington Higgins

MBE
Elizabeth Twistington Higgins, with a painting tool in her mouth, from a 1960 publication.
Born
Elizabeth Patricia Twistington Higgins

6 November 1923
London
Died12 September 1990
OccupationDancer, painter
Known forArts career after surviving polio in 1953

Early life

Elizabeth Patricia Twistington Higgins was born in London in 1923,[1] one of the six children of Thomas Twistington Higgins. Her father was an Army surgeon in France during World War I, and later a pediatric urological surgeon.[2] Her older brother was Ian Thomas Twistington Higgins (1919 – 2006), a noted epidemiologist.[3] She trained as a dancer at the Royal Ballet School at Sadler's Wells.[4]

Career

Twistington was a professional ballet dancer and teacher in her twenties, until she contracted polio in 1953. She was paralysed below the neck, and used an iron lung and a wheelchair the rest of her life. She retrained as a painter, holding and controlling the brush with her lips; her subjects were usually still life or ballet themes. She used an adapted easel and other custom devices designed by Roger Jefcoate.[5] She was a member of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists,[1][6] and her paintings were exhibited internationally.[7] She directed a liturgical dance troupe, the Chelmsford Dancers, and continued to teach, choreograph, and design costumes for dance.[8]

On her birthday in 1961, Twistington was the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life, a weekly BBC television programme. Most subjects were surprised to be featured, but because there were concerns that she would be harmed by a sudden shock, she was briefed ahead of the show.[9] She wrote a memoir, Still Life, published in 1969.[10] In 1975 she appeared on the Christian inspirational programme Seeing and Believing, and she was featured in an informational film about assistive devices for disabled telephone users in 1977.[11] In 1980 she was the subject of a documentary film, The Dance Goes On, narrated by Rudolf Nureyev,[12] with an appearance by Joanna Lumley;[13] she was also the subject of a book of the same name, by Marc Alexander.[14]

Twistington Higgins was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1977, for her services to the arts.[15]

Personal life

Elizabeth Twistington Higgins died in 1990, aged 66 years.[4]

References
  1. McGwinn, Donna (1967). "Quad Hall of Fame: Elizabeth Twistington Higgins" (PDF). Toomey J. Gazette: 78–79.
  2. "In memoriam: T. Twistington Higgins, O.B.E., F.R.C.S. (1887-1966)". Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 39 (4): 260–262. October 1966. ISSN 0035-8843. PMC 2312144. PMID 5333181.
  3. "Ian Thomas Twistington Higgins". RCP Museum. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  4. Medler, Elizabeth. "An Exceptional Life" New Vision (July-August 2012): 6-8.
  5. "Aid for Handicapped to Get Discussion". The Bangor Daily News. 1976-05-19. p. 19. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Elizabeth Twistington Higgins" (PDF). The Toomey J. Gazette. 3: 23. Spring 1960.
  7. Brody, Jane E. (1965-10-18). "Works by 100 Disabled Artists Are Placed on Exhibit at Kenny". Star Tribune. p. 18. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Former ballerina and polio survivor still teaches ballet" East Anglia Film Archive 1970. At BFI Player.
  9. "Elizabeth Twistington Higgins". Big Red Book. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  10. Higgins, Elizabeth Twistington, 1923- (1969). Still life: the story of a struggle with disablement. London: Mowbray. ISBN 0-264-64504-9. OCLC 70560.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. "Sidelines". The Guardian. 1977-08-08. p. 9. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Life and Dance Goes on for Polio Sufferer". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1981-12-14. p. 17. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Amazing woman's story sure to get you 'whistling'". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1981-12-13. p. 82. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Alexander, Marc (1980). The dance goes on : the life and art of Elizabeth Twistington Higgins MBE. Kingsley [England]: Leader Books. ISBN 0-907159-00-1. OCLC 6943194.
  15. "Queen Honors Polio Stricken Ballet Dancer". The Vancouver Sun. 1977-07-21. p. 38. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via Newspapers.com.
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