The charming and illuminating book about how the late Princess Diana undertook secret dance classes is being made into a new film.
A forthcoming documentary will chronicle the story of dance teacher Anne Allan and how she taught the former Princess of Wales for nine years, including preparing the royal for her White House twirl with actor John Travolta and her joyful rendition of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl alongside ballet favorite Wayne Sleep.
The 90-minute film is a recreation of Allan’s book, Dancing With Diana; A Memoir, which hit shelves in September 2024 and was excerpted in PEOPLE. Allan, who lives in Toronto, Canada, tells PEOPLE in a statement, “During my time with the princess, I was so fortunate to witness not only Diana’s profound love of dance, but a much more personal side of her. I hope that viewers of the documentary will appreciate this fresh look as well as discover a deeper understanding of just how extraordinary she was.”
When her book was published, Allan explained she wrote her book partly for her 4-year-old granddaughter and to share “the other side of [Diana], the dancing side of her, the beauty within her.”
Of how the dance class became a sanctuary for Diana, Allan said, “She loved to dance. The minute she started to move her arms, you could see the feeling that it brought her.”
“She was able to be herself. She loved to move and loved to have fun,” she continued, adding that she remembered Diana being “gobsmacked” after her dance with Travolta in 1985.
“It was absolutely adorable,” Allan said.
The dance classes also offered Diana a safe space to share both her joys and her sorrows: “If something was on her mind, she would say so,” Allan recalled. “Later on, there were days where she would come in and just talk a little bit.”
The new documentary promises to capture that, chronicling the nine-year period from early 1981, around the time Diana wed the then Prince Charles. Over hundreds of weekly one-hour lessons, Allan secretly served as Diana’s private dance teacher and forged a close friendship with Diana, who shared with her the joy of motherhood, her difficult marriage and her struggle with bulimia.
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Sphere Media, which is one of Canada’s top producers of TV and film, and Two Rivers Media, from Allan’s native town of Glasgow, Scotland, are teaming up for the project.
Marlo Miazga, president of Sphere Media, said in a statement, “It’s a rare thing to find a fresh angle on such an adored and explored public figure, but Anne’s memoir is a treasure trove of new perspectives and intimate insights into one of the most scrutinized women in history.”
Alan Clements, managing director and executive producer of Two Rivers, said, “Diana’s story is, of course, as enduring as it is poignant. The gems to be found in these memoirs represent a perfect and organic opportunity, and we’re very excited to take it.”
He added, “This project hits all the right notes for a co-production between our companies. The combination of our track records in producing remarkable stories from diverse perspectives with a distributor that leaves no stone unturned in finding audiences is a powerful partnership for success.”
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