Peter Darrell gave me my first dance job in 1975 when I was invited to join the rapidly growing Scottish Ballet Company as a first-year corps de ballet dancer. It was a proud moment. I was twenty-five and had just graduated from the Rambert School in London, thinking I was going to be the new Rudolf Nureyev in no time at all. My illusions were shattered within a year by actually performing with Nureyev in the Murray Louis ballet, Moment and with Dame Margot Fonteyn in Darrell's ballet, Scarlet Pastorale. The differences between them and me were only too apparent! In spite of this, Peter humoured me when I asked him whether I could get together a few of my colleagues and put on our own show in 1976. In the following years, Peter never stopped supporting me and my ideas. He encouraged me to choreograph, teach, direct, sent me on training courses and allowed me to do my own research work.

In 1980, at a low point in my work, he arranged a Scottish Arts Council travel bursary for me to visit America and look at how American dance companies worked. This precipitated a major crisis in my life as I was knocked over by the incredible energy of the New York dance scene. Within a year, I had abandoned ballet and set off to retrain and build a new career for myself in modern dance. Now, as the Director of Wales's international dance company Diversions, I like to think that Peter's friendship continues to inspire me in many ways. He taught me that dance should be great theatre and great passion as well as great fun. He taught me to laugh at my own vanities. Most important, he taught me to be my own person and walk my own path. I thank him for that and for caring for me as an individual. May he rest in peace, being so well remembered by so many.

When I was appointed as Opera Ballet Master my duties were to provide choreography, dancers when required, and movement classes for the singers of Scottish Opera. Peter Darrell who had great experience and success of working with opera was very generous in giving me encouragement and advice when needed. Darrell was a man of the theatre and was able to generate an excitement and enthusiasm in singers and dancers involved in the production. When I worked as his assistant on four operas during my time with the company I found it fascinating to watch him bring out each person's individuality. He had the ability to know just how much each singer and dancer was capable of.

Darrell was really a shy person and always nervous when working with new groups of people for the first time. We always arranged to meet before rehearsals and I would stay with him until he had to leave. Darrell choreographed Five Rückert Songs which was about to go into the main repertoire of Scottish Ballet and Dame Janet Baker was working with Scottish Opera at the time. I suggested to Peter that he invite her to sing. Typical of the man he felt too nervous to ask. I explained the situation to Dame Janet who was charming and said she would be delighted if dates were right. True to her word her agent rang and she sang at the Gala performance at Theatre Royal, Glasgow. Darrell found it difficult to understand how much he was admired and respected by so many others in the theatre.