Dinkie Flowers, who passed away on June 21, 2026, at the age of 105, was recognized as England’s only ice acrobat during the 1940s and enjoyed a distinguished international career in ice dance and performance. Later in life, she dedicated more than five decades to teaching dance through her stage school in Shoreham-by-Sea and remained active in the performing arts into her late nineties.
Born Betty Stapleton on May 7, 1921, in Hove, she was affectionately known as “Dinkie” from infancy, a nickname she preferred over her given name. She began dancing at the age of three, joining Terry’s Juveniles—a troupe of young dancers—during the 1930s under the direction of Theresa “Miss Terry” Freedman. Early in her career, she toured with a ragtime group whose pianos were specially reinforced to support her dancing on top.
Her father initially opposed her involvement in show business, while her mother encouraged her ballet studies at the Italia Conti Academy and the Doris Isaacs School of Dancing in Hove. A pivotal moment came when a talent scout for impresario Tom Arnold spotted her performing acrobatics on ice at the West Street rink in Brighton. Arnold signed her to his ice dance productions, increasing her weekly pay from £20 to £100 after recognizing her appeal.
Dinkie Flowers performed in popular ice shows such as Hello Ice in Brighton and Stars on Ice at London’s Stoll Theatre, sharing the stage with prominent skaters like Daphne Walker. She toured across Europe and South Africa, though a Spanish tour ended abruptly in 1949 after authorities deemed her Can-Can routine overly provocative. Her specialties included acrobatic ice dances and contortionist acts, and she received personal commendation from Prince Philip following a performance.
Her profile rose in the early 1950s with televised appearances at the National Radio and Television Show at Earl’s Court and performances in the emerging genre of “ice pantomimes.” In 1952, she starred in Puss in Boots on Ice, leading a cast of more than 100 skaters. The role earned critical praise for her animal impersonation skills.
In 1955, Flowers spent six months performing in Iraq as part of a cultural promotion that combined entertainment with demonstrations of British industry. She claimed to have taught King Faisal II to skate and recounted an episode in which a local sheikh’s marriage proposals led to diplomatic intervention.
She married George Flowers in 1957, whom she met while working on a show. George later managed the Raymond Revuebar in Soho, a pioneering strip club, and was known for his association with the adult entertainment figure Paul Raymond. The couple settled in Shoreham, where Dinkie established the Dinkie Flowers Stage School in the early 1970s. Her choreography work included the 1974 premiere of the light opera Perseus and Andromeda, written by astronomer Patrick Moore and covered by the BBC.
Flowers continued to teach several dance classes weekly into her late nineties until the COVID-19 pandemic forced her school’s closure in 2020. That same year, she appeared on BBC’s The Greatest Dancer at age 98, earning praise from judge Cheryl Tweedy. Approaching her 100th birthday, she undertook fundraising efforts through regular sponsored workouts, garnering recognition from local politicians, including MP Tim Loughton.
Known for her vitality and longevity, Flowers attributed her robust health to a lifelong commitment to dance, remaining free of medication and sensory aids until her passing. She is survived by her daughter; her husband died in 2005.