Memoirs of a Showgirl

A colourful memoir about living your dream - from ballet classes in Brisbane to leading roles at Paris's famous Moulin Rouge and Lido.

Shayleen Ann Stafford was the middle child sandwiched between two sporting brothers. Her dad was a former rugby player and a welder by trade, her Mum was a nurse. No one called her by her first name, to family and friends she was always Shay. Her early life was a combination of swimming, sport and backyard trampolining until she turned six and started ballet classes, but only for a year.

The TV show 'Fame' inspired her to give dance another go. This time she was hooked and she devoted her teens to dance, performing at eisteddfods and shopping centres, never thinking that she could make a living as dancer. But at the end of Year Twelve she did, scoring a coveted dance role in a Brisbane cabaret show choreographed by Todd McKenney. She went on to dance in Japan and Malaysia and then found herself in the Moulin Rouge chorus line. Her hard work and high kicks were noticed and she went on to become a key dancer at the famous Lido.

About the Authors

Shay Stafford lived in Paris with her husband Bryce Corbett and their son Flynn and daughter Rose. After twelve years as a Paris showgirl Shay came to the end of her showgirl life and has just moved back to Australia with her family.

Bryce Corbett is an Australian journalist who has written for numerous magazines and papers including The Times, The Australian, The Age, The Sun Herald, Vogue and Australian Gourmet Traveller and as a television producer at Sky News. He also spent a number of years at the Daily Telegraph, most notably as its Page 13 gossip columnist.