Knowledge

List of Top of the Pops dance troupes

Source πŸ“

245:). Corpe was not invited to join the new troupe. Trace, Pearce, Steggles and Cartwright joined following open auditions, Hammond, an established dancer, was invited to join to complete the "look" following a later individual audition. Colby viewed this gender-mixed group as an opportunity to develop more physical routines including lifts., more duets and generally not have the whole group at each performance. 224:
Rehearsals for this new group started in March 1976, and the group began appearing on Top Of The Pops in May 1976. Whilst producers were aware of the switch to the new group, Bill Cotton, the then head of the light entertainment unit of which Top Of The Pops was part, was not. This group started as a
45:
were routinely produced for every charting single, the BBC would frequently have neither the band themselves nor alternative footage available for a song selected for the programme. In the first few months of the show in 1964, the director would just scan across the audience dancing in the absence of
313:
was created, with an set of performers drawn from the pool of twenty each week. Colby was now credited as "Dance Director". Three members of previous troupes, Menhenick, Corpe and Chellamah, made at least one appearance each during the Zoo period. The dancers now chose their own clothes, moving away
186:
As with the Go-Jos, in the first eighteen months of the Pan's People era the dancers were not a weekly fixture on the programme. However, due to group fan mail and good viewing figures, by 1970 the group was on nearly every week. Pay was not high, they were paid the minimum equity rate of Β£56 per
248:
However, by August the BBC had decided to terminate the group due to perceived unpopularity and being "... out of step with viewers". Their final appearance was in October 1976 (by this time Trace and Gillespie had already left, reducing Ruby Flipper to five members), with the senior management
147:) were part of the existing six-female dance troupe, Pan's People. Like the Go-Jos, this group was also partly drawn from ex-members of the Beat Girls. Although this routine did not make it onto the programme itself, in subsequent weeks, members of Pan's People ( 326:
After the demise of Zoo, the audience took a more active role, often dancing in more prominent areas such as behind performing acts on the back of the stage, and on podiums. However, in addition the show also employed so-called cheerleaders to lead the dancing.
163:
and Wilde) started to appear on the programme separately to the Go-Jos. Pan's People were then selected by the BBC over the Go-Jos when they chose a group to be the resident troupe. The Go-Jos' final Top Of The Pops performance was in June 1968 dancing to
221:, choreographed by Colby and managed by Colby with Pearson. Lee Ward left shortly after this decision was made, reportedly saying regarding the change "It's a big mistake. Men rush home to watch sexy ladies. They do not want to see other men.". 122:
Cook herself said of working on the Doonican show (of which she was dance director) comparing to Top of the Pops, β€œPop steps are limited...With Val we have more scope, and we can work to get more of the feel of ballet into our numbers.”
322:
By the early 1980s, record companies were offering the BBC free promotional videos, meaning dance troupes no longer fulfilled their original purpose. Zoo's run ended in 1983, and with it the use of dance troupes on Top Of The Pops.
187:
week. One of the original Pan's People dancers, Colby, became full-time choreographer in 1971. Colby spoke of the dancing – "They weren't Broadway-standard routines...we were definitely doing watercolours, not oil paintings."
286:
During their run the group covered the transition from Disco to Punk, Electronic and Modern Romantic music. Notably, they danced to two Sex Pistols tracks, as the Sex Pistols never did a studio performance in this period.
309:. Also by this time Colby was particularly keen to work once more with male dancers; feeling it time for a change, Legs & Co's stint was ended, and a twenty-member dance troupe (ten male, ten female), named 786: 217:
Rather than continue with this line up or add additional members, it was decided by Colby and BBC production staff to replace this group with a male and female group created for the programme,
201:
In early 1976, the last remaining of the early members of Pan's People, Ruth Pearson announced her retirement, leaving just four members all of whom who had joined within the last four years;
271:, reverting to an all-female line-up, and once more choreographed by Colby. Three of the six in the initial line-up (Menhenick, Cartwight and Hammond) were taken from Ruby Flipper. with 443:
Sue Menhenik of Legs & Co's final performance credited as part of Zoo December 1981 - Dancing to Finding My Way Home by Jon and Vangelis. The last person associated to Pans People.
305:
had replaced Peters) had become more integrated into the studio audience, rather than performing set-piece routines, as a result of the 'party atmosphere' brought in by
253:
called me in and said the British public didn’t want to see black men dancing with white women...I argued, but he told me to form another all-girl group or I was out."
471: 1068: 424: 84:
show – Doonican said in 1968 β€œI thought the Gojos were fabulous, something really new. When I got my own television series I just had to have them with me.”
119:
remembered of their costumes "They mostly wore white boots to the knee and short skirts and the camera would go up the skirt and it was all very risquΓ©."
428: 414: 735: 283:
making up the six. Despite being an all-female group, on occasion one or more male dancers were brought in, notably Pearce several times.
1212: 1040: 720: 681: 447: 1244: 132: 1239: 131:
In April 1968, a Top of the Pops choreographer, Virginia Mason, auditioned for dancers for a routine on Top of The Pops (
384: 1234: 1123: 434: 1076: 871: 516: 350: 1148: 933: 1205: 947: 394: 345:
Pan's People first performance (three of the dancers, independently contracted): April 1968 – Dancing to
825: 592: 1342: 1001: 761: 502: 1376: 904: 800: 857: 1366: 1275: 1198: 388: 363:
Pan's People's first performance (as the six-piece group of early 1968): 30 May 1968 – Dancing to
1371: 1337: 46:
any other footage, but by October 1964 a decision was made to at least occasionally bring in a
423:
Legs & Co's first performance (credited as Legs & Co): 11 November 1976 – Dancing to
844: 579: 404: 136: 1282: 413:
Legs & Co's first performance (credited as ??????): 21 October 1976 – Dancing to
8: 1321: 656: 418: 408: 378: 374: 310: 296: 169: 165: 1268: 346: 249:
insisting on a replacement all-female grouping. Flick Colby recalled of this time β€œ
1173: 961: 706: 488: 80:. The Go-Jos also worked outside of Top of the Pops, notably for two years on the 1306: 1261: 1222: 358: 214: 210: 206: 202: 181: 160: 156: 148: 144: 140: 22: 398: 354: 1360: 1316: 606: 466:
The full-height vertical lines indicate the last performance of each troupe.
461: 368: 306: 116: 77: 65: 1311: 340: 302: 280: 276: 272: 268: 262: 242: 238: 234: 230: 226: 218: 196: 81: 47: 631: 87:
They were initially a three-piece (Pat Hughes for the first edition only,
438: 250: 152: 42: 546: 364: 336: 1098: 1015: 975: 879: 524: 126: 1190: 433:
Legs & Co's final performance: 29 October 1981 – Dancing to
403:
Ruby Flipper's final performance: 14 October 1976 – Dancing to
256: 1301: 451: 112: 108: 104: 100: 96: 92: 88: 73: 69: 59: 469: 383:
Pan's People's final performance: 29 April 1976 – Dancing to
36: 72:, was eventually engaged to create a troupe, the all-female 393:
Ruby Flipper's first performance: 6 May 1976 – Dancing to
53: 335:
Go-Jos' first performance: 19 November 1964 – Dancing to
456:
Zoo's final performance: 29 September 1983 – Dancing to
175: 1063: 1061: 290: 899: 897: 446:
Zoo's first performance: 5 November 1981 – Dancing to
373:
Go-Jos' final performance: 27 June 1968 – Dancing to
314:
from the synchronised appearance of previous troupes.
1058: 190: 1069:"Ladies of the dance who once ruled top of the pops" 894: 64:
An initial candidate troupe was the existing BBC TV
50:
with a choreographed routine to some of the tracks.
736:"Dee Dee Wilde remembers getting her kicks in 1973" 317: 127:May to June 1968 – Go-Jos/Pan's People transition 1358: 267:The group created to replace Ruby Flipper was 1206: 257:November 1976 to October 1981 – Legs & Co 562: 560: 95:), but their number eventually grew to six ( 1213: 1199: 657:"Dee Dee Wilde's Top of the Pops memories" 330: 301:By late 1981, Legs & Co (by this time 37:January to October 1964 – no dance troupes 557: 237:) and four women (Menhenick, Gillespie, 115:) with Cook as full-time choreographer. 68:, but an ex-dancer from the Beat Girls, 54:November 1964 to April 1968 – The Go-Jos 1359: 1149:"BBC - Top of the Pops 2 - Interviews" 176:July 1968 to April 1976 – Pan's People 1194: 733: 291:December 1981 to September 1983 – Zoo 139:); two of whom that were successful ( 1220: 13: 721:"Guardian Dee Dee Wilde interview" 191:May to October 1976 – Ruby Flipper 14: 1388: 734:Wilde, Dee Dee (28 August 2014). 435:Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) 351:Gary Puckett & The Union Gap 318:October 1983 to 2006 – After Zoo 1166: 1141: 1116: 1091: 1033: 1008: 994: 968: 954: 940: 926: 911: 864: 832: 818: 793: 779: 754: 727: 713: 699: 839:"Sounds Magazine". 1 May 1976. 674: 649: 624: 599: 539: 509: 495: 481: 1: 474: 31: 922:. 19 August 1976. p. 9. 632:"Virginia Mason – Australia" 489:"Ruth Pearson BBC interview" 225:seven-piece with three men ( 7: 948:"Lulu Cartwright interview" 458:What I Got Is What You Need 10: 1393: 1099:"Dolores Bourne interview" 1041:"How we made Pan's People" 1016:"Linda Hotchkin interview" 682:"How we made Pan's People" 395:Can't Help Falling In Love 294: 260: 194: 179: 57: 1330: 1292: 1253: 1230: 934:"Phil Steggles interview" 872:"Sue Menhenick interview" 1276:Top of the Pops Reloaded 826:"Ruth Pearson interview" 161:Andrea "Andi" Rutherford 145:Patricia "Dee Dee" Wilde 331:Dance Troupe chronology 1338:Dickenson Road Studios 1002:"Flick Colby obituary" 905:"Flick Colby obituary" 852:Cite journal requires 801:"Flick Colby Obituary" 787:"Flick Colby Obituary" 762:"Flick Colby Obituary" 503:"TOTP2 – Pan's People" 153:Felicity "Flick" Colby 405:Play That Funky Music 137:1910 Fruitgum Company 109:Barbara van der Heyde 1283:Top of the Pops@Play 425:Spinning Rock Boogie 1124:"Louise Clark dies" 1079:on 26 December 2014 976:"Dee Ivo interview" 517:"Jo Cook interview" 157:Barbara "Babs" Lord 882:on 28 January 2013 661:Gazette and Herald 527:on 28 January 2013 521:wayback/panspeople 419:Average White Band 379:The Rolling Stones 375:Jumping Jack Flash 297:Zoo (dance troupe) 273:Rosie Hetherington 170:The Rolling Stones 166:Jumping Jack Flash 43:promotional videos 41:In the era before 1354: 1353: 1269:Top of the Pops 2 1073:West London Today 918:"Ruby Floppers". 742:. Daily Telegraph 587:Missing or empty 1384: 1377:Lists of dancers 1331:Related articles 1215: 1208: 1201: 1192: 1191: 1185: 1184: 1182: 1180: 1170: 1164: 1163: 1161: 1159: 1145: 1139: 1138: 1136: 1134: 1120: 1114: 1113: 1111: 1109: 1095: 1089: 1088: 1086: 1084: 1075:. Archived from 1065: 1056: 1055: 1053: 1051: 1037: 1031: 1030: 1028: 1026: 1012: 1006: 1005: 998: 992: 991: 989: 987: 982:. Panspeople.com 972: 966: 965: 958: 952: 951: 944: 938: 937: 930: 924: 923: 915: 909: 908: 901: 892: 891: 889: 887: 878:. Archived from 868: 862: 861: 855: 850: 848: 840: 836: 830: 829: 822: 816: 815: 813: 811: 797: 791: 790: 783: 777: 776: 774: 772: 758: 752: 751: 749: 747: 731: 725: 724: 717: 711: 710: 703: 697: 696: 694: 692: 678: 672: 671: 669: 667: 653: 647: 646: 644: 642: 628: 622: 621: 619: 617: 603: 597: 596: 590: 585: 583: 575: 564: 555: 554: 543: 537: 536: 534: 532: 523:. Archived from 513: 507: 506: 499: 493: 492: 485: 429:Hank C. Burnette 415:Queen Of My Soul 389:The Four Seasons 203:Cherry Gillespie 1392: 1391: 1387: 1386: 1385: 1383: 1382: 1381: 1367:Top of the Pops 1357: 1356: 1355: 1350: 1344:Top of the Pops 1326: 1288: 1262:Top of the Pops 1249: 1226: 1223:Top of the Pops 1219: 1189: 1188: 1178: 1176: 1172: 1171: 1167: 1157: 1155: 1147: 1146: 1142: 1132: 1130: 1122: 1121: 1117: 1107: 1105: 1097: 1096: 1092: 1082: 1080: 1067: 1066: 1059: 1049: 1047: 1039: 1038: 1034: 1024: 1022: 1014: 1013: 1009: 1000: 999: 995: 985: 983: 974: 973: 969: 962:"Legs & Co" 960: 959: 955: 946: 945: 941: 932: 931: 927: 917: 916: 912: 903: 902: 895: 885: 883: 870: 869: 865: 853: 851: 842: 841: 838: 837: 833: 824: 823: 819: 809: 807: 799: 798: 794: 785: 784: 780: 770: 768: 766:Daily Telegraph 760: 759: 755: 745: 743: 740:Daily Telegraph 732: 728: 719: 718: 714: 705: 704: 700: 690: 688: 680: 679: 675: 665: 663: 655: 654: 650: 640: 638: 630: 629: 625: 615: 613: 605: 604: 600: 588: 586: 577: 576: 566: 565: 558: 545: 544: 540: 530: 528: 515: 514: 510: 501: 500: 496: 487: 486: 482: 477: 472: 470: 359:Aretha Franklin 333: 320: 303:Anita Chellamah 299: 293: 265: 259: 243:Lulu Cartwright 199: 193: 184: 178: 129: 76:, with Cook as 62: 56: 39: 34: 23:Top of the Pops 12: 11: 5: 1390: 1380: 1379: 1374: 1372:Female dancers 1369: 1352: 1351: 1349: 1348: 1340: 1334: 1332: 1328: 1327: 1325: 1324: 1319: 1317:Legs & Co. 1314: 1309: 1304: 1298: 1296: 1290: 1289: 1287: 1286: 1279: 1272: 1265: 1257: 1255: 1251: 1250: 1248: 1247: 1242: 1237: 1231: 1228: 1227: 1218: 1217: 1210: 1203: 1195: 1187: 1186: 1165: 1140: 1115: 1090: 1057: 1032: 1007: 993: 980:panspeople.com 967: 953: 939: 925: 910: 893: 876:PansPeople.com 863: 854:|journal= 831: 817: 792: 778: 753: 726: 712: 707:"Pan's People" 698: 673: 648: 623: 598: 556: 547:"GoJos – IMDB" 538: 508: 494: 479: 478: 476: 473: 468: 399:The Stylistics 332: 329: 319: 316: 295:Main article: 292: 289: 281:Pauline Peters 261:Main article: 258: 255: 215:Sue Menhenick. 195:Main article: 192: 189: 180:Main article: 177: 174: 128: 125: 113:Thelma Bignell 105:Wendy Hilhouse 89:Linda Hotchkin 58:Main article: 55: 52: 38: 35: 33: 30: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1389: 1378: 1375: 1373: 1370: 1368: 1365: 1364: 1362: 1347: 1345: 1341: 1339: 1336: 1335: 1333: 1329: 1323: 1320: 1318: 1315: 1313: 1310: 1308: 1305: 1303: 1300: 1299: 1297: 1295: 1294:Dance troupes 1291: 1285: 1284: 1280: 1278: 1277: 1273: 1271: 1270: 1266: 1264: 1263: 1259: 1258: 1256: 1252: 1246: 1243: 1241: 1238: 1236: 1233: 1232: 1229: 1225: 1224: 1216: 1211: 1209: 1204: 1202: 1197: 1196: 1193: 1175: 1169: 1154: 1150: 1144: 1129: 1125: 1119: 1104: 1100: 1094: 1078: 1074: 1070: 1064: 1062: 1046: 1042: 1036: 1021: 1017: 1011: 1003: 997: 981: 977: 971: 963: 957: 949: 943: 935: 929: 921: 914: 906: 900: 898: 881: 877: 873: 867: 859: 846: 835: 827: 821: 806: 802: 796: 788: 782: 767: 763: 757: 741: 737: 730: 722: 716: 708: 702: 687: 683: 677: 662: 658: 652: 637: 633: 627: 612: 608: 602: 594: 581: 573: 569: 563: 561: 552: 548: 542: 526: 522: 518: 512: 504: 498: 490: 484: 480: 467: 464: 463: 459: 454: 453: 449: 444: 441: 440: 436: 431: 430: 426: 421: 420: 416: 411: 410: 406: 401: 400: 396: 391: 390: 386: 381: 380: 376: 371: 370: 369:Elvis Presley 366: 361: 360: 356: 352: 348: 343: 342: 338: 328: 324: 315: 312: 308: 307:Michael Hurll 304: 298: 288: 284: 282: 278: 274: 270: 269:Legs & Co 264: 263:Legs & Co 254: 252: 246: 244: 240: 239:Patti Hammond 236: 235:Phil Steggles 232: 228: 222: 220: 216: 212: 208: 204: 198: 188: 183: 173: 171: 167: 162: 158: 154: 150: 149:Louise Clarke 146: 142: 138: 134: 124: 120: 118: 114: 110: 106: 102: 101:Lesley Larbey 99:, Bartlett, 98: 94: 93:Jane Bartlett 90: 85: 83: 79: 78:choreographer 75: 71: 67: 61: 51: 49: 44: 29: 27: 26:dance troupes 25: 24: 16: 1343: 1312:Ruby Flipper 1307:Pan's People 1293: 1281: 1274: 1267: 1260: 1245:Performances 1221: 1177:. Retrieved 1168: 1156:. Retrieved 1152: 1143: 1131:. Retrieved 1127: 1118: 1106:. Retrieved 1102: 1093: 1081:. Retrieved 1077:the original 1072: 1048:. Retrieved 1044: 1035: 1023:. Retrieved 1020:Pan's People 1019: 1010: 996: 986:27 September 984:. Retrieved 979: 970: 956: 942: 928: 920:Daily Mirror 919: 913: 886:22 September 884:. Retrieved 880:the original 875: 866: 845:cite journal 834: 820: 810:22 September 808:. Retrieved 804: 795: 781: 771:22 September 769:. Retrieved 765: 756: 746:15 September 744:. Retrieved 739: 729: 715: 701: 689:. Retrieved 685: 676: 666:22 September 664:. Retrieved 660: 651: 639:. Retrieved 635: 626: 616:18 September 614:. Retrieved 610: 601: 589:|title= 580:cite journal 571: 567: 550: 541: 531:22 September 529:. Retrieved 525:the original 520: 511: 497: 483: 465: 457: 455: 445: 442: 432: 422: 412: 402: 392: 382: 372: 362: 344: 341:The Supremes 334: 325: 321: 300: 285: 266: 247: 231:Floyd Pearce 223: 219:Ruby Flipper 200: 197:Ruby Flipper 185: 182:Pan's People 141:Ruth Pearson 130: 121: 86: 82:Val Doonican 63: 48:dance troupe 40: 21: 19: 17: 15: 1179:28 December 1174:"BBC TOTP2" 1158:28 December 1133:26 December 1108:28 December 1103:Pans People 1083:26 December 1050:23 December 1025:28 December 691:26 December 641:13 December 607:"TOTP 1964" 439:Haircut 100 409:Wild Cherry 385:Silver Star 277:Gill Clarke 251:Bill Cotton 227:Gavin Trace 159:, Pearson, 1361:Categories 1346:(magazine) 1240:Performers 1235:Presenters 475:References 347:Young Girl 207:Mary Corpe 133:Simon Says 66:Beat Girls 32:Chronology 18:This is a 1153:BBC TOTP2 1128:Telegraph 611:TV Heaven 365:U.S. Male 337:Baby Love 1045:Guardian 805:Guardian 686:Guardian 568:TV Times 551:imdb.com 448:Twilight 211:Lee Ward 97:Hotchkin 20:list of 636:StarNow 553:. IMDB. 355:Respect 135:by the 70:Jo Cook 1302:Go-Jos 462:Unique 452:E.L.O. 74:Go-Jos 60:Go-Jos 1254:Shows 1181:2014 1160:2014 1135:2014 1110:2014 1085:2014 1052:2014 1027:2014 988:2014 888:2014 858:help 812:2014 773:2014 748:2014 693:2014 668:2014 643:2015 618:2014 593:help 572:1968 533:2014 279:and 241:and 233:and 213:and 143:and 117:Lulu 111:and 91:and 1322:Zoo 460:by 450:by 437:by 427:by 417:by 407:by 397:by 387:by 377:by 367:by 357:by 353:or 349:by 339:by 311:Zoo 168:by 1363:: 1151:. 1126:. 1101:. 1071:. 1060:^ 1043:. 1018:. 978:. 896:^ 874:. 849:: 847:}} 843:{{ 803:. 764:. 738:. 684:. 659:. 634:. 609:. 584:: 582:}} 578:{{ 570:. 559:^ 549:. 519:. 275:, 229:, 209:, 205:, 172:. 155:, 151:, 107:, 103:, 28:. 1214:e 1207:t 1200:v 1183:. 1162:. 1137:. 1112:. 1087:. 1054:. 1029:. 1004:. 990:. 964:. 950:. 936:. 907:. 890:. 860:) 856:( 828:. 814:. 789:. 775:. 750:. 723:. 709:. 695:. 670:. 645:. 620:. 595:) 591:( 574:. 535:. 505:. 491:.

Index

Top of the Pops
promotional videos
dance troupe
Go-Jos
Beat Girls
Jo Cook
Go-Jos
choreographer
Val Doonican
Linda Hotchkin
Jane Bartlett
Hotchkin
Lesley Larbey
Wendy Hilhouse
Barbara van der Heyde
Thelma Bignell
Lulu
Simon Says
1910 Fruitgum Company
Ruth Pearson
Patricia "Dee Dee" Wilde
Louise Clarke
Felicity "Flick" Colby
Barbara "Babs" Lord
Andrea "Andi" Rutherford
Jumping Jack Flash
The Rolling Stones
Pan's People
Ruby Flipper
Cherry Gillespie

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.

↑