Flick Colby
Encyclopedia
Flick Colby was an American
dancer and choreographer best known for being a founder member and the choreographer of the United Kingdom
dance troupe Pan's People
which was a fixture on the BBC 1
chart show Top of the Pops
from 1968 to 1976.
Born in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, her father was Thomas E. Colby, Professor of German at Hamilton College, Clinton, Oneida County, New York
and she grew up there and in Massachusetts
. Educated at a school in New Hampshire
, Colby began attending ballet
and other dance classes in Boston
and performed in musical
s before travelling to London
in 1966. She founded Pan's People with Dee Dee Wilde, Babs Lord, Louise Clarke, Andrea Rutherford and Ruth Pearson in December 1966. They first appeared on Top of the Pops in April 1968, and became a regular weekly feature in 1969. They also appeared on several other BBC programmes including The Two Ronnies
.
After 1971, she concentrated on choreography with new troupes she put together for TOTP named Ruby Flipper
, Legs & Co.
(with Ruth Pearson) and Zoo
. She also choreographed the rock
musical Catch My Soul
, and co-wrote an instructional book, Let's Go Dancing (1979). Later, Colby returned to the United States and lived in Clinton. There, she married George Bahlke, a professor of literature, and ran a gift shop
, Paddywacks.
Colby married twice: to James Ramble from 1967, until their divorce, and to Bahlke, from 2003 until his death in February 2011. In the last years of her life, she suffered from breast cancer
and died of bronchopneumonia
aged 65 at her home in Clinton. She was survived by a brother and a sister. Her funeral was scheduled for 17 June 2011.
Americans
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
dancer and choreographer best known for being a founder member and the choreographer of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
dance troupe Pan's People
Pan's People
Pan's People were a British TV dance troupe, who are usually associated with the BBC TV music chart show Top of the Pops.In an era before pop videos, they danced to songs whose original artists were not available to perform them live...
which was a fixture on the BBC 1
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
chart show Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
from 1968 to 1976.
Born in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, her father was Thomas E. Colby, Professor of German at Hamilton College, Clinton, Oneida County, New York
Clinton, Oneida County, New York
Clinton is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. It was named for George Clinton, a royal governor of the colony of New York....
and she grew up there and in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Educated at a school in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Colby began attending ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
and other dance classes in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and performed in musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
s before travelling to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1966. She founded Pan's People with Dee Dee Wilde, Babs Lord, Louise Clarke, Andrea Rutherford and Ruth Pearson in December 1966. They first appeared on Top of the Pops in April 1968, and became a regular weekly feature in 1969. They also appeared on several other BBC programmes including The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies is a British sketch show that aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987. It featured the double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.-Origins:...
.
After 1971, she concentrated on choreography with new troupes she put together for TOTP named Ruby Flipper
Ruby Flipper
Ruby Flipper were a multiracial, mixed-sex dance troupe who performed dance routines to songs in the UK Singles Chart on the BBC television series Top of the Pops in 1976.-Members:...
, Legs & Co.
Legs & Co.
Legs & Co. were a female dance troupe who were mainly associated with their appearances on the BBC television series Top of the Pops between 1976 and 1981....
(with Ruth Pearson) and Zoo
Zoo (dance troupe)
Zoo were a dance troupe who appeared on the weekly British music series Top of the Pops between 1981 and 1983.Like previous dance troupes Pan's People, Ruby Flipper and their immediate predecessors Legs & Co., Zoo were put together and choreographed by Flick Colby...
. She also choreographed the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musical Catch My Soul
Catch My Soul
For UK Stage version see Catch My Soul Catch My Soul is a 1974 film produced by Jack Good and Richard M. Rosenbloom, and directed by Patrick McGoohan. It was an adaptation of Good's stage musical of the same title, which itself was loosely adapted from William Shakespeare's Othello...
, and co-wrote an instructional book, Let's Go Dancing (1979). Later, Colby returned to the United States and lived in Clinton. There, she married George Bahlke, a professor of literature, and ran a gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
, Paddywacks.
Colby married twice: to James Ramble from 1967, until their divorce, and to Bahlke, from 2003 until his death in February 2011. In the last years of her life, she suffered from breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and died of bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia or bronchial pneumonia or "Bronchogenic pneumonia" is the acute inflammation of the walls of the bronchioles...
aged 65 at her home in Clinton. She was survived by a brother and a sister. Her funeral was scheduled for 17 June 2011.