Zoo (dance troupe)
Encyclopedia
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
(whose credit on the TOTP end credit changed from "Choreographer" to "Dance Director" on Zoo's debut). However, unlike the previous troupes, Zoo were formed as a reparatory dance group with an ever-changing line-up, featuring a mixture of male and female multi-racial dancers with backgrounds in classical dance, the circus and the disco dancing scene.
Zoo were credited as appearing 45 times on TOTP between 5 November 1981 and 27 September 1983, although members of the troupe still appeared on the show in this time and beyond their residence outside their capacity as members of Zoo.
Their first appearance on TOTP featured a routine to the Electric Light Orchestra
's "Twilight".
However, some continuity from the previous TOTP dance troupe Legs & Co.
was maintained. Anita Mahadervan, who had been a member of Legs & Co. for their last six months on TOTP, appeared on most of Zoo's early dance routines. Another Legs & Co. dancer, Sue Menhenick, who had been part of the various TOTP dance troupes from 1974 to October 1981, was invited to return for one edition in December 1981 and was credited as a member of Zoo on the show's end titles.
The number of dancers involved in a Zoo routine varied from one (Sue Menhenick, who danced to Jon & Vangelis' "I'll Find My Way Home" on 17 December 1981, and Maureen (surname unknown), who danced to Derek and the Dominos
' "Layla
" on 18 March 1982) to twelve (for the 1981 and 1982 two-part Christmas specials, and the 2 September 1982 edition).
Former World and UK disco dancing and freestyle champions Julie Brown and Clive Clarke auditioned and danced to Lets Groove Tonight by Kool and the Gang as the first members of the Zoo Experience in the autumn of 1981.
Clive Clarke performed in the last ever performance of Zoo with the choreographer Les Child.
The total number of dancers who ever appeared as part of a Zoo line-up is uncertain, but among the regular members of Zoo were:
's "I Can Make You Feel Good", choreographed by Radford Quist, and 21 July 1983, with a routine to Gary Byrd and the GB Experience's "The Crown", choreographed by Eddie Kemp (which also featured Dee Iva of early robotic duo Flex).
These are believed to be the only dance routines by the resident dance troupe featured on TOTP between 1970 and 1983 which were not credited to Flick Colby. On these occasions, the troupe were introduced by the presenter, and named on the programme's end credits, as "Flick Colby's Zoo", with the member responsible for choreographing the routine given an individual credit.
As 1982 drew to a close and 1983 began, Zoo's appearances became less frequent - no credited routines were featured from 30 December 1982 to 24 February 1983.
Zoo's last credited routine for TOTP was shown on 27 September 1983. Female dancer Jeanette appeared alongside Clive Clarke, Les Child and two female dancers in a routine to Unique's "What I Got Is What You Need". This episode was also the last one to feature Flick Colby's involvement as "Dance Director", rounding off a 15 year association with 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...
between 1981 and 1983.
Like previous dance troupes 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...
, 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:...
and their immediate predecessors 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....
, Zoo were put together and choreographed by Flick Colby
Flick Colby
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...
(whose credit on the TOTP end credit changed from "Choreographer" to "Dance Director" on Zoo's debut). However, unlike the previous troupes, Zoo were formed as a reparatory dance group with an ever-changing line-up, featuring a mixture of male and female multi-racial dancers with backgrounds in classical dance, the circus and the disco dancing scene.
Zoo were credited as appearing 45 times on TOTP between 5 November 1981 and 27 September 1983, although members of the troupe still appeared on the show in this time and beyond their residence outside their capacity as members of Zoo.
Their first appearance on TOTP featured a routine to the Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
's "Twilight".
Members
As they were styled as a repertory dance group, the line-up for Zoo varied in each of their Top of the Pops routines. While many dancers appeared regularly during the bulk of the troupe's run on the show, some dancers seemed to appear only once.However, some continuity from the previous TOTP dance troupe 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....
was maintained. Anita Mahadervan, who had been a member of Legs & Co. for their last six months on TOTP, appeared on most of Zoo's early dance routines. Another Legs & Co. dancer, Sue Menhenick, who had been part of the various TOTP dance troupes from 1974 to October 1981, was invited to return for one edition in December 1981 and was credited as a member of Zoo on the show's end titles.
The number of dancers involved in a Zoo routine varied from one (Sue Menhenick, who danced to Jon & Vangelis' "I'll Find My Way Home" on 17 December 1981, and Maureen (surname unknown), who danced to Derek and the Dominos
Derek and the Dominos
Derek and the Dominos were a blues rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon, who had all played with Clapton in Delaney, Bonnie & Friends...
' "Layla
Layla
"Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally released by their blues-rock band, Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs...
" on 18 March 1982) to twelve (for the 1981 and 1982 two-part Christmas specials, and the 2 September 1982 edition).
Former World and UK disco dancing and freestyle champions Julie Brown and Clive Clarke auditioned and danced to Lets Groove Tonight by Kool and the Gang as the first members of the Zoo Experience in the autumn of 1981.
Clive Clarke performed in the last ever performance of Zoo with the choreographer Les Child.
The total number of dancers who ever appeared as part of a Zoo line-up is uncertain, but among the regular members of Zoo were:
- "Downtown" Julie BrownDowntown Julie BrownJulie Dorne Brown, also known as Downtown Julie Brown , is an English actress and former MTV VJ.Of mixed race, Brown's father, Valentine Brown, was Jamaican and her mother, Doreen, is white...
- Clive Clarke or "Clive Rubber-Man Clarke"
- Sharon "Sid" HaywoodeSidney HaywoodeHaywoode is an English female singer. She is best known for the 1986 UK Top 20 hit single, "Roses". She later also recorded under the name Sid Haywoode.-Career:...
- Julie Harris
- Jeanette Landray
- Eddie Kemp
- Anita Mahadervan
- Voyd (Yvonne Evans)
- Debbie Fox (Foxy)
- Penni Dunlop
- Jon Peterson
- Alison Thomas
- Michelle Taylor
"Flick Colby's Zoo"
There were at least two occasions where individual members of Zoo choreographed the troupe's dance routine on TOTP in place of Flick Colby. These occurred on 8 April 1982, with a routine to ShalamarShalamar
Shalamar was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius...
's "I Can Make You Feel Good", choreographed by Radford Quist, and 21 July 1983, with a routine to Gary Byrd and the GB Experience's "The Crown", choreographed by Eddie Kemp (which also featured Dee Iva of early robotic duo Flex).
These are believed to be the only dance routines by the resident dance troupe featured on TOTP between 1970 and 1983 which were not credited to Flick Colby. On these occasions, the troupe were introduced by the presenter, and named on the programme's end credits, as "Flick Colby's Zoo", with the member responsible for choreographing the routine given an individual credit.
The end of Zoo
Zoo's tenure as the TOTP resident dance troupe coincided with the development of the music video. While previous dance troupes appeared almost every week on TOTP since the early 1970s, the troupe did not appear on the edition broadcast on 27 November 1981, and throughout 1982 it was common for Zoo to appear only once a month on TOTP as the show chose to broadcast a band or artist's video if they were unable to commit to a studio appearance.As 1982 drew to a close and 1983 began, Zoo's appearances became less frequent - no credited routines were featured from 30 December 1982 to 24 February 1983.
Zoo's last credited routine for TOTP was shown on 27 September 1983. Female dancer Jeanette appeared alongside Clive Clarke, Les Child and two female dancers in a routine to Unique's "What I Got Is What You Need". This episode was also the last one to feature Flick Colby's involvement as "Dance Director", rounding off a 15 year association with Top of the Pops.
A replacement?
The Top of the Pops production team did not directly put together a replacement for Zoo or Flick Colby. Instead, a varying line-up of dancers were individually invited to appear on the programme, many of whom became regular sights on TOTP dancing among the audience during the mid 1980s. This collection of dancers became known to the production staff as "cheerleaders", and they were seen on the programme until early 1986. At least three dancers who were ever credited as a member of Zoo; Pinky, Sandie and Tony; became "cheerleaders".Life after Zoo
Some of the dancers who appeared in routines by Zoo went on to achieve success after leaving the troupe:- Clive Clarke Became a choreographer for films, commercials and pop-promotionals working with an international cast of music performers throughout the 80s and 90s FIlm Credits Blue Juice and Chaplin http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=710C1717799CEDEA
- "Downtown" Julie Brown combined her appearances on TOTP with co-hosting duties on children's series Crackerjack. In the late 1980s, she moved to the United States to become an MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
presenter (most notably host of Club MTVClub MTVClub MTV was a half hour television show molded after American Bandstand that aired on MTV between the years 1985 and 1992. Club MTV was part of MTV's second generation of programming when they were phasing out the original 5 VJs and introducing new ones.-Background and format:Hosted by Downtown...
) and actress. She also appeared as a contestant in the American version of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here is a reality television game show series in which 8 to 15 celebrities live together in a jungle environment for a few weeks. They have no luxuries, and compete to win a cash prize...
in 2003.
- Sharon "Sid" Haywoode became a singer, best known for her hit "Roses", which reached Number 11 in the UK single charts in 1986. She also provided vocals for Dutch band The Limit's single "Say Yeah!". She later moved to the United States to continue her singing career. Prior to joining Zoo, she appeared on The Benny Hill ShowThe Benny Hill ShowThe Benny Hill Show is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill.There were various incarnations of the show between 1951 and 1991, and it aired in over 140 countries. The show is generally sketch-based with heavy use of slapstick, mime, parody and double-entendre...
during the 1980 series as one of the "Hill's Angels."
- Julie Harris joined the line-up of Tight Fit before the release of their UK Number 1 version of "The Lion Sleeps TonightThe Lion Sleeps Tonight"The Lion Sleeps Tonight", also known as "Wimoweh" and originally as "Mbube", is a song recorded by Solomon Linda and his group The Evening Birds for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. It was covered internationally by many 1950s pop and folk revival artists, including The Weavers,...
", and went on to record under the name "Chopper Harris".
- Anita Mahadervan combined her appearances with Zoo with her role in Legs & Co., who continued their dancing career after leaving TOTP in 1981. In the summer of 1982, she appeared twice on TOTP as a member of Toto Coelo. She later joined the band Cherry Bombz.
- Voyd was in the original cast of Starlight Express and continued with the show for years. She was also in the musical version of Kit Williams Masquerade with Sarah Brightman. Appeared in the movies Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, It Couldn't Happen Here, videos for Depeche Mode (Just can't get enough) and Buck's Fizz (London Town). Voyd was a favourite dancer of Arlene Phillips and assisted her for many years.
- Penni Dunlop was part of Hot GossipHot Gossip-Formation:Arlene Phillips came to London to learn and teach developing American Jazz dance routines. Employed as a dance teacher, she taught at locations including the Pineapple Dance Studios and the Italia Conti Stage School. In 1974, Phillips started forming the core of a troupe; Italia Conti...
and appeared with them on The Kenny Everett Show. She was in the original cast of Chess with Debbie Fox(Foxy). Penni was also in a dance group called "Shock", but was replaced by Carole Caplin.
- Jeanette Landray was recruited to perform lead vocals on the Blue SunshineBlue SunshineBlue Sunshine is the only album by the British supergroup The Glove, which was first released in 1983. This album mainly served as a diversion for Robert Smith and Steven Severin when both of them were under heavy stress in their respective bands The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees...
album by The CureThe CureThe Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
/Siouxsie & The BansheesSiouxsie & the BansheesSiouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bassist Steven Severin. Initially associated with the English punk rock scene, the band rapidly evolved to create "a form of post-punk discord full of daring rhythmic and sonic experimentation"...
side-project/super-group, The GloveThe GloveThe Glove was a short-lived one-off alternative rock supergroup, formed in 1982 by The Cure's Robert Smith and Siouxsie and the Banshees' Steven Severin.-History:...
.
- Jon Peterson performed on the West End most notably in Cats. Appeared in Duran DuranDuran DuranDuran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
's Wild Boys video promo with Eddie Kemp.