This is a list of ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

'' dance troupes.

Chronology

January to October 1964 – no dance troupes

In the era before promotional videos 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 any other footage, but by October 1964 a decision was made to at least occasionally bring in a

dance troupe A dance troupe or dance company is a group of dancers and associated personnel who work together to perform dances as a sport, spectacle or entertainment. There are many different types of dance companies, often working in different list of dance ...

with a choreographed routine to some of the tracks.

November 1964 to April 1968 – The Go-Jos

An initial candidate troupe was the existing BBC TV Beat Girls, but an ex-dancer from the Beat Girls,

Jo Cook Jo Cook (born 22 March 1984) is a former British rower. Rowing career Cook began rowing in 1996 at Lady Eleanor Holles School. In 2000, she competed at the 20024 and 2005 World Rowing U23 Championships. She made her senior debut in 2009. She ...

, was eventually engaged to create a troupe, the all-female Go-Jos., with Cook as

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

. The Go-Jos also worked outside of Top of the Pops, notably for two years on the

Val Doonican Michael Valentine Doonican (3 February 1927 – 1 July 2015) was an Irish singer of traditional pop, easy listening, and novelty songs, who was noted for his warm and relaxed style. A crooner, he found popular success, especially in the Un ...

show – Doonican said in 1968 “I thought the Gojos were fabulous, something really new. When I got my own television series I just had to have them with me.” They were initially a three-piece (Pat Hughes for the first edition only, Linda Hotchkin and Jane Bartlett), but their number eventually grew to six ( Hotchkin, Bartlett, Lesley Larbey, Wendy Hilhouse, Barbara van der Heyde and Thelma Bignell) with Cook as full-time choreographer.

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...

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 risqué." Cook herself said of working on the Doonican show (of which she was dance director) comparing to Top of the Pops, “Pop steps are limited...With Val we have more scope, and we can work to get more of the feel of ballet into our numbers.”

May to June 1968 – Go-Jos/Pan's People transition

In April 1968, a Top of the Pops choreographer, Virginia Mason, auditioned for dancers for a routine on Top of The Pops (

Simon Says Simon Says is a children's game for three or more players. One player takes the role of "Simon" and issues instructions (usually physical actions such as "jump in the air" or "stick out your tongue") to the other players, which should be follow ...

by the

1910 Fruitgum Company The 1910 Fruitgum Company is an American bubblegum pop band of the 1960s. The group's ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hits were "Simon Says", "May I Take a Giant Step", " 1, 2, 3, Red Light", "Goody Goody Gumdrops", "Indian Giver", "Special Delivery", an ...

); two of whom that were successful ( Ruth Pearson and Patricia "Dee Dee" Wilde) 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 (

Louise Clarke Pan's People were a British all-female dance troupe most commonly associated with the BBC TV music chart show ''Top of the Pops'', from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s. They appeared on many other TV shows in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, and a ...

, Felicity "Flick" Colby, Barbara "Babs" Lord, Pearson, Andrea "Andi" Rutherford 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

Jumping Jack Flash "Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as a non-album single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, the song was perceived by some as t ...

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

July 1968 to April 1976 – Pan's People

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 £56 per 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."

May to October 1976 – Ruby Flipper

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; Cherry Gillespie, Mary Corpe,

Lee Ward Lee Ward is a Canadian academic currently teaching political science at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and formerly Alpha Sigma Nu Distinguished Professor of Campion College at the University of Regina. He is an Associate Professor of Politica ...

and Sue Menhenick. 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,

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 The original Ruby Flipper line-up consisted of four female danc ...

, 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.". 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 seven-piece with three men ( Gavin Trace, Floyd Pearce and Phil Steggles) and four women (Menhenick, Gillespie, Patti Hammond and Lulu Cartwright). 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. 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 insisting on a replacement all-female grouping. Flick Colby recalled of this time “

Bill Cotton Sir William Frederick Cotton (23 April 1928 – 11 August 2008) was a British television producer and executive, and the son of dance band leader Billy Cotton. The TV and radio presenter Fearne Cotton is related to him, as he was her paternal ...

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."

November 1976 to October 1981 – Legs & Co

The group created to replace Ruby Flipper was

Legs & Co Legs & Co. were a dance troupe created in 1976 for the BBC's weekly ''Top of the Pops'' programme. They had made over three hundred appearances on this show by the time of their last performance in 1981. The group then continued for four further y ...

, 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 Rosie Hetherington, Gill Clarke and Pauline Peters making up the six. Despite being an all-female group, on occasion one or more male dancers were brought in, notably Pearce several times. 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.

December 1981 to September 1983 – Zoo

By late 1981, Legs & Co (by this time Anita Chellamah 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

Michael Hurll Michael Hurll (7 October 1936 – 18 September 2012) was a British television producer who specialized in the comedy and light entertainment genres. He produced many British TV shows including ''The Two Ronnies'', ''Top of the Pops ''Top of ...

. 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

Zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes. The term ''zoological g ...

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 from the synchronised appearance of previous troupes.

October 1983 to 2006 – After Zoo

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. 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.

Dance Troupe chronology

Go-Jos' first performance: 19 November 1964 – Dancing to

Baby Love "Baby Love" is a song by American music group the Supremes from their second studio album, ''Where Did Our Love Go''. It was written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland and was released on September 17, 1964. ...

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

Pan's People first performance (three of the dancers, independently contracted): April 1968 – Dancing to Young Girl by

Gary Puckett & The Union Gap Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (initially credited as The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett) was an American pop rock group active in the late 1960s. The group, formed by Gary Puckett, Gary "Mutha" Withem, Dwight Bement, Kerry Chater and Paul Wheat ...

Respect Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of ...

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

Pan's People's first performance (as the six-piece group of early 1968): 30 May 1968 – Dancing to U.S. Male by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

Go-Jos' final performance: 27 June 1968 – Dancing to

Pan's People's final performance: 29 April 1976 – Dancing to

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

by The Four Seasons Ruby Flipper's first performance: 6 May 1976 – Dancing to Can't Help Falling In Love by

The Stylistics The Stylistics are an American, Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith and James Dunn. All of ...

Ruby Flipper's final performance: 14 October 1976 – Dancing to

Play That Funky Music "Play That Funky Music" is a song written by Rob Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry. The single was the first released by the Cleveland-based Sweet City record label in April 1976 and distributed by Epic Records. The performers on th ...

by Wild Cherry Legs & Co's first performance (credited as ??????): 21 October 1976 – Dancing to

Queen Of My Soul Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

Average White Band The Average White Band (also known as AWB) are a Scottish funk and R&B band that had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They are best known for their million-selling instrumental track " Pick Up the Pieces", and their album ...

Legs & Co's first performance (credited as Legs & Co): 11 November 1976 – Dancing to Spinning Rock Boogie by Hank C. Burnette Legs & Co's final performance: 29 October 1981 – Dancing to

Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" is the debut single by the British new wave band Haircut One Hundred, released in October 1981 by Arista Records. The song appears on their 1982 debut album '' Pelican West''. It reached No. 4 on the UK Single ...

Haircut 100 Haircut One Hundred (also Haircut 100) were a British new wave group formed in 1980 in Beckenham, London by Nick Heyward, Les Nemes and Graham Jones. In 1981 and 1982, the band scored four UK top 10 hit singles: " Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets ...

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. Zoo's first performance: 5 November 1981 – Dancing to

Twilight Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this il ...

E.L.O. The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical a ...

Zoo's final performance: 29 September 1983 – Dancing to ''What I Got Is What You Need'' by Unique The full-height vertical lines indicate the last performance of each troupe. 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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Top of the Pops dance troupes, List of Top of the Pops