"I could have been a June Taylor Dancer!"
--Divine as Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray"
(1988)
Darlings, when "The Jackie Gleason Show" was all the rage on Saturday night, in the Sixties, I used to watch the variety hour because of the June Taylor Dancers. Long before the Rockettes or "She Demons," I wanted to be one of these. Just look at this image! Imagination if they had been our mothers; now it would be all of us standing on those diving boards.
Think how great they all looked. And still do. I am telling you, on our recent bus trip to New Hope, I saw some women who might have been former June Taylor Dancers.
Were any of my girls out there actual members? Or related to one? If so, share, share, darlings!!!!!!!!!! Inquiring minds want to know.
What would I be doing now, had I been a June Taylor Dancer? Probably running a dance studio out on Route 3, in New Jersey, because they need one badly there!!!!
But how would I get out there, every day, from Bay Ridge??????????
"A dancer dances," dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
About 10 years ago, I worked with a girl whose mother was a June Taylor dancer. She had already passed on. I think the girl thought I was a bit strange, as I spent days asking her questions. Sadly, she didn't seem to have too much info. She wasn't even born when her mom was dancing. Shortly afterward, she told me she was in her dad's law office, where she met an older woman who had once been an actress, but my co-worker had never heard of her. The actress's name? Carroll Baker!
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ReplyDeleteI guess this girl had no value of her show business heritage. Especially when you combine this with the story about Carroll Baker! Wow!