Post by Equus on Sept 20, 2014 7:41:20 GMT
"I have written this down from the sleeve notes of A Passion Play, An Extended Performance... I give you the wonderful Jane Eve (Colthorpe)" - Equus
Jane Colthorpe - The Ballerina
Jane Eve (formerly Colthorpe) on creating the A Passion Play album cover and dancing with a newt.
I started dancing at the age of 3, and at 12 I went to Bush Davies, a vocational boarding school, finishing my training at Andrew Hardies in South Kensington.
At 19 I continued going to regular classical ballet and jazz dance classes at The Dance Centre in Floral Street, Covent Garden, London. One day I noticed an advert on the notice board stating, 'Two ballerinas wanted for a music film', There were no mention of either Jethro Tull or Chrysalis Records. I didn't really know much about the band beforehand. I listened to either classical music or the current, seventies, chart music.
I can't remember much about the audition, although I remember Ian Anderson being there. I think it was in a small hall somewhere in north London. I met another girl there who I knew from Bush Davies and we both got the job. However, her mother decided she didn't like the idea of her daughter rehearsing in a hotel off the Finchley Road with a rock band! Another girl called Ginnie ended up being in 'The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles' with me; sadly I can't remember her surname so I'm unable to trace her.
Other than performing in 'Carmina Burana' with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, 'The Hare...' was the only other professional classical ballet I have done, as afterwards I was offered a jazz-dancing job through Arlene Phillips , of BBC 'Strictly Come Dancing' fame.
Reading the original contract it states , '2 days filming and up to 12 days rehearsals at a fee of £25 per day', which I think was reasonable money for 1973. Dancing the rehearsal period at the Clive Hotel I was given the script and discussed ideas for the choreography with Ian.
The outside shots were filmed in February at Burnham Beeches, a magical woodland in Buckinghamshire, and I remember it being freezing cold. The film unit had those big blow heaters that I kept going back to between shots and then getting cold again. I still have the red tutu and hat worn during the night scenes towards the end of the film. They were specially made for the film by costumiers Morris Angels, the tutu is tiny!
The interior stage shots were filmed at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, North London. The shots of me running up the stairs chased by a cameraman were filmed backstage there and I actually did fall up the stairs cutting my chin, which was kept in the final version.
Ian was very sure of what he wanted in the film, such as the traditional maypole dance, so I was able to help him to achieve this by assisting with choreography.
My mother, Doreen Colthorpe, is also in the film, she's the tea lady in the wings and is later seen waltzing with the frogman, a dance which I had to teach everyone. Ian was my partner dressed as the Newt. Barrie was the Bee as he wanted to have a go at flying. I'm sure Jeffrey was in the Hippo suit during the dance, Martin was the Owl and maybe John Evans was the Hare.
The beginning film shown during the 'A Passion Play' tour, where I am rising and jumping through the mirror, was filmed separately, possibly at Lee International film studios in Wembley, north London. I remember there were pictures of Steptoe and Son on the walls of the dressing room as they had filmed there and used that dressing room. My voiceover was done later in the recording studio in Soho. Someone recently pointed out that I say 'somefing' rather than 'something'!
The advert had been just for the film, but I was then asked to be on the album cover. Brian Ward is credited as the photographer, but I had thought that Anthony Crickmay had been involved as he was a renowned ballet photographer. However, it was 40 years ago and over time things get mixed up together.
The theme for the album cover was death and rebirth. The death picture, on the front cover, was shot at the Duke of York's Theatre in St Martin's Lane. We tried a few dead poses and I came up with the final position, with the make-up lady dripping the blood from the corner of my mouth. I also have a dead leaf in my left hand, but both of these are hard to see in the final picture. The photo was taken from the stage looking out into the auditorium so you can see the three circles of the theatre.
The back cover shot, rebirth, was taken in a professional photographic studio. This is why I had thought it was by Anthony Crickmay, as he would be experienced in taking shots of classical dancers. Ian wanted the rebirth to look joyful and uplifting so after trying out several different ballet positions Ian chose the arabesque. I think I was holding a flower in my left hand, again this can't be seen in the final picture.
I was backstage at the concert at the Wembley Empire Pool and my parents were in the audience. I imagined they found it very different from anything they had been to before. Of course being a rock concert it was very loud so my mother turned her hearing aid off, but I know she still enjoyed the experience. The show started with a bassy heartbeat with a spotlight flashing on the screen which gradually became the image of me in the death pose, slowly rising as the heartbeats increased, standing and performing a grande jeté through the mirror as the band burst into playing, along with the flash of pyrotechnics. All very exciting for a 19 year old! I don't think any bands had used a film in a concert like that before.
After working with Jethro Tull, I joined dance group The Love Machine, appearing on The Benny Hill Show and touring around discos and cabaret clubs throughout the UK and Europe. I went on to join dance group Hot Gossip (then known by my professional stage name, Jane Newman) choreographed by Arlene Phillips, regularly appearing on The Kenny Everett Television Show. Two other films I have danced in are 'Can't Stop the Music' with the Village People and Monty Python's 'The Meaning Of Life'. My last full time job was Arlene Phillip's assistant on 'Starlight Express'. At the same time as bringing up two sons I continued to teach dance, then in 2012 completed a BA (Hons) degree in dance studies . I continue to teach, including working with young adults with mixed disabilities, and also still dance. The passion has never left me!
Jane Eve was talking to Don Needham.
Jane Colthorpe - The Ballerina
Jane Eve (formerly Colthorpe) on creating the A Passion Play album cover and dancing with a newt.
I started dancing at the age of 3, and at 12 I went to Bush Davies, a vocational boarding school, finishing my training at Andrew Hardies in South Kensington.
At 19 I continued going to regular classical ballet and jazz dance classes at The Dance Centre in Floral Street, Covent Garden, London. One day I noticed an advert on the notice board stating, 'Two ballerinas wanted for a music film', There were no mention of either Jethro Tull or Chrysalis Records. I didn't really know much about the band beforehand. I listened to either classical music or the current, seventies, chart music.
I can't remember much about the audition, although I remember Ian Anderson being there. I think it was in a small hall somewhere in north London. I met another girl there who I knew from Bush Davies and we both got the job. However, her mother decided she didn't like the idea of her daughter rehearsing in a hotel off the Finchley Road with a rock band! Another girl called Ginnie ended up being in 'The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles' with me; sadly I can't remember her surname so I'm unable to trace her.
Other than performing in 'Carmina Burana' with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, 'The Hare...' was the only other professional classical ballet I have done, as afterwards I was offered a jazz-dancing job through Arlene Phillips , of BBC 'Strictly Come Dancing' fame.
Reading the original contract it states , '2 days filming and up to 12 days rehearsals at a fee of £25 per day', which I think was reasonable money for 1973. Dancing the rehearsal period at the Clive Hotel I was given the script and discussed ideas for the choreography with Ian.
The outside shots were filmed in February at Burnham Beeches, a magical woodland in Buckinghamshire, and I remember it being freezing cold. The film unit had those big blow heaters that I kept going back to between shots and then getting cold again. I still have the red tutu and hat worn during the night scenes towards the end of the film. They were specially made for the film by costumiers Morris Angels, the tutu is tiny!
The interior stage shots were filmed at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, North London. The shots of me running up the stairs chased by a cameraman were filmed backstage there and I actually did fall up the stairs cutting my chin, which was kept in the final version.
Ian was very sure of what he wanted in the film, such as the traditional maypole dance, so I was able to help him to achieve this by assisting with choreography.
My mother, Doreen Colthorpe, is also in the film, she's the tea lady in the wings and is later seen waltzing with the frogman, a dance which I had to teach everyone. Ian was my partner dressed as the Newt. Barrie was the Bee as he wanted to have a go at flying. I'm sure Jeffrey was in the Hippo suit during the dance, Martin was the Owl and maybe John Evans was the Hare.
The beginning film shown during the 'A Passion Play' tour, where I am rising and jumping through the mirror, was filmed separately, possibly at Lee International film studios in Wembley, north London. I remember there were pictures of Steptoe and Son on the walls of the dressing room as they had filmed there and used that dressing room. My voiceover was done later in the recording studio in Soho. Someone recently pointed out that I say 'somefing' rather than 'something'!
The advert had been just for the film, but I was then asked to be on the album cover. Brian Ward is credited as the photographer, but I had thought that Anthony Crickmay had been involved as he was a renowned ballet photographer. However, it was 40 years ago and over time things get mixed up together.
The theme for the album cover was death and rebirth. The death picture, on the front cover, was shot at the Duke of York's Theatre in St Martin's Lane. We tried a few dead poses and I came up with the final position, with the make-up lady dripping the blood from the corner of my mouth. I also have a dead leaf in my left hand, but both of these are hard to see in the final picture. The photo was taken from the stage looking out into the auditorium so you can see the three circles of the theatre.
The back cover shot, rebirth, was taken in a professional photographic studio. This is why I had thought it was by Anthony Crickmay, as he would be experienced in taking shots of classical dancers. Ian wanted the rebirth to look joyful and uplifting so after trying out several different ballet positions Ian chose the arabesque. I think I was holding a flower in my left hand, again this can't be seen in the final picture.
I was backstage at the concert at the Wembley Empire Pool and my parents were in the audience. I imagined they found it very different from anything they had been to before. Of course being a rock concert it was very loud so my mother turned her hearing aid off, but I know she still enjoyed the experience. The show started with a bassy heartbeat with a spotlight flashing on the screen which gradually became the image of me in the death pose, slowly rising as the heartbeats increased, standing and performing a grande jeté through the mirror as the band burst into playing, along with the flash of pyrotechnics. All very exciting for a 19 year old! I don't think any bands had used a film in a concert like that before.
After working with Jethro Tull, I joined dance group The Love Machine, appearing on The Benny Hill Show and touring around discos and cabaret clubs throughout the UK and Europe. I went on to join dance group Hot Gossip (then known by my professional stage name, Jane Newman) choreographed by Arlene Phillips, regularly appearing on The Kenny Everett Television Show. Two other films I have danced in are 'Can't Stop the Music' with the Village People and Monty Python's 'The Meaning Of Life'. My last full time job was Arlene Phillip's assistant on 'Starlight Express'. At the same time as bringing up two sons I continued to teach dance, then in 2012 completed a BA (Hons) degree in dance studies . I continue to teach, including working with young adults with mixed disabilities, and also still dance. The passion has never left me!
Jane Eve was talking to Don Needham.