L. A. Knockers 8 dancers

Kimberlee, Becky, Jennifer, Patti

July 7, 2010

Another Hollywood movie spoof, the 1939 classic “Wizard of Oz”

Kimberlee Carlson as Tin Man, Becky Jordan as Dorothy, Jennifer Stace as Scarecrow, Patti Nelson as the cowardly Lion.

The L.A. Knockers have gone from 3 to 5 to 8 dancers.  Here’s the new line-up in a publicity photo.  Debbie Petersen, Leticia Ibarra, Jennifer Stace, Kimberlee Carlson, Jolli Neal, Kim Blank, (front) Becky Jordan, Patti Nelson.

Debbie, Leticia, Jennifer, Kimberlee, Jolli, Kim, Becky, Patti

L. A. Knockers new dancers

Debbie, Jolli, Leticia

July 7, 2010

Here’s 3 new dancers added to the line-up in late 1979.

Debbie Petersen, Jolli Neal, Leticia Ibarra.

We have lost track of them, if anyone knows how to contact them, please send us their email.  Thanks!

Kim

Leticia, Kim, Debbie

The fourth dancer, Kim Blank, hidden by a mask in the photo below, in the middle between Leticia Ibarra and Debbie Petersen, dancing the number “Have a Cigar”, is very much around, an accomplished choreographer.  You may want to take a dance class from her! Take a look at her website.

And here is Kim (Kimberly) Blank again in her boxer outfit.

Pop Quiz!  But you had seen her face before, although upside down, as the lady in white threatened by Dracula, in a previous post.  Go back and take a look!

L.A. Knockers in Rapture

Kim, Dee Dee, Kimberlee, Lisa, Becky, Marilyn, Suzi

July 9, 2010

For this photo session from August 1982, in fashionable black outfits for the opening number “Rapture”, we find that 3 favorite dancers have come back into the L. A. Knockers line-up: Kim Blank, Kimberlee Carlson and Marilyn Corwin.  Then we have 3 new dancers:  Lisa Lecover (Kessler), Suzi Lonergan, Dee Dee Rescher.  See a photo of the three of them below.  And the blonde bombshell Marilyn Corwin happily back and dancing with Becky Jordan.

Lisa, Suzi, Dee Dee

Marilyn, Becky

L.A. Knockers love Jennifer

Lisa, Kimberlee, Dee Dee, Marilyn, Kim, Suzi, Becky

July 9, 2010

The 6 girls line up, like dancers do, in their multi-colored leotards and fishnet stockings:  Lisa Lecover (Kessler), Kimberlee Carlson, Dee Dee Rescher, Marilyn Corwin, Kim Blank, Suzi Lonergan, Becky Jordan.
Then they huddle around Jennifer Stace, beaming in her short hairdo, who loves all of her girls like a big sister and they love her back.

Marilyn, Kimberlee, Dee Dee, Lisa, Becky, Suzi, Jennifer, Kim

L.A. Knockers do the Twist

Lisa, Suzi, Becky, Kim

July 9, 2010

Here’s a hot dance number inspired by the Twist, choreographed by Vincent Paterson, especially for the L.A. Knockers’ upcoming tour to Tokyo, Japan.  In wigs and short dresses: Lisa Lecover (Kessler), Suzi Lonergan, Becky Jordan, Kim Blank.

Watch the other video edited by Marilyn Corwin for You Tube: Part 1.

L. A. Knockers Japan

Japan postcard

July 15, 2010

The LA Knockers performed in Japan for 3 years in a row (1980, 1981, 1982), at the Latin Quarter club in Tokyo, and became very popular.  Here are 2 postcards we found, thanks to DeeDee, about their last engagement in October 1982.

Jennifer remembers: “We were booked in Japan for six weeks over a three year period. What a treat. We had a magnificent stage at the Latin Quarter in Akasaka, fabulous lighting and great audiences. The Japanese men were crazy about us, big goofey girls, and they understood our comedy. We stayed in darling tiny rooms at the Akasaka Hotel and were showered with huge bouquets of exotic flowers.  Those photos from the postcards hung on the wall of the Latin Quarter advertising our show. It was trippy!  It was a sensational booking!  We fell in love with the country and the people.” read more under comments…

Some of the regular dancers were not able to travel.  DeeDee wrote to us about her very good reason to stay home: she had been cast as Sally Bowles in CABARET!  Jennifer was very understanding and sent her these postcards, that she framed.  Read her amusing story under comments.

Japan postcard

L.A. Knockers Lhasa Club

Lhasa club

July 15, 2010

In January 1983, I was having an exhibit of my photographs at the Lhasa Club (see here the invitation, designed by my friend Ave Pildas).  We were planning a big party for opening night, so I asked Jennifer if the LA Knockers could perform.  She graciously agreed and organized a special show for the occasion, in the cast, along with Kim Blank and Suzi Lonergan, as regulars, were some of the replacement dancers who had just returned from their 8 weeks engagement in Japan.

It was a big success, more that 200 people attended, watched the printed images on the walls and a slide show in the theater, then were exhilarated by the amazing performance of the L.A Knockers.

I took some snapshots, so here they are.

Lhasa Club

Lhasa Club

L.A. Knockers Black & White

Jennifer, Becky, Kimberlee, Arnold, Phillip

Becky, Patti, Kim, Kimberlee, Jennifer, Leticia, Jolli, Debbie

July 28, 2010

Throughout the years, every time we did those studio sessions that you see illustrated above, Jennifer also asked me to shoot B&W negatives, so that prints could be made to advertise the LA Knockers upcoming engagements.
I was happy to help out that way, so we did that as well and many photos were printed for this purpose.
And they worked too!

See how the Los Angeles Magazine used one of them in their January 1980 issue, and other examples.

Leticia, Jolli, Kimberlee, Jennifer, Becky, Debbie, Kim, Patti

Jennifer, Becky, Marilyn, Kimberlee, Patti

Kim Blank

Kim

August 3, 2010
Kim wrote (August 17)
My first performance with Jennifer Stace and The L.A. Knockers was in 1975.  I was introduced by Joan Wulfsohn, it was during the period when Jennifer and Joan were both teaching at Dupree Dance Academy on 3rd St. in L.A.  Between then and sometime in the mid-80’s I had the chance to perform with the group in various clubs and venues in L.A., and to travel to Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, El Toro Marine Base, and Tokyo, Japan.  Beginning with a New Year’s Eve performance for the dawning of the 1980’s, we had a regular gig working  at the venerable El Cid of Silver Lake (we alternated with the Flamenco show, performing for the locals, as well as Japanese tourists.)  Along the way I had the opportunity to test my skills as a dancer/performer and choreographer, and assume some wild and outrageous costumes and identities while I was still searching for my own.  It was fun, tough, crazy, eye-opening, and amazing!!!  I made friends lifelong friends in the process.
A few months ago I attended a concert that featured three acts, dominated by women; I was transported back to my days with the L.A. Knockers, by the music, the apparel, the wigs, the attitudes, the raw energy, and style.  I didn’t want to say, to my young friends, “been there, done, that…”  but yeah…kinda had been!
So thanks for this fabulous layout Elisa!!!  Thank you for documenting us so aptly and beautifully, back then, and and thank you for bringing it all up to date for us now.  All my love to my fellow Knockers.  Thank you Jennifer, for giving us an opportunity to work, develop and be creative!!!

I currently teach a full schedule of dance and fitness classes in L.A., and work doing  choreography for film, television, and commercials. kimblank.com

Kimberlee as Dracula 1979

Kimberly and Kimberlee

Kimberlee as Dracula.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 19, 2015

Here’s another pose of Kimberlee Carlson as Dracula, biting the neck of Kim Blank.
See the color post about the movie spoofs at the Playboy Club show.
See the page dedicated to Kimberlee with her story.
See more photos of this dance routine in Black & White in this post and one more here.

Bite away!

 

 

White leotards 1979

Jolli, Patti, Becky, Kim, Kimberlee, Leticia, Jennifer, Debbie

June 24, 2015

This dance routine in white leotards, chains and leggings, created for the 1979 Playboy Club show, is called “Vision Aurora,” a song composed by Michael Cavenaugh, the son of Jennifer Stace.

(standing) Jolli Neal, Patti Nelson, Becky Jordan, Kim Blank, (kneeling) Kimberlee Carlson, Leticia Ibarra,  Jennifer Stace, Debbie Petersen.

See another color photo on this post, and a B&W here.

Kimberlee, Jennifer, Becky, Patti

Becky, Kimberlee, Jennifer, Patti

Square format

Lisa, Kimberlee, Dee Dee, Marilyn, Kim, Suzi, Becky.

July 24, 2015
At that same photo session of August 1982, besides using my Nikon 35mm cameras, I also shot a roll of Ektachrome 120mm film, larger square format, with my Hasselblad.  So you can see the dancers’ full figures above: Lisa Le Cover (Kessler), Kimberlee Carlson, Dee Dee Rescher, Marilyn Corwin, Kim Blank, Suzi Lonergan, Becky Jordan. And below another pose with the same dancers and costumes, on 35mm, smaller size film, rectangular format. See earlier post. And how these photos were printed on postcards to advertise the LA Knockers performances in Tokyo, Japan.

Kimberlee, Dee Dee, Kim, Lisa, Marilyn, Suzi, Becky.

Let’s Twist Again

Lisa, Suzi, Becky, Kim.

July 25, 2015
Photo session in my studio, August 1982. 1960s mini-skirts for the Twist dance routine: Lisa Le Cover (Kessler), Suzi Lonergan, Becky Jordan, Kim Blank.
Above a 35mm photo, smaller rectangular format, with my Nikon FE2 camera.
Below a 120mm square format photo, shot with my Hasselblad camera. See earlier post

Lisa, Suzi, Becky, Kim