L.A. Knockers dance

Kimberlee, Becky, jennifer

July 7, 2010

It’s frustrating to look at photos of dancers, without being able to see them move and sing.

For this experience we recommend watching the L. A. Knockers videos edited by Marilyn Corwin on You Tube.

As the next best thing, we show here a sequence, of this dance number called “Choice”, created for the show at the Playboy Club in late 1979.

First Jennifer, as the fiery Spanish man with a moustache, dances with hot Kimberlee, as a flamenco dancer in a red dress with a rose between her teeth.

Then Jennifer dances with another sexy girl in a read dress.

Finally, the first girl is upset that the man’s attention has shifted to the second girl.  Jealousy!

Please leave your comments, we’ll post them here.

Kimberlee, Jennifer, Becky

Kimberlee, Jennifer

Becky, Jennifer

L. A. Knockers spoof movies

Jennifer and Becky

Kimberlee and Kim (Kimberley)

July 7, 2010

As a recurring theme of the Playboy Club show in late 1979, the L. A. Knockers spoof Hollywood movies.

Jennifer Stace as John Travolta from “Saturday Night Fever” dances with Becky Jordan, as a sexy Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz”.

Kimberlee Carlson as Dracula is about to dig her fangs into the neck of Kim Blank, as the lady in distress in a white nightgown.

And here’s another video, to see the exciting LA Knockers dance: Part 3

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 Playboy Club

Kimberlee, Jennifer, Jolli, Becky, Patti, Boyd

July 7, 2010

The show at the Playboy Club generated rave reviews, see one below from The Hollywood Reporter, November 16, 1979, by Frank Barron.

“L.A. Knockers. Playboy Club, through Dec. 8
The action is hot in the Playboy Club’s living room these nights, courtesy of a dynamite dance group called the L. A. Knockers.  These eight energetic women combine every sort of dancing style, have marvelous sensuality, plus a knack for comedy that has the audience yelling for more.
The Knockers spoof the Village People’s “Women” in various amusing costumes, as well as Dorothy (“The Wizard of Oz”) meeting Dracula, Superman, King Kong and John Travolta (“Saturday Night Fever”) as she dances her way in ruby slippers through the craziness.  There are right-out-front sizzling dance numbers such as “Taxes”, “Love Vibrations” and “Have a Cigar”.
The show is well choreographed by Jennifer Stace, and the costumes by Boyd Clopton, who also directed, are a standout.  This is just the kind of unique and exciting act that the dying nightclub business needs nowadays to liven things.”

Jennifer, Boyd

One reason why this happened is that the dance routines were very ambitious and elaborate, and to help out Jennifer Stace and her wonderful choreography, director Boyd Clopton stepped in and created these imaginative costumes.

See Boyd Clopton above at the feet of  Kimberlee Carlson as Dracula, Jennifer Stace as John Travolta, Jolli Neal as King Kong, Patti Nelson as Superman, Becky Jordan as Dorothy.

And here with Jennifer Stace, both looking hot in black leather.  Boyd sadly passed away ten years later, in 1989, but Jennifer is still alive and kicking, teaching dance to new generations of students.

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 Downtown

Dee Dee, Liz, Kimberlee, Jennifer

Jennifer, Kimberly, Liz, Dee Dee

July 9, 2010

On March 30, 1984, 100 photographers documented the city for the book “24 Hours in the Life of Los Angeles”.  I was one of them and asked the L.A. Knockers if they would pose for me downtown.  Jennifer graciously consented, so here they are, dancing at the Downtown L.A. Cafe (Dee Dee Rescher, Liz Brody, Kimberlee Carlson, Jennifer Stace) and in front of City Hall.
By the way, we’d like to find Liz Brody.  She’s from New York, does anyone know how to contact her?

I wrote an article about this event for the ASMP newsletter (American Society of Magazine Photographers) and a personal account of my experience, this is what I said about the L.A. Knockers.
“This all girls dance group invented and choreographed by Jennifer Stace has been performing in Los Angeles for the last 10 years, always funky and outrageous and constantly avant-garde.
“First we photographed Jennifer, Dee Dee, Liz and Kimberly in their blue outfits in front of the blue and grey sign for the Downtown L.A. Cafe, the artists’ hangout created by Debbie Stone.  Then we walked to the Los Angeles Mall where the L.A. Knockers performed for a bunch of passing-by school children in front of the L.A. Courthouse. Then they pose for us in front of one of the oldest downtown L.A. landmarks: City Hall.”

Dee Dee, Liz, Kimberlee, Elisa, Jennifer

And here’s a self-portrait of your truly, Elisa Leonelli, the photographer, striking a pose with the dancing girls.

It’s been really fun and exciting to create this blog, with the help of Jennifer and the “girls”, all of us still around and involved in various creative endeavours: dancing, teaching, choreographing, acting, writing books, making sauce…

Thanks everyone!!!

Next stay tuned for individual pages.  Please send us your memories and comments, tell us what you’re up to now!

Kimberlee Carlson

Kimberlee

August 3, 2010

Kimberlee Carlson wrote these comments.

In 1976 I was 18 years old when I met Jennifer and the LA Knockers. I had barely managed to graduate from Palmdale High and that summer found myself at a dance class in Hollywood with no plans for the future other than that I love to dance and dance hard. I had had ballet training as a child and in high school was that embarrassing white girl who was always the only one rocking out whenever there was some sort of a rock band or music assembly. Then I find this class and there was Jennifer Stace and the Knockers. All attitude in torn Betsy Johnson tee shirts, giant yellow leg warmers, hot pants, Biba maroon lipstick, saucy smirks and Parliament Funkadelic. I had found a home.

Kimberlee

Diligently I worked my way into the group by first becoming a Knockerette.  This required attending and assisting Jennifer’s classes and keeping her Lucky Strikes lit. Her class was where she created an environment for the wacky and rhythmic. She was audacious and confident.  She created a hybrid style combining street dancing (Locking, Pop Locking, Waacking, etc)  with her ballroom training, which may seem contrary but really worked. The ballroom gave the moves a certain amount of discipline and composure and the street dancing gave it the sex appeal and the attitude. The late 70’s was the beginning of the era of the comedy clubs.  At the Improvisation and the Comedy Store we became the house showgirls with our live band. It was a family affair for Jennifer.  Her son Michael Cavanaugh, a successful funk keyboard player played with us and wrote several originals songs for us. I would say we were the original Pussycat Dolls but with a sense of humor. We didn’t dance like ladies. The style was seriously funky and seriously fun to do and perform. This was the beginning of the era of when street dancing crossed over and became legit and professional (now it’s ubiquitous and is called Hip Hop).

I never had so much fun and I am forever grateful for that experience. Jennifer’s standards and her exacting rhythmic style helped train me to become the dancer and mover that I am today (after several incarnations I am now in Western Montana teaching movement, Feldenkrais, Salsa).  She was my dance mother.

Cinderella

Yana, Jennifer, Marilyn

August 7, 2010

Well, nobody sent us a request to see this old photo, so here it is, a blast from the past (1976).  Jennifer Doyle as Stepmother, Marilyn Corwin as Marbella, Yana Nirvana as Drucella, the wicked stepsisters in this X rated movie version of the classic fairytale, where Cinderella gets help from her “fairy” godmother to become sexier and win over Prince Charming.
You can actually purchase the DVD from Flixster if you’re curious.

The L.A. Knockers appeared in several film and television projects, separately and together.  Marilyn Corwin sent us a funny video, Dancers on John Paragon of Comedy Show, where Marilyn, Yana Nirvana, Becky Jordan, Kimberlee Carlson, Lisa LeCover (Kessler), Liz Brody are dancing in a number about “boobs”, “jugs” “knockers”.

Many former Knockers still work as professional actresses, dancers and choreographers. Others wrote books and started businesses.

Yana Nirvana is creating art sculptures, see slideshow at yananirvana.com

Joan Wulfshon runs a Cellular Recall Healing Center in the Pacific Palisades. Take a look at the website cellularrecalltherapy.com
She has written a book “The Child is not Dead”, read about it on this website: thechildisnotdead.com

Dee Dee Rescher still works as an actress, she has recently started a Chili Pepper sauce business with her husband George. Enjoy their fun website: organicoriginals.org

Suzi Lonergan teaches Pilates. She has made a video, that you can order on her website suzilonergan.com

Kim Blank teaches dance and fitness classes in Los Angeles. Find a description of classes and schedule on her website kimblank.com

Please, all of you Knockers out there, send us your news, tells us what you’re up to now!

Love and thanks
Elisa Leonelli

P.S. I have written a book about Robert Redford. robertredfordamericanwest.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!

 

 

Playboy Club 1979

Jennifer, Boyd

Kimberlee, Jennifer, Patti, Becky, Boyd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 20, 2015

I selected 2 different frames portraying Boyd Clopton, who directed the Playboy Club show in 1979, and created the costumes, with Jennifer Stace in black leather, and as John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever,” Kimberlee Carlson as Dracula, Jolli Neal in the gorilla suit, Patti Nelson as Superman, Becky Jordan as Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz”.
See the earlier photos and more info here.
See B&W photos here, and what Jolli Neal looked like under the gorilla suit.

 

 

 

 

Wizard of Oz 1979

Kimberlee, Becky, Jennifer, Patti

June 21, 2015

Another pose of the dance routine inspired by “The Wizard of Oz” for the Playboy Club show.
Kimberlee Carlson as the Tin Man, Becky Jordan as Dorothy, Jennifer Stace as Scarecrow, Patti Nelson as the Cowardly Lion.
See another color photo here, B&W here

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

Black on Pink

Marilyn, Kimberlee, Becky

July 23, 2015
For this photo session in my studio, August 1982, I put a red gel on the background strobe light to make the white backdrop go slightly pink, contrast the black of the romantic retro costumes, for the dance number “Rapture.” See earlier post
Photo above: Marilyn Corwin, Kimberlee Carlson, Becky Jordan.
Look at the lovely Suzi Lonergan and DeeDee Rescher! See post on DeeDee.

Suzi, Dee Dee

DeeDee

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.