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Jan Boyd (nee Ladner) Channel Seven Ballet photos

Posted by ken On August - 16 - 2009

Jan Boyd (nee Ladner) was one of the Channel Seven dancers, during the mid 1960’s, when Kevan Johnston and Danni Harford were the choreographers.


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Jan was the youngest member of the ballet, when she auditioned for Kevan Johnston.


The girls appeared regularly on In Perth Tonight and Club 7 Teen.


Channel Seven Ballet

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Back row L to R: Jennifer Hayden, Karen Obbs, Danni Harford, Janet Ladner.

Front row L to R: Adrienne O’Meara, Gay Chandler, Clarice Page.


Not only did the girls dance, but they were also asked to mime popular songs, as film of the overseas artists was difficult to come by in those days and miming the songs enabled TVW and other stations the opportunity to have vision accompany the tunes.


Jan explains the events leading to this…

“When I was on Club Seventeen, the dancers were told that each of us would have to have a turn at miming. I was the first…..as you can imagine I was a nervous wreck, I made Danny Harford stand next to the front camera where I could see her, I needed support.

As it turned out I ended up miming every week, and so had to learn a new song every week. Sometimes I would go blank and couldn’t remember all of the words and this would be very frustrating and upsetting for all in the studio. Keith Mackenzie had amazing patience, and would come out on to the floor and quietly talk to me and settle me down. After his calming words I would stand up their and do it perfect. Please tell him for me, that I have never forgotten how much he helped me and would love to catch up with him at the reunion.”


The Channel 7 Dancers appeared on:

  • In Perth Tonight
  • Club Seventeen
  • Miss West Coast Final
  • Grand Final Football Shows

One of our shows, In Perth Tonight, was done at Rottnest Island, where we were filmed dancing in the sand hills and around various parts of the Island.

The dancers and Laurie Baker also performed on the cat walk for Boans Ltd, wearing the latest fashions, and dancing to the latest pop music. We did two performances a day for a week, appearing between 12:00pm and 2:pm.

Boans Ltd, once again asked for the dancers to perform in their store, but this time demonstrating the art of Hoola Hooping. So we practiced all the different ways that we could make the hoops spin while we danced, then we showed the public how it was done.

Appearing at Midnight in a night club for Karl Wigger, was very different, we danced up and down the catwalk, not showing off the latest fashions, but the latest Wigs. Short wigs, longs wigs, a huge variety of shapes, sizes and colours.

General Motors Holden, had the Channel 7 Dancers & Singers perform at His Majesty’s Theatre, in a musical that was based around the holden car. For example the dancers were dressed up as spark plugs, and sang a song ‘Let Us Spark Your Engine’. At the end of the show the new holden was unveiled to all of the holden dealers in the audience.

The whole Club Seventeen cast, were very privileged to be in the last show that was ever performed at the Capital Theatre. The show was called Tenderloin, it was a musical in which the cast could let their hair down and have a ball. Everyone involved in the show, had their names placed in to a Time Capsule which is now buried in the ground where the Capital Theatre used to stand.

Channel 7 Dancers and Singers were in the cast of The Good Oil, produced by Coralie Condon, and directed by Max Bostock, at the Channel 7 studios. The stars were Kevan Johnston and Jill Perryman, Australia’s favourite show biz couple. The tape of this show is wonderful to look back on and will always be treasured.   


Not only did Jan perform on Channel Seven, but so too did her daughters Belinda and Darrylin.

Darrylin was only three when she appeared with Kamahl, as he performed the World Children’s Day song ‘100 Children’ at Beatty Park, for a Miss West Coast Final.


Kamahl and the Shirley Halliday Dancers perform ‘100 Children’


Jan has provided a number of photos relating to the Shirley Halliday Dancers…


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Keith Mackenzie with Chris Beard (Australian born American Producer) filming the Shirley Halliday Dancers at Mongers Lake for the Bob Hope ‘Down Under’ comedy special


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3 year old Belinda McCarthy (Jan’s daughter) in 1975 performed on the first colour ‘Stars of The Future’


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Belinda & Darrylin McCarthy danced at the 1975 Telethon Ball


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Uncle Dominic & Shirley Halliday Dancers at the 1975 Telethon Ball


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Barbara Eden with the Shirley Halliday Dancers in Kings Park for the Bob Hope ‘Down Under’ comedy special


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Sharyn Hatch & Brian Smith with Barbara Eden & the Shirley Halliday Dancers in Kings Park



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Miss Universe 1979 – Shirley Halliday Dancers presented flowers to the 12 finalists



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Miss Universe 1979 – Close up photo – Belinda McCarthy (in front of Miss Brazil), has a lipstick mark on her face when Miss Germany gave her a kiss



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Belinda McCarthy ready to present flowers to finalist Miss Germany



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Miss Universe 1979 – National costume parade (Shirley Halliday students)



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Renea Stoelwinder & Belinda McCarthy (Shirley Halliday Dancers) ready for the National Costume Parade in the Miss Universe Pageant


Recently Jan was sitting up late keeping busy sewing sequins on her grand-daughter’s first dancing exam costume.

We are now in the process of editing a video which features Danni Harford, who covers a wide range of dance subjects. This will be well worth watching when its displayed here on the web site. We have also recorded segments with Kevan Johnston, Brian Smith and Shirley Halliday with her daughter Sharyn. These and more will feature on the web site, in the lead up to the 50th anniversary TVW reunion, on Sunday October 18th, 2009.

3 Responses to “Jan Boyd (nee Ladner) Channel Seven Ballet photos”

  1. Richard Noble says:

    I was a dancer on Club Seventeen approx year of 1965. Would you have any footage for me to have access to or purchase? Thanks. Richard/Tania

  2. Julie Davidson says:

    The picture of Kamahl at Beatty PArk in 1975 is not loading. Is it possible to have a copy emailed as I am compiling a book for the 50th anniversary of Beatty Park and this could be a useful image. Thank you
    Julie

  3. ken says:

    Hi Julie,

    The Kamahl YouTube video seems to be working okay at present and can be found there at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiFgoIA37pg

    You can also download the video by inserting the above YouTube address into the form at: http://keepvid.com/

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