Dancer with the 'Lucky Lovelies' Civic Theatre.

 

Lenore was a vibrant scintillating person, artist, model, dancer and musician and a bright star in Auckland’s artistic firmament.

 

Her solo fan dance, complete with ostrich feathers and based upon that of the legendary Sally Rand was spot-lit, and at the end of the dance, as the fans slowly opened  she  sank to the floor – and the lights went out!!

 

 VIEW the original FAN DANCE by Sally Rand HERE

  

Exerpts below kindly reproduced from Cherie Devliotis' book, 'Dancing with Delight'. Soon to be available for sale on our Products page.

  

From the ages 9 - 14  Lenore studied under different teachers, ballet, character, operatic, tap and highland dancing. As well she had lessons in Spanish guitar, Hawaiian steel guitar and piano. Lenore was in several locally produced shows that were still put on in the War Years; shows such as Country Girl  and The Arcadians and, after the War, Firefly (1946), and Merry Widow (1951).

 

During the War Years the Civic Theatre decided to put on shows which they knew the visiting servicemen would love, and Lenore was right in line to be hired as one of the Civic Dancing Girls. Not only highly talented, she was blessed with some height. Long-legged girls such as Lenore Upton were just what the Civic was looking for.

 

Lenore says - "When I was invited to join the Civic Theatre ballet it really was such a lovely, exciting place in which to dance. The atmosphere was so magical, like something out of Somerset Maugham stories. But for me it was a huge rush to fly down to catch the last ferry to the Shore....  Regina Raye was our ballet mistress and there were about ten ballet girls. It is hard to remember all their names. My friend, Rouletta Sullivan ....had wonderful red hair and all the boys called her 'Red'. The other dancers were Thelma Creamer, Da Katipa, Freda Stark, Peggy Davids, Nancy Kerr, Nold, Patricia Over and there were others...."