Some may call the dance moves of the early to mid-60s silly or idiotic but they are my greatest passion. Thanks to this passion the Little Miss Go-Go! web-site (formerly known as The Hipster Go-Go Dancers web-site) was born, helped along with a box load of dance notes I had made whilst a go-go pupil some 30 years ago at a 'gone-forever' Yarraville ballroom.
The object of the initial web-site was to demonstrate the original and authentic 1960s style of go-go dancing as seen in the television music shows of the era - Shindig!, Hullabaloo, Ready Steady Go! and The Go! Show (to name just a few). I also wanted to hand out some tips on movement, appropriate hair-styles and costumes for achieving the authentic 1960s go-go dancer look so it's pretty much aimed at purists like myself. When I put the web-site together ten years ago, I had a look around the WWW and couldn't find anything at all on 1960s go-go dancing and the only articles relating to go-go were rude stuff with strippers etc., so to my knowledge this became the first go-go web-site concerning the 1960s.
Any dance instruction you find on this web-site is a genuine 1960s dance or move. Today's go-go classes are pretty much classed as 'hybrid' go-go and based on a mixture of 1960s dances and the teacher's own made up moves. No dance here has been made up or invented by me, mixed with other dance forms or been re-invented from an original. Everything is pure and authentic. If a move hasn't been documented on screen or stage, executed on the dance floor during the 1960s, or a part of my professional tutoring, then you won't find it on the web-site. There are dances mentioned on the pages that were performed prior to the 1960s, such as the Shimmy, but they are documented here as they did re-appear again during the 60s.
I was born in the early 60s and was introduced to go-go dancing back in 1969 by Fredd Bear of Fredd Bear's Breakfast A Go-Go so I can very much remember the tail-end of the 60s. Fredd Bear's Breakfast A Go-Go was a morning children's programme on the Australian O-Network. I used to love waiting until the end of the show to watch Fredd dance. I also remember owning two frocks in the 60s with the word 'Go-Go' embroidered on them. One, a white sleeveless dress with a pleated skirt that reminded me of a tennis dress and was a replica of the white pleated skirt that the television go-go dancers wore and the other a pink and mauve ensemble with white spots. One of the dresses may have had Whisky-A-Go-Go on it and the other a set of traffic lights. I also happened to live across the road from one of the Whisky A-Go-Go night clubs.
My interest in the 1960s began in my teens around the time of the mod revival of the late 1970s. Clothes and hairstyles of the period were a must and still are with favourites being shift dresses and what have become my trade-mark over the decades: short white Courrege-style go-go boots. A fringed bob or flip have always been a back-and-forth journey of hairstyles and even a crop at one time.
If you break it down into different go-go styles the old-school, modest television go-go of the mid-60s with the ballerina poise and some jazz-style David Winters thrown in is mine.
I consider myself a purist and prefer the go-go of yesterday and keeping to how it was: original moves and an accompaniment for bands and DJs. I don't involve myself nor promote the removal of clothing types where the dancers today have become an act within themselves. My idea of go-go is good, clean fun, where there is no eye contact. You shake your entire frame and are where you are for yourself and don't care whether there is anybody in the room with you or not. It's all about getting up on a stage, podium, or out on a dance floor, taking the music into your head and letting your hips, arms and legs take over! You can be a complete fool with it actually as long as you have some rhythm, style, balance and knowledge of the moves. Go-Go is very much acting out different actions whilst your body at times goes into convulsions.
Although the passion goes back much longer, I have close to 30 years experience with professional go-go performances and associated activities, dancing mainly as one half of The Hipster Go-Go Dancers - Australia's longest running 60s go-go troupe.
I have choreographed routines for The Hipster Go-Go Dancers, 1960s cover bands, and had input for ideas with local dancers. I've provided floor and stage demonstrations of 1960s moves, including the unique Jamaican Ska moves of the mid-60s and the later Rocksteady. Performances have been anything from backyard parties and corporate functions to hotels, nightclubs, large entertainment centres and festivals. Go-Go contributions have been in writing, advertising, advising and corresponding with other authentic dancers and liaising with show organisers. I also designed and made the Little Miss Go-Go! and The Hipster Go-Go Dancers' dance costumes.
Some of the shows I have danced for have featured Australia's original 1960's bands and singers including: Alison Durbin, The Allstars, Bev Harrell, Bobby and Laurie, Buddy England, Colin Cook, Daryl Cotton, Denise Drysdale, Doug Parkinson, Glenn Shorrock, Grantley Dee, The Groop (original formation), Johnny Young, Little Pattie, Marcie and The Cookies, The Masters Apprentices, Normie Rowe and The Playboys, Peter Doyle, Peter Robinson (The Strangers), Ronnie Burns, Ross D. Wylie, Russell Morris, The Thunderbirds, Tony Worsley, The Town Criers, The Virgil Brothers and Wayne Duncan (Daddy Cool). Also Jamaican band leader Carlos Malcolm. Unfortunate circumstances saw misses with The Easybeats Reunion in 1987, Davy Jones (the Monkees) in 1991, and Owen Gray in 2004.
Local bands with a 60s flavour that I've had the pleasure of dancing for have been The Beatnix, The Fabs, Daryl Cotton and The Rock-a-fellaz, The Futuras, The Melbourne Ska Orchestra, The Moonhops, The Shimmys, and The Ska Vendors.
Special appearances have included go-go demonstrations for the UDC Ballroom, The 60's Appreciation Society - Happenings, annual Beatlefests in Melbourne and Sydney, Soul-a-Go-Go for PBS FM radio, The Blow-Up Go-Go Club, demonstration/tutorial for Anna's Go-Go Academy, general 1960's days and weekends, benefit shows, corporate functions, product launches for records and hair care products, and primary school demonstrations.
In the latter years when not dancing with The Hipster Go-Go Dancers I did solo gigs dancing as the regular feature dancer, Little Miss Go-Go!, for Melbourne ska band, The Ska Vendors where I demonstrated original 1960s ska and rocksteady moves to the audience. I also did a few stints with The Melbourne Ska Orchestra during their rare appearances and a couple of gigs for rocksteady band, The Moonhops.
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Thanks go to:
Josella at Tack-O-Rama for offering splendid period fonts, shapes and graphics to help with web-site construction.
Clint at Sixties City for a very informative 1960s web-site;
Steve Phillips and Steven Montgomery of The Ska Vendors, Lloyd Dewar, Pierre Baroni and The Shimmys for providing gig flyers, Emma Peel for gig flyers and photo permission and Tim C for photo permission;
The Sun Newspaper, The Age Newspaper, Leader Newspaper, Beat Magazine, Inpress, TV Week, and Memphis Flyer for either historical information or gig information and articles featuring The Hipster Go-Go Dancers or myself;
Printed publications: Australia in the 1960s, Fandemonium!, Mondo Weirdo - Australia in the Sixties, Long Way to the Top, Courreges for interesting subject resources;
and web-sites Milesago, IMDb, TVacres, Bobby Sherman, The Banana Splits, Chicago Television, BBC Television, Pan's People, Go-Go Tytot, Girl Trouble, Ronnie Spector, David Winters, Streets You Crossed, DJ History.com, Old Lyrics, Lyrics Download, Tights Are Forever, The Video Beat, Brian's Drive in Theatre, Rockabilly Central, Rock and Roll Movies, Old Cars, Mikeymars, TV.com Australia, Scott Shaw's Odd Ball Comics, Batfink, The Ultimate Flintstones Site, Johnny Rivers, Chicken On A Unicycle, Whisky A Go-Go, David Patrick Columbia's New York Social Diary, Joey Dee's All Star Rock and Roll Revue, Entertaining Vietnam and the Australian War Memorial for providing excellent web-site information.
This web-site operates under copyright laws as stated at the bottom of each page. The site once contained a lot more dance images and in-depth information but has had to be condensed due to theft. So as mentioned in the details above the object was to demonstrate but what follows now is just bits and pieces of what once was.
You MAY use text AS LONG AS credit is given; you MAY NOT use the photos unless permission is given (some of the copyrights don't belong to me but I have myself obtained permission); you MAY NOT duplicate my signature dance costumes (there are plenty of books on 60s fashion for you to copy or get ideas), and due to image-less and simplified dance instructions it will now be up to the individual to interpret them.
