Remembering the Lovely Juliet Prowse
As I think back over my career as a dancer, some of my fondest memories are of the late Juliet Prowse. Elegant, poised, sinewy, disciplined, and one of the classiest women I've ever met, Juliet is someone I still remember often.
I first met her while I was dancing at the MGM Grand Hotel in Reno, Nevada. While studying ballet with Juliet's best friend, Maggie Banks, I got the opportunity, (thanks to Maggie) to perform in a show with Juliet. David Chavez would be doing the choreography. As a young dancer, I was thrilled! I had watched Juliet in the movies and on television, and this was a dream come true for me. It turned out that Juliet wouldn't be dancing in the show. She had hurt her knee, and would just be the emcee. The first day of rehearsal, none of us even noticed her, as she was sitting in the corner, quietly doing her needlework. That's how Juliet was, very focused, intent on what she was doing, and not a star who needed to be the center of attention. She wore no makeup, and put on no airs. Little did I know that I would be working with her much more later in my career.
Many years later, I got a call from a friend telling me that "Sugar Babies" was holding auditions for a company in Atlantic City, and that Juliet Prowse and Rip Taylor would be the headliners. My heart leapt. I loved the show, and this was another opportunity to work with Juliet. She would be doing the Anne Miller role. I flew to LA and landed the audition. Since I'd last seen Juliet she had undergone two hip replacements. In spite of this, she was dancing again.
It was exciting to watch her rehearse. She was the consummate professional, always on time, ready to go, and polite to all. A disciplined Yoga practitioner, her body radiated light and perfect training. Even at 59, she looked like a young ballet dancer, her muscles lean and glowing. A passionate animal lover, she took an immediate liking to my dog, Sara, (who was allowed to sit in on all the rehearsals.) Juliet would take her outside on her breaks, and brought her special gifts, a cow's hoof to chew on, and a grooming glove for me to use when she was shedding. Juliet was one of the most generous people I've ever known. She thought of gifts that were really useful and personal.
Juliet was also very practical. She would often come up to the dressing room with "gifts for the girls." One time it was a couple of pitchers of freshly squeezed apple juice that she had made herself. At the time she was suffering from liver cancer, yet she still thought of the chorus girls, and made use of her leftovers. She never wasted. Her old stockings were recycled for us to use as wig caps. Another time she brought up two large grocery bags filled with fresh figs from her tree
I was lucky enough to also land a job in the show "Mame," with Juliet in the title role. This time we were at the Alex Theater, in Glendale, CA. Juliet and Gretchen Wyler organized an evening where the cast was invited to come in and watch old videotapes of the two leading ladies, in their heyday. What a treat! Juliet's tapes of her nightclub act were spectacular! Watching all the love and creativity that went into that choreography was incredibly inspiring. Juliet ordered pizza and beer for everybody. We sat around and watched these two amazing women dancing so beautifully. I'll never forget it. "That's an era that's gone now," Juliet said sadly. In those days, the dancing was such a feature. I think she would be pleased to see the resurgence of the Fosse work. She felt that the dancers should really be shown off, and used to their fullest.
I was fortunate enough to work two more times with Juliet. Both were in "Sugar Babies," once again. While in Lake Tahoe, Juliet decided to offer Yoga classes to the cast. She had studied Bikram Yoga for many years, and felt it would benefit us all. I am still grateful for her offer. To this day I practice Yoga, and she was such an inspiration. She never pushed it on anybody, she was just a quiet example of how Yoga could transform your body and keep you calm and centered. She also loved Pilates, and went to classes regularly, even on her day off!
My career with Juliet ended in Las Vegas, at the Desert Inn. Stunning in her Bob Mackie costumes, it was hard to believe that she had liver cancer. She never missed a show. Any dancer who worked with Juliet remembers her fondly. She was an inspiration to us all. She was the definition of class. I feel lucky to have been on and off stage with her.
Stephenie Lawton writes and teaches Yoga In Los Angeles, CA. You can e-mail her at FlapStef@aol.com