Peggy Spencer
Encyclopedia
Peggy Spencer MBE
(born Margaret Ann Hull, 24 September 1920) is a British
professional ballroom dancer, choreographer, competition adjudicator and organiser.
Peggy married Jack Spencer in 1940, and had two children, Helena and Michael. The marriage was not successful and they divorced in 1947. Peggy formed a close relationship with her brother-in-law Frank, whom she eventually married in the late 1960s.
For many years, she and Frank (a musician and a top-class dancer in pre-war days) ran the Royston Ballroom in Penge
, South London. Peggy was a regular TV dance commentator and populariser of dance. She was a leading coach for competitive Latin dancers, and was influential in both Ballroom and Latin American branches of the ISTD. Her ballroom formation team was twice invited to dance for the Queen
at Buckingham Palace
. For 40 years her teams appeared in the Come Dancing
TV programme.
Peggy choreographed a dance sequence for a Beatles video (Your Mother Should Know), and the tango for Rudolph Nureyev in the filn Valentino. She was a choreographer for the Burn the Floor dance show, which combined ballroom dances with modern ideas. More than most things she enjoyed appearing on the BBC Television
children's show Blue Peter
, where she brought young dancers from her classes to demonstrate. She was the subject of the TV show This Is Your Life
in 1993.
In 2004 Peggy Spencer became President of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing
. She has received multiple awards for her work in teaching and adjudicating in ballroom dancing, including 8 Carl Alan Awards. She and Frank were both appointed MBE
in the Queen's Jubillee year 1977.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(born Margaret Ann Hull, 24 September 1920) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
professional ballroom dancer, choreographer, competition adjudicator and organiser.
Peggy married Jack Spencer in 1940, and had two children, Helena and Michael. The marriage was not successful and they divorced in 1947. Peggy formed a close relationship with her brother-in-law Frank, whom she eventually married in the late 1960s.
For many years, she and Frank (a musician and a top-class dancer in pre-war days) ran the Royston Ballroom in Penge
Penge
Penge is a suburb of London in the London Borough of Bromley. It is located south east of Charing Cross.-History:Penge was once a small town, which was recorded under the name Penceat in a Saxon deed dating from 957...
, South London. Peggy was a regular TV dance commentator and populariser of dance. She was a leading coach for competitive Latin dancers, and was influential in both Ballroom and Latin American branches of the ISTD. Her ballroom formation team was twice invited to dance for the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. For 40 years her teams appeared in the Come Dancing
Come Dancing
Come Dancing was a BBC TV ballroom dancing competition show that ran on and off from 1949 to 1998, becoming one of television's longest-running shows....
TV programme.
Peggy choreographed a dance sequence for a Beatles video (Your Mother Should Know), and the tango for Rudolph Nureyev in the filn Valentino. She was a choreographer for the Burn the Floor dance show, which combined ballroom dances with modern ideas. More than most things she enjoyed appearing on the BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
children's show Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
, where she brought young dancers from her classes to demonstrate. She was the subject of the TV show This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards...
in 1993.
In 2004 Peggy Spencer became President of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing
Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing
The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing is a leading dance teaching and examination board based in London, England and operating internationally. Established on 25 July 1904 as the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, it changed to its current name in 1925 and is now a registered educational...
. She has received multiple awards for her work in teaching and adjudicating in ballroom dancing, including 8 Carl Alan Awards. She and Frank were both appointed MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in the Queen's Jubillee year 1977.