Marjorie
started a small school in Romford with eight pupils
in the early 1930s and at that time was studying with
Noreen Bush and Victor Leopold. When they moved to Imhof
House in the middle of the 1930s, she became head assistant
in the school and the partnership of Bush Davies Schools
Ltd was formed just before World War II. At the end
of the war, Charters Towers, East Grinstead was acquired
as a residential school and Marjorie and her mother
lived there for a while until they decided to return
to Romford. Noreen Bush and Victor Leopold remained
at the Charters Towers, and the principles would regularly
visit and teach at both venues.
At
one time a children’s examiner for the RAD, she
became a Fellow of the Stage and Imperial Ballet Branches
and a member for Cecchetti and Greek. A Stage Branch
committee member for more than 20 years, becoming co-chairman
with Olive Ripman on the retirement of Zelia Raye in
1957. She contributed a patient and modest approach
to all matters, bringing peaceful solutions to many
stormy passages.
A
first class examiner and adjudicator in both Ballet
and Modern Stage, she was also a brilliant lecturer,
never showing the stage fright she suffered before taking
the floor. During the few years she spent on the professional
stage she showed that sense of theatre and performance,
which she was afterwards able to instil so remarkably
into her pupils – a rare gift. Her success was
due not only to her warmth of personality and teaching
ability, but also the loyalty and devotion she won from
all her staff and colleagues. She had a very shrewd
appreciation of a persons’ individual gifts and
wisely steered her pupils into the branch of theatre
where she thought they would best succeed.
Her
acts of kindness and generosity were innumerable, with
help given to many ‘lame ducks’; this she
never talked about, for despite her professional skill
and true sense of theatre, she was very modest about
herself and underestimated the tremendous contribution
she made to the dance teaching profession in this country
and, through her pupils, to the British theatre.
The
Marjorie Davies Star Tap Awards, first introduced in
1977, are of the highest professional standard and a
fitting tribute to an exceptional lady.
Mollie
Webb
Above:
performing photo from Dancing Times 1935
I
had the honour and joy to receive all my professional
training at Bush Davies Schools in Romford. At 13 my
parents took me to view all the established boarding
school dance colleges, including the comparatively compact
studios in Romford. As soon as we entered the building
we were greeted by warmth and dedication, spearheaded
by the charismatic Marjorie Davies.
Whilst
being a strict disciplinarian she radiated a kindness
and invited several of us to her home for tea and her
mother ‘Auntie Taffy’s’ strawberry
mousse! Seeing her large car pull into the drive sent
an intake of breath amongst us and a quick look in the
mirror to see if we were sufficiently well groomed.
Her outstanding foresight was remarkable and she always
encouraged her students to have courage and confidence
in performance.
Miss
Davies personally took several of us to Tap expert,
Doreen Austin, in North Audley Street, London for classes
and accompanied us to auditions that would forge our
future careers.
With
her unique team of Joyce Percy and Daphne Peterson,
my peers and I were privileged to receive the best under
her expert leadership. We carry with us the flagship
of Marjorie Davies and Bush-Davies Romford with the
responsibility of continuing her legacy.
Betty
Laine OBE
Legions
of students were trained by Marjorie Davies, many of
them became famous names in the theatrical world; dancers
actors, singers, choreographers and many became teachers
and examiners. Looking through the current list of ISTD
examiners, a considerable proportion were either trained
at the Bush Davies Schools Romford or were taught by
a teacher who had been a pupil at the school.
I
joined the Romford based school at the tender age of
16, being mostly frightened by my own shadow; you may
imagine that to me Miss Davies was an awesome figure.
However, in later years when firstly my sister and then
my own pupils attended the school I realised that she
was a very attractive and vivacious woman with a strong
personality and an immense pride in her staff and students.
Pat
Ellis and I both have vivid memories of trying to keep
to the right in the studio, so that if things got too
bad we could slip into the annexe and avoid detection
from her penetrating gaze. I also remember Miss Davies
watching the final rehearsal before I entered Intermediate
RAD. After a few minutes she looked at Miss Joyce and
said 'surely you are really not considering that one?’
She was right of course. I was struggling and the competition
from Pat Goh was not doing a lot for my morale.
Even
now, after 50 years I still have some odd persistent
memories – the photograph of Pat Prime's beautiful
legs and feet in the hall, Pippa Hinton's photograph
in the office, Miss Davies smoking and drinking lemon
tea, and does anyone else remember how she used to come
into the cloakrooms and make us donate ship halfpennies
for the theatre fund at Charters?
I
consider it a great privilege to have been a pupil at
The Studio in Romford. Miss Davies and her staff, led
by Miss Daphne and Miss Joyce gave so many of us the
gift of their knowledge.
Paddy
Hurlings
I
have memories of Marjorie Davies throughout my early
life. When I was very young I used to be taken along
to the Romford studios where I sat and waited patiently
whilst my mother, Ivy Baker, had her regular lesson
with Miss Davies. I remember her having really lovely,
kind eyes and a deep 'husky' voice. She was unfailingly
nice to me – but I was very aware that I must
be seen and not heard! When I was about nine years old
she taught me a German solo for a forthcoming dance
competition. Sadly I was no dancer so she must have
done a very good job because I came third that year
and, to this day, I can mark the solo through from beginning
to end!
During
my early teens my family owned two beautiful poodles
and Marjorie Davies fell in love with them. She desperately
wanted a poodle puppy for herself. My parents managed
to source a reputable breeder and I was taken by my
father to choose a puppy with Miss Davies whilst she
was spending a few days in Clacton. We were spoiled
for choice and wanted them all, but eventually managed
to select a beautiful white fluffy puppy which travelled
back with us on my lap. We couldn't think of a name
for him and I happened to remark that he looked as though
he had been washed in Omo. Miss Davies latched on to
that and he was immediately christened Omo. They became
constant and devoted companions and, after her death,
he continued to live with Joyce Percy.
Several
years later my name was put forward to the ISTD as being
a possible successor to Mrs Thurlow who had run the
Examinations Department there for a number of years.
Marjorie Davies, having known me more or less since
babyhood, was instrumental in supporting and encouraging
this suggestion and thus I became UK and International
Examinations Organiser for over 15 years. When I joined
the ISTD she and Olive Ripman were Joint Chairmen of
the Stage Branch – later to become the Modern
Dance Faculty – with the late Moyra Gay as the
Branch Secretary. Between them they ran a remarkably
'tight ship'. With Peter Pearson in the role of General
Secretary it was a harmonious and happy time for us
all when everyone knew everyone else.
Carol
Venn
I
consider myself so fortunate to have commenced my dance
training with Marjorie Davies at the age of seven.
I
can still remember very vividly those early years at
The Studio 31, Eastern Road, Romford, when under her
excellent training and much patience on her part I gradually
improved and was able to embark on a career in dance.
During
the early war years when dear Joyce Percy and I were
boarders at what has now become Bush-Davies Schools
at Felden Croft Boxmoor, we used to eagerly await the
arrival of Marjorie Davies before she came to take classes,
always a very special and enjoyable occasion.
Much
later as a young and inexperienced assistant teacher
I really appreciated her superb flair for choreography
and production, and even to this day feel so lucky to
have been guided by her experience and valuable teaching
advice.
There
will only be one Marjorie Davies, she was a wonderful
teacher and exceptional friend.
When
I was a very young pupil performing in a little show
we were giving at a garden fete (as one used to in those
days) my solo, decked out in a polka costume, was a
song and dance performed on a makeshift stage. However,
disaster struck! Whilst dancing some retirés
backwards I fell off the stage leaving only my feet,
clad in red shoes, visible. Great drama! Miss Davies
and my mother came rushing to the rescue and finding
me still all in one piece was persuaded by Miss Davies
to perform again. So I returned to the stage with a
tearful rendering of ‘you should see me dance
the Polka’, which received generous sympathetic
applause. Lesson learned: the show must go on.
Another
personal memory was much later when I was an assistant
teacher and it occurred at our annual school performance.
At
the final dress rehearsal the last number, which was
a large and elaborate production, had the ending lengthened
and re-choreographed by Miss Davies and was really spectacular.
Unfortunately when the great moment came at the end
of the show Joyce and I completely forgot the alterations
and I gave the order backstage for the curtain to be
lowered far too early!
Needless
to say Miss Davies was not amused and despite frantic
apologies it took a long time for that faux pas to be
forgiven!
Daphne
Peterson
back
to top
|
