Stark-looking Imogen Claire, the British dancer, choreographer and
actress, was born in London in 1943 and trained at the Royal Ballet
School. She went on to study at the London Dance Theatre and progressed
to principal roles. As an actress with a decided taste for the avant
garde, she became a regular player in the splashy, offbeat film
dramas/musicals of Ken Russell, her first film being Tschaikowsky - Genie und Wahnsinn (1971) with Glenda Jackson.
This was followed by the controversial Die Teufel (1971) starring Vanessa Redgrave and
Oliver Reed, Boyfriend (Ihr Liebhaber) (1971), Savage Messiah (1972), Mahler (1974), Tommy (1975), Lisztomania (1975) and Valentino (1977). Along
the same line, other cult films included Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), as one of the
Transylvanians, Flash Gordon (1980), Caravaggio (1986), by the innovative director Derek Jarman,
and Billy Elliot - I Will Dance (2000), in which she played the role of a dance examiner.
In the theatre realm, she appeared in a production of "Tales of the
Vienna Woods" where she met John Rothenberg. They were a couple for
over two decades before marrying in 1992. A great portion of her
theatre assignments was with Philip Prowse, both as designer and director,
with Imogen acting and providing the choreography. She also spent a
couple of years teaching at the Drama Centre.
Heavily involved in union politics, Imogen was elected Equity's very
first choreographer council person in 1994. She lent a strong,
unwavering voice, coming up with a steady stream of productive
initiatives, particularly for dancers. The Dance Passport was launched
in 2000 and proved a major success. She also pioneered insurance plans
designed specifically for dancers in case of injury. She was re-elected
in 2004 but illness prevented her from taking a full part in council
activities. She died after a lengthy battle with cancer in her native
London on June 24, 2005.
