By Stasha Vlasuk
Publishing this story on Gilded Serpent in November 2010 unexpectedly solved a mystery spanning over 30 years! Coincidentally, in 2010, final preparations were underway for the “Stormtroopers in Stilettos” exhibition in London, commemorating Queen’s 40th anniversary in 2011. This extensive exhibition, running from February 25 to March 12 before touring globally, aimed to comprehensively document Queen’s early years through art, audio, visual files, and memorabilia. No detail was overlooked in piecing together Queen’s history.
Nino Trovato, a Queen researcher, discovered my Gilded Serpent article and contacted me. He explained that the images from that December 1977 performance—Jane, Denise, and I dancing during the finale—were well-known but shrouded in mystery because the dancers remained uncredited. He emphasized that these images represented the only instance of other performers sharing Queen’s stage, making them iconic yet enigmatic. These very images were subsequently featured in the program for Queen’s 1978 European tour.
Thanks to Gilded Serpent, the mystery was solved!
Gary Taylor, involved in creating the exhibition, is now working on a book titled “Queen Live,” a complete chronicle of Queen’s live performances. It will feature these memorable images, finally identifying the dancers – including the moment where it playfully looks like Freddie is trying to “take a bite” out of me!
Queen Commemorative program featuring the dancers
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