Dancing with the stars

OVER the years the Costa del Sol has been home to many entertainers and EWN was lucky enough to speak exclusively to Sheena Cochrane who lives in Mijas Costa and was a professional dancer who managed to travel the world performing with some massive names in the process.

Sheena has released a book named ‘Exit Stage right’ which covers 20 years of her life as a professional dancer and is available as an e-book on Kindle and paperback on Amazon.

“I began dancing when my mother suggested I do something to use up my excess energy. I wasn’t the best at school and decided maybe I could make my future from dancing.”

“I was a day student at the Royal Ballet but realising that there were many more girls better than me, I decided that I would be better using my talent as a means to travel the world.”

And so, she did, she travelled to the Middle East, the Far East, the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, South America and many more.

From there Sheena became one of the famous 60’s Tiller Girls and would appear on TV’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium with Jimmy Tarbuck.

Sheena went on to describe how whilst promoting a show in Liverpool “The Tiller Girls took part in a fitness competition with Liverpool Football Club. Ken Dodd was the comedian of the show and made an unlikely Referee. The team were shocked at how much stamina we had that the then Liverpool manager Bill Shankly decided to introduce ballet exercises into the team training, exercises that I believe they still practise today.”

Sheena, or ‘Pepper’ as she became known in showbiz circles went on to perform across the pond in none other than the showbiz capital of the world Las Vegas.

Whilst there she crossed paths with people such as Cary Grant, Jerry Lewis, Liberace, Shirley MacLaine, Cher, Tony Bennett, Paul Anka, to name but a few.

She also appeared as an extra in the film ‘Chisum’ with John Wayne, which was filmed in Durango, Mexico.

When asked why she gave up such an exciting lifestyle she said “It’s a young profession and I gave up professional dancing in 1981. I was given the option of becoming a dance teacher but I enjoyed dancing more than teaching.”

Would she suggest dancing for the younger generation? “Even if not as a profession, dancing gives you posture and is an amazing overall exercise for the body.”