Dance Party USA
Dance Party USA is an American dance television show that aired daily on cable's USA Network from April 12, 1986, to June 27, 1992. It was originally a half-hour, but was expanded to an hour in 1987.
| Dance Party USA | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Dance/Variety show / Reality / Music |
| Presented by | See list |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1986 to 1992 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Frank Nise, Michael Nise |
| Production locations | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Camden, New Jersey, United States |
| Running time | 30 minutes (1986–87) 45–48 minutes (1987–92) |
| Production companies | Nise Productions Inc On Air Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | USA Network |
| Original release | April 12, 1986 – June 27, 1992 |
The program was always shot at, and aired live from, various TV studios including WPHL-17 and WGBS in Philadelphia from 1986 – 1992. The production staff worked at the Nise's production offices and studios located in Camden, New Jersey. For the first few episodes, Dance Party USA's original name was Dancin' USA. Dance Party USA's was formated like its predecessor, the highly rated Dancin' On Air, a daily TV dance show broadcast from 1981–1986 on Philadelphia's WPHL-TV.
In 1986, ''Dancin' On Air'' was syndicated by KDOC-TV in Los Angeles. The show doubled KDOC's ratings in its first week and was then picked up by the fledgling USA Network. Shortly thereafter, USA Network hired the Nises to produce Dance Party USA for the Network. Two years later, Michael Nise learned form USA Network that his production company was chosen over Dick Clark to produce Dance Party USA for the USA Network.
During 1986 and 1987, the Dancin' On Air studio & set was the same one used for Dance Party USA. As a result during the 1986–87 season, audiences saw the same regulars, guest dancers, and celebrities on both shows on the same days. The programs also shared a weekly talk radio show, Talkin' On Air, hosted by Michael Nise.
Hosts
- 1985–1986: Dave Raymond
- 1986–1989, 1992: Andy Gury,
- 1989–1991: Bobby Catalano, Heather "Princess" Day
- 1989–1990: Amy Brady, Alvin "Spicy" Ramirez, Cindy Stark, Romeo King, Tyrone "Mr. Mitch" Mitchell
- 1989: Christy Springfield
- 1990: Aubrey Ayala, Kelly Berridge, Chris Bustard, Pete Conicelli, Joanna Mistretta, Matt Robbins, Desiree Wynder
Noteworthy regulars
- Kelly Ripa, actress and host of Live with Kelly and Ryan: Following a 3-year run as a dancer / segment host 1st on Dancin' On Air and thenDance Party USA's , in 1990 she landed what would be her most recognized acting role, Hayley Vaughn on All My Children.
- Jeffrey Glassman known as "Jazzy Jeff" went on to be a semi successful DJ in South Jersey.
- Bobby Catalano was the man with the shades who would only remove his trademark sunglasses once a year on the Valentine's Day show. He was a very popular dancer and host.
- Bruce Williams, who was known as "Beastie Bruce" because he wore a Volkswagen chain as did the Beastie Boys, had a rap collection that did well in the Philadelphia area. It was a break off of the Philadelphia rap group "Tuff Crew".
- Dealin LaValley was a dancer on the show and went on to do Law & Order and national TV commercials. He now works as a celebrity makeup artist.
- Heather Day was nicknamed "Princess" on the show because she was a fan of Prince and could be seen wearing dresses or other outfits like an eye-patch that reflected her devotion to the singer. She would meet the singer in 1994, two years after Dance Party USA ended its run. Today, Heather Day Slawek, a graduate of Temple University and mother of two children, owns a fitness studio which specializes in pole dancing.
- Heather Henderson known as Baby Heather on the show, is a professional burlesque, singer, model, filmmaker, producer and host for Ardent Atheists and Skeptically Yours podcasts. She currently is a member of Penn Jillette's No God Band and is a vocal activist for atheism and against psychics.
- Alvin Ramirez, known as "Spicy" now going by AL-X Spicy (recording artist)
Theme Song
The show's theme song was written by Philadelphia writer/producer Dan McKeown and Michael Nise and published by Nise Productions Inc.
Controversy
On April 10, 2016, Philadelphia magazine published an article detailing a new feud between many of the people who were on Dance Party USA in their teens and the producer of the show.[1]