| When I was a teenager I used to race home | | | | Regulars. Like so many of us, they wanted to be |
| every afternoon, sit down in front of the TV, and | | | | on TV where all their friends would see them |
| watch the kids dancing on American Bandstand. | | | | getting their chance at fame. It wasnt so |
| Like so many young people across America, my | | | | different from the urge of todays contestants on |
| friends and I knew all of them by name. We | | | | American Idol. |
| considered those kids to be role models. We | | | | The show featured dance contests to spotlight |
| copied their clothes, hair, and maybe most of all, | | | | songs, dancers and dances. Contestants signed up |
| their dancesbecause what dominated the TV | | | | and got a number. Once a week the numbers |
| screen were kids moving to the beat of our | | | | would be pinned on the contestants backs and |
| whole generation. We felt that beat, and watched | | | | viewers cast ballots for favorites. This would go |
| the couples who always danced together. These | | | | on for three or four weeks, then the winners |
| were people we got to know. There were Arlene | | | | would be announced on the air. A dancer didnt |
| Sullivan and Kenny Rossi, Bunny Gibson and Ed | | | | have to be that skillful. It was more a matter of |
| Kelly, Justine Carelli and Bob Clayton, Joyce Shafer | | | | how they came across to the cameras. The way |
| and Norman Kerr, Carole Scaldeferri and Nick | | | | they looked, or their manner might count for |
| Gaeta, Mary Beltrante and Lou DeSero, Barbara | | | | more than the technical quality of their moves. It |
| Levick and Joe Wissert, Janet Hamill and Eddie | | | | was how a dancer came across to the audience. |
| Connor and Carmen Jimenez and Frank Vacca. | | | | If we liked them we would vote for them. Of |
| They were the ones setting the trends for kids | | | | course, there were prizes, but they werent |
| from coast to coast. | | | | anything that would make a dancer rich. You |
| Watching them we saw the moves, and imitated | | | | might get a portable TV. One prize that lots of us |
| them. From the daily dance on the tube we | | | | wanted was our own personal jukebox. |
| learned the steps that we would take with us to | | | | The show brought in most of the best groups of |
| school dances, record hops and parties. We | | | | that time. On any given day you might catch |
| learned them all: the Slop, the Hand Jive, the Bop, | | | | Martha and the Vandellas, Little Eva, The Beach |
| Chalypso (a combination of the Cha-Cha and the | | | | Boys, Dee Dee Sharp, Little Richard, Jackie Wilson, |
| Calypso) and the Stroll. | | | | or Jay and the Americans, Among other acts on |
| The kids who appeared regularly on American | | | | the show were Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, The |
| Bandtstand weren't paid. These were the real | | | | Shirelles, Tina Turner, The Everly Brothers, Little |
| thing teenagers dancing to the latest Top 40 hits. | | | | Anthony & the Imperials, and Paul Anka. It was |
| In real life the dance partners were usually dating, | | | | an amazing line-up. Though the performers were |
| which made watching every day into a kind of | | | | there, live on the show, most of them didnt sing |
| soap opera. It was as if there were a national high | | | | live. American Bandstand was where lip-synching |
| school right there on TV. Keeping up with who | | | | became an artform. |
| was breaking up and making up was a regular | | | | The name most associated with American |
| part of an American teenagers week. | | | | Bandstand is that of Dick Clark, but when it |
| The regulars were also known as The Committee. | | | | premiered locally in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952 |
| They were on day-in-day-out, but there were | | | | (as Bandtstand) the host was Bob Horn. Dick |
| also a lot of other kids dancing among them. | | | | Clark took it over in 1956, and it first aired as |
| These were young people who lined up each day, | | | | American Bandstand on the ABC on August 5, |
| hoping they could be among the fortunates who | | | | 1957. The last episode aired on October 7, 1989. |
| got the opportunity to dance along with the | | | | |