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