Danceteria

Danceteria was a well-known four-floor nightclub located in New York City (NYC) which operated from 1979 until 1986 (and in the Hamptons until 1995). Throughout its history, the club had seven different locations, three in NYC and four in the Hamptons. The second, most famously at 30 West 21st Street in Manhattan, served as the location for the disco scene in the film Desperately Seeking Susan.

The first Danceteria opened at 252 West 37th Street by German expatriate Rudolf Pieper and talent booker Jim Fouratt. It catered to a diverse after-hours crowd coming from the downtown rock clubs Mudd Club, Trax, TR3, Chinese Chance, CBGB and gay discos The club's DJs were Bill Bahlman, Mark Kamins and Sean Cassette. Bill Bahlman played the first floor Thursdays and Saturdays and the second floor every Friday. Kamins played the second floor on Saturday nights. This facility was closed by the New York police and fire departments in 1980 as it was an illegal unlicensed facility. Kamins credits the first Danceteria with being the first club to play videos and have two separate DJs play for 12 straight hours. The first Danceteria Video Lounge was designed by video artists Emily Armstrong and Pat Ivers, who programmed an eclectic mix of found footage, video art, early music videos and musical performances

In 1982, John Argento hired Fouratt and Pieper to promote and book the talent at a new six-floor facility, which became the noted 21st Street Danceteria. The Danceteria Video Lounge was designed by video artists John Sanborn and Kit Fitzgerald, who programmed an eclectic mix of found footage, video art, early music videos and musical performances. The club opened to massive crowds and critical acclaim. The regular DJs on the main floor were Kamins and Jody Kurilla. Former Mudd Club DJ Anita Sarko spun on the first floor, where the bands performed, as well as in the VIP room, Congo Bill, for special events.

Three months after opening, Argento and Pieper dismissed Fouratt and hired Ruth Polsky as the club's talent booker. Under Polsky's direction, the club became renowned as one of centers of new wave music in New York and was frequented by many musicians and artists who became famous during the decade, such as Madonna, New Order, Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Sade, Wham!, The Smiths, Squeeze, Cyndi Lauper, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Run-DMC, Depeche Mode, Butthole Surfers, The B-52's, Samhain, Bauhaus, RuPaul, Berlin, The Units, Romeo Void, Sonic Youth, Swans, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Cult, Karen Finley, Violent Femmes, Soft Cell, The Jesus and Mary Chain, the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and Rob Zombie.

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