Danceteria was a well-known four-floor nightclub located in New York City which operated from 1980 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, Manhattan, which served as the location for the disco scene in the film Desperately Seeking Susan.
The first Danceteria was opened on West 37th Street by German expatriate Rudolf Pieper and talent booker Jim Fouratt.[1] It catered to a diverse after-hours crowd coming from the downtown rock clubs Mudd Club, Trax, TR3, Chinese Chance, CBGB and gay discos [1] The club's DJs were Bill Bahlman, Mark Kamins and Sean Cassette.[1] Bill Bahlman played the first floor Thursdays & Saturdays and the second floor every Friday. Kamins played the second floor Saturday nights. This facility was closed by the NYPD and FDNY 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 DJ's play 12 straight hours.[2]
In 1982, John Argento hired Fouratt and Rudolf 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 performance.[3] The club opened to massive crowds and critical acclaim.
Three months after opening Argento and Rudolf dismissed Fouratt and hired Ruth Polsky as 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 in 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, Romeo Void, Sonic Youth, Swans, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Cult, Violent Femmes, Soft Cell, The Jesus and Mary Chain, the Beastie Boys, and LL Cool J.[4][5]
In 1984 Argento and Rudolf opened the Danceteria in Watermill in the Hamptons. The wildly successful Hampton's Danceteria was the first trendy NYC nightclub to open in the Hamptons.
The third Danceteria operated from 1990 to 1993 in a run down hotel called the "Martha Washington" at 29E 29th st. Mark Kamims, Johnny Dynell, Walter V and Danceteria veteran Freddy Bastone were the Djs at the new facility.
The 21st Street location was sold to be converted to luxury condominiums, slated to open in 2009.[4] In 1986 a time capsule placed in an inert 200lb bomb was buried in the patio to the west of the building. It remains underground unknown to the present occupants.
John Argento was owner and operator of the 21st & 29th st. St Danceteria and all of the Hamptons locations. Argento is the owner of the UNITED STATES TRADEMARK "Danceteria" and has been since 1982. He has vigorously defended the trademark from unlawful appropriation and misuse since the 80's.