:::::::::::::::::: Welcome to ¿QUE PASA? MAGAZINE :::::::::::::::::: PALLADIUM-HOUSE-OF MAMBO PART 2

¿Que Pasa? in New York

History of A Most Prominent Dance Hall

¿QUE PASA? MAGAZINE USA

The Palladium Has a Thousand Stories – Part 5

By Michael Terrace & Peter Settimelli
From New York City

P.S.–What was the schedule of a typical `dance weekend?

M.T. - About ten dance lessons a day, every hour on the hour for three days. There was also a mambo dance contest on Saturday afternoons at three. Then in the evenings, there was a professional show where there could be a single,a duo or a group anywhere from five to ten people.

The evening’s music started at nine o’clock until ten-thirty when the show went on and ended at midnight. Guests danced until four o’clock in the morning.

P.S.– You said that dance lessons were held every hour. Were these all for instruction in the mambo?

M.T. – No; for the foxtrot, the rumba, the tango, for example. As many as six or seven different areas were put aside for dance lessons for all different dances.

P.S.– Were private lessons available?

Michael Terrace

M.T. – Each teacher gave private lessons at about $50 or $60 an hour. Most lessons were given one-on-one and not to more than two students, meaning a couple, and a lot of teachers also would dance with a student in the evenings for an additional $50. Another thing I’d like to mention are the dance hosts hired by the operator of the dance weekend.

P.S. –How did that work?

M.T. – The dance hosts were hired by the person running the dance weekend. They were well dressed and with charm behind them. They were not allowed to socialize with the ladies, but only go from area to area with different them.

P.S. – Does that mean that there were no female dance hosts assigned to dance with single men?

M.T. – Very, very seldom and the reason for that is there were so many single men that outnumbered single women so they did not need their own female hosts.

P.S. – Changing the subject somewhat, I’d like to share with our readers a very amusing anecdote that you and I have discussed several times over the years: in the mid-fifties, you were interviewed by a radio station in Pittsburgh to give your opinion of the then-new sensation, rock-and-roll. Could you please tell us about that?

M.T. – I was with (singer) Tony Martin and we were both being interviewed and the deejay said “Mike, you're a famous dancer and know music. What do you think of this new rock-and-roll?” and I answered, “ if it lasts six months it’s amazing!”

P.S. - Were you surprised to find that your prediction did not quite come to pass?

M.T. – (laughing) It always reminds of General Custer who said “those are friendly Indians.”

Cuban Pete and Millie

Tito Puente & ?

P.S. – Whatever your take is on rock-on-roll, wouldn’t you agree that the Twist craze of the early sixties was perhaps the biggest cultural phenomenon involving dance?

M.T. – Yes, absolutely. Rock and roll would never have achieved its success without it.

P.S. – Certainly it united the young and older generation and in doing so, allowed rock-and-rock to receive a wider acceptance.

M.T. – I agree completely.

P.S. – I would not want to conclude an interview without asking you who you believed was the most dancer to come out of the Palladium.

M.T. – The most famous dancer, which might be a surprise to many people is Killer Joe; he was international, he did TV numerous times, he was often interviewed by New York columnists. His picture even appeared on billboards for Smirnoff vodka.

P.S. – I’d like to hear more as I’m sure would our readers.

(Author’s Comment – As Michael and I agree that the story of `Killer Joe’ Piro merits its own article, we offer this as our next installment in the Palladium series.

Thank you for reading – PS)

End part 5