Dance Party USA in 1989
By 1989, Dance Party USA was three years into its national run and hitting its stride — and the year brought a changing of the guard at the front of the show.
▶ Watch Classic Dance Party USA — 24/7 The retro broadcast is playing right now on WatchParty USA. No sign-up, just hit play.1989 is the year a new hosting era began: Bobby Catalano — the regular known as "The Man Behind The Shades" — stepped up to co-host alongside Heather "Princess" Day, a pairing that would run through 1991. It closed out the stretch that Andy Gury had hosted since the show's 1986 launch.
The show was a full hour by now (it had expanded from 30 minutes in 1987), running its packed Philadelphia tapings. And a teenage Kelly Ripa was still one of the regulars on the floor — her leap to acting was still a year away.
▶ See 1989 in motion Classic Dance Party USA is streaming now on WatchParty USA →Frequently asked
Who hosted Dance Party USA in 1989?
1989 was the transition year: Andy Gury's original hosting run wound down and the co-hosting pair of Bobby Catalano and Heather "Princess" Day began, continuing through 1991.
Was Kelly Ripa still on Dance Party USA in 1989?
Yes — she was a regular dancer on the show before her 1990 acting debut on All My Children.
Where can I watch Dance Party USA today?
Classic Dance Party USA plays around the clock on WatchParty USA — a free 24/7 retro broadcast.