Jake Austen

Longtime TV host Dick Clark’s death last month reminded many of the Twist - perhaps the most notable of the many dance crazes (from The Stroll to The Watusi) that were sparked by American Bandstand’s shimmying teenagers. But Bandstand was just one of many dance floor-driven shows on the air in the latter-20^th century – and in fact, there are still a few around today. We examine television’s important role in dance fads with Jake Austen, author of “TV-a-Go-Go” and founder (and co-host) of Chicago’s public access all-ages dance show, “Chic-a-Go-Go.”