Danceteria

The Story

This club operated on four floors and was the nerve center of New York's new wave and alternative nightlife between 1982 and 1986. It featured a dance floor, a stage for live shows, a restaurant, and one of the city's first video lounges, with VJs mixing video art even before MTV existed. New Order, The Smiths, Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Sade, Wham!, R.E.M., Depeche Mode, Sonic Youth, Run-DMC, and Beastie Boys performed on its stage, while Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Andy Warhol frequented the dance floors. It was here that Madonna approached resident DJ Mark Kamins and convinced him to play her demo of "Everybody" for the packed dance floor. Kamins took the tape to Sire Records and secured her contract. On December 16, 1982, Madonna made her first live performance as a solo artist on the second-floor stage, inside the No Entiendes cabaret, for an audience of 300 people. It was also there she met her friend Debi Mazar, who worked as an elevator operator at the club. Danceteria closed in 1986 due to issues with its lease agreement. The building is now occupied by luxury apartments.

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