The New Dance Show was a cable access show airing on Detroit’s Channel 62 from the late-80s until the mid-90s. It was more or less a homegrown, low-budget version of Soul Train, but with a very distinct Detroit flavor, especially when it came to the dance tracks spun on the show.

Viva Radio just did a great write-up about The New Dance Show and an interview with the show’s host R.J. Watkins on the eve of its reunion party on December 18th. There are some awesome personal insights from the program director and voice of Viva Radio, Ted Shumaker, and a streaming audio of the interview.

I dug up these clips of the show’s version of Soul Train’s line-up. Granted, I never religiously watched Soul Train, but I’m pretty sure they never had people cat-walking it down to A Guy Called Gerald tracks at any point during the show. Simply awesome!

P.S. Just in case you miss this link over on the Viva Radio site… Watts Club Mozambique Exotic Male Dancers! At 0:30, watch “Joy Ride” take his Chucky Doll for a drive.

- My Pal the Crook