L.A.: The office was charismatic, its furnishings simplistic but artistic. Reminices of Dancing on Air" and "Dance Party USA" hang timelessly on the wall, while footage from the popular shows play from the monitor behind the receptionist desk. I was greeted by a pleasant man, Reggie, who told me Michael Nise, the legendary producer of the 80's dance shows, would be right with me. Once Mr. Nise arrived, he ushered me to the production room that was set off by expensive equipment and a glitzy fringe backdrop. The following dialogue is what transpired from my interview with him that rainy day.
THE HISTORY:
L.A.: I understand that you and your father formed Nise Productions in 1969, the day the doors opened, what had you hoped to accomplish?
M.N.: "That's a great question, that's the best question I ever heard. I had no business background and neither did my father, so we were not initially in it to make money. We were in it to be closer as a family. At first we were in radio recording. Then my father says, hey, you want to go into buisiness with me? He asked me what kind of business? I looked at the dining room table and saw a cassette tape recorder. So I said, "lets go into the recording business!" My mother even got involved; she would drag the microphone stand on stage for us. So it would be the four of us (including my girlfriend) in the audiotorium recording these high school kids. Some years later I was asked to produce a televised dance program."
L.A.: Almost twenty-two year to the day, you began the run of four TV programs. Besides "Dancing on Air," and "Dance Party USA," what were the other two?
M.N.: "Well with King World and WGN Super Station, we did a test of another show in Ft. Lauderdale, but the unfortunate part about that is that it aired almost to the day of the start of the Gulf War. That goofed the ratings -- everyone was watching CNN. The show did well but not well enough. The other one was fairly known, but it only came on once a week. It was called, "One House Street." The show aired in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Miami, on Saturday afternoons -- right after Sooooul train."
L.A.: What was the run of the two dance shows?
M.N.: "Well, "Dancing on Air" began in 1981 and ended in 1987 and "Dance Party USA" ran from 1986 to 1992. We wound up doing approximately 3,200 shows, which is about as many as Dick Clark (American Bandstand), but in a shorter span of time."
L.A.: During this portion of the interview, Mr. Nise gets a call. It's a guy, Louie, who used to be a regular on Dancing on Air. I spoke to Louie he explained, " I used to dance on the show five days a week for eight years. The crowd was wonderful. Being on the show allowed me to get a taste of what it was like to be a celebrity. Sometimes it was hard to be yourself because so many people would recognize me from the show."
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