Danceteria

Danceteria was one of those places that could only have existed in early 1980s New York — six floors of New Wave music, video art, and creative chaos at 30 West 21st Street, now luxury condos. Keith Haring worked there as a busboy. Madonna checked hats and gave her first performance on the premises. Jean-Michel Basquiat was a regular, hanging with Madonna when the two were dating.

The club went well beyond dance floor programming. A dedicated video lounge, designed by video artists John Sanborn and Kit Fitzgerald, screened video art, early music videos, and found footage at a time when that kind of programming barely existed outside of art spaces. The stage hosted art performances — Kembra Pfahler performed there before fully developing her Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black persona. Desperately Seeking Susan, which starred Madonna, captures something of what the club’s energy looked like, however cinematically filtered.

What Danceteria represented — the intersection of art, music, and nightlife as a genuinely immersive experience — has largely been designed out of New York as real estate prices have restructured what any given space can afford to be.

Madonna at Danceteria by Maripol

Kembra Pfahler and Gordon Kurtti performing

Betsey Johnson celebrating her 38th birthday in 1980

Location: 30 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10010