If you’re ready and willing, today we’re going to take you back to the year 1964. In this clip from “American Bandstand” you’ll get to see the young people dancing to the hit “Just Like Romeo & Juliet” by The Reflections. Beloved host Dick Clark takes a hot minute to introduce the young dancers and invites them to showcase their dance moves on the program. If you grew up watching “American Bandstand” or have tuned in more recently, you might know this segment as “Spotlight Dance.”
It’s when the young couples get to dance in sync with one another. But in this episode, they’re cutting the rug to The Reflections hit “Just Like Romeo & Juliet.”
I can’t tell you how many young ladies must have swooned to this song. Check out the dance skills from 1964 in the clip below!
When the video starts, you’ll hear Dick Clark asking the teen’s names and their ages. After getting all the introductions out of the way, he displays his popular and non-chalant Dick Clark humor that everyone knows and loves.
“Everybody has this idea that I don’t know how to dance, you know?” Clark says. “And they’re right!”
With that, Clark walks toward the back of the stage and allows the young whippersnappers the opportunity to take the spotlight and demonstrate the moves they’ve been practicing at home. If you ask a teenager in the modern era what they’re doing at home, you’ll probably be disgusted.
Viewers of this clip number in the 800,000s. With that come a lot of comments. Here are some of the most popular ones viewers like you have shared:
“I wish we had a show like this today! I really hate my generation’s habits and style. What happened to modesty, appropriateness, and manners? American Bandstand makes me want to live in the 60’s, but nope I was born in 2000,” wrote Anna May.
KinseyDSP replied, “hey were wonderful days and the girls were very modest and lovely! Glad I was young then! My one wish is to be able to say hello to Carol House who I had a big crush on back then!”
“Society isn’t even at a point where it can reel itself in anymore. Internet did it. You just didn’t have those influences back then. Even in the 80’s. The 80’s were a very simple time in comparison to today,” replied user seywhut2985.
“I am very Thankful that I was young then, and you are so right the Girls were very Lovely and modest back then. Today it seems people try to do whatever is weird to just say they did!” shared another viewer.
Susie wrote, “If I could only travel back to the 60’s – even for just a few hours, it would make my day!”
Jaxxon Balboa said it perfectly, “no grinding! no twerking! no vulgarity!…….people used to actually dance at one time..”
What do you think about the way these young people danced back in 1964? Is something wrong with the youth of America today?
