‘Dance TV: Halloween’ Turns Broken Glass into Seasonal Magic

“A disco ball is hundreds of pieces of broken glass put together to make a magical ball of light. You are not broken. You are a disco ball.”

“And that is a quote that has an unknown author. I did not come up with that quote, but when I first saw that, I was like, ‘Oh, that is what “Dance TV” is,’” says “Dance TV” creative director Andy Frye. “It’s like, empowering and uplifting, and also pays homage to the dance floor with a disco ball.”

So, that’s “Dance TV.” Their Halloween show runs October 15-18 at Zeitgeist in Duluth. See you there!

Oh, you still have more questions? Well, you and your insatiable curiosity are in luck. Frye has plenty more to share about the project he’s been working on since 2019.

“‘Dance TV’ is a live theatrical experience that takes you behind the scenes of a fictional hit television show called ‘Dance TV,’” Frye says. “So, think, like, ‘Solid Gold,’ ‘Club MTV,’ ‘Soul Train,’ ‘American Bandstand,’ with a modern, irreverent flair.”

The audience sees all the action, both on- and off-camera, according to Frye. The show incorporates digital elements into its core identity as a theatrical production (and not an actual TV show, as Frye often finds himself explaining). 

“Dance TV: Halloween” also features an original script and original soundtrack (available now on Spotify and Apple Music), both created by Minnesota artists.

But how did it all get started? Again, Frye has the answers.

The first two glass shards that would become the disco ball that is “Dance TV” came together in a Zumba class. Frye was attending a class taught by Christine Pfeiffer Stocke, and once the two connected, they became “instant friends,” he says.

In addition to now being a co-creator of “Dance TV,” Pfeiffer Stocke had previously danced on a TV dance show and was also a writer. Once he found that out, Frye says, the ideas that would become “Dance TV” immediately began to form.

“We started workshopping it at the Brewer’s Garage in Duluth, Minn., and it was a little bit more of, like, a club, theater, concert, hybrid type of environment,” Frye says. “The project really pays homage to the dance floor.” 

Frye and Pfeiffer Stocke took “Dance TV” from workshops at Brewer’s Garage to a residency at LUSH Lounge & Theater in Minneapolis. They had built up some momentum and were ready to continue to evolve “Dance TV.” But, like most of 2019’s best laid plans, things didn’t work out exactly how they expected.

Being forced to take time away from the stage during the COVID-19 pandemic helped Frye realize what “Dance TV” was, what it wasn’t and how to transition it from a club environment to a sit-down theater. 

After that time to reflect, Frye and Pfeiffer Stocke were able to prepare and then premiere the original “Dance TV” show at Zeitgeist in 2023, followed by another in 2024. 

“From the success of that show and what we learned, and what worked, and what audiences were really responding to, we knew we wanted to keep going, creating new work,” Frye says. “But, [we] didn’t want to keep doing the exact same thing, and also make it so that you didn’t need to have seen the first one in order to come to see our new show.” 

“Just like those dance television shows, and lots of television shows. have the like the Halloween episode, the Christmas episode, or the holiday [episode], you know, leaning into the season,” Frye continues. “So we, instead of doing the sequel, we’re doing ‘Dance TV: Halloween.’ We have ‘Dance TV: Holidays’ also in the works, and ‘Dance TV: Beach Party,’ and [are] kind of leaning into these seasonal aspects.”

So, “Dance TV: Halloween” will combine the goals of building on the original “Dance TV” while also differentiating itself, remaining accessible to new and old audiences alike, and celebrating the season. That’s not enough for you? Well, it’s also a dance party!

“This isn’t a drama. This is really just meant to be fun,” Frye says. “So, put on a fun outfit, grab some friends!”

The end of the show isn’t the end of the night, either. The “Dance TV” team is hosting afterparties following the end of the night’s last show at Vikre Distillery on Thursday, Blacklist Brewing Co. on Friday and, on Saturday, at The Flame Duluth, where a costume competition will begin at 11 p.m.

So, what is “Dance TV: Halloween”? It’s a lot of things: theater show, dance TV show, dance party, and a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community through the arts. Frye, after some thought, added one more shard to the ball: “It’s going to be the Halloween event of the season!”

“Dance TV: Halloween”
Zeitgeist
222 E Superior St.
Duluth, MN 55802
Oct. 15 and 16 at 7 p.m., Oct. 17 and 18 at 6 and 8:30 p.m.
dancetvstudios.com