Deney Terrio

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Deney Terrio, born Denis George Mahan on June 15, 1950, is an American choreographer, television personality, and actor. Raised in Titusville, Florida, he rose to fame as John Travolta’s dance coach for the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. He later hosted the TV dance show Dance Fever from 1979 to 1987 and appeared in films such as The Idolmaker (1980), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), A Night in Heaven (1983), and Knights of the City (1986). Terrio also appeared on The Love Boat, toured nightclubs, and later worked on VH1 specials and as a host for the disco-focused Get Down Tonight: The Disco Explosion on PBS in 2004, as well as hosting a disco radio show on Sirius.

In the legal arena, Terrio sued Merv Griffin in 1991 for sexual harassment in a case that was eventually dismissed. In 2015 he sued Hasbro over a cartoon gecko named Vinnie Terrio; they settled out of court in 2016.

Terrio’s influence extends into popular culture, with references in Eddie Murphy Raw, Gilmore Girls, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Modern Family, Black Dynamite, and Miami Vice. He remains a notable figure in dance and disco history and is currently living.