What Made Susan Beltrante Stand Out as a Dancer on ‘American Bandstand’?

The biggest transformation occurred on August 5, 1957, when the program began broadcasting nationally on ABC as American Bandstand. Suddenly, teenagers dancing inside a Philadelphia television studio could be watched by young people across the country. Historical estimates place the program’s audience at approximately twenty million viewers during the height of its early national popularity. Local teenagers who had entered the studio to dance could consequently become recognizable to people living hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

That enormous audience helped turn some of the show’s regular dancers into an unusual early form of teenage television celebrity. They were not professional actors playing fictional characters, nor were most of them recording artists promoting albums. They were teenagers dancing to popular records in front of television cameras. Yet viewers learned their names, recognized their partners, followed their clothing choices, and sometimes sent them fan mail. The regular dancers became part of what made the program feel familiar from one broadcast to the next.

Susan eventually became one of those recognizable regulars. Historical listings generally place her regular involvement with American Bandstand from approximately 1958 through 1961. Sources devoted to the dancers connect her with Ed Kelly, also listed in Bandstand histories as Eddie Kelly, as one of her dancing partners. Other surviving photographs connect Susan with additional regular dancers, demonstrating that partnerships on the floor were not necessarily permanent. A surviving archival fan-site photograph, for example, identifies Susan dancing with Norman Kerr.

The environment Susan entered was much more regulated than the spontaneous dancing visible on television might have suggested. Dick Clark maintained a strict code of appearance and behavior for the teenagers appearing on camera. Boys were expected to arrive wearing appropriate shirts, ties, and jackets or sweaters. Girls were expected to wear dresses or skirts and conservative blouses. Tight sweaters, low necklines, and trousers for girls were among the clothing choices prohibited under the show’s rules.