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"Whooo-woo-woo!"

There are nearly 300 laughing, whistling, stomping, clapping people jammed onto the floor of what appears to be a first-class country and western dance hall, complete with barn wood and bare brick. Right smack in the center is a giant white emblem of a prancing carousel pony: "THE WHITE HORSE CAFE." On the back wall is a bank of video monitors unreeling a Confederate Railroad video, something to do with liking women "a little on the trashy side."

Over at the bar, jolly Phil Campbell is serving up soft drinks and friendly patter, looking like he just got in from Mayberry. To his right is the elevated "Disco Deck," with a glowing neon Club Dance logo behind it, where the youthful Fabulous Feat dance group from Erlanger, Kentucky, is showing off its sprightly moves.

Older couples sit at tables ringing the floor, fanning themselves to keep cool under the constant blaze of hundreds of studio lights. Out on the floor, the dancers range from teenagers to senior citizens, some learning as they go, others dipping their hips and twisting their shoulders like pros, confidently slapping hands and stomping boots.

Off to the side, a group of six middle-aged women in matching Western outfits dances in unison with military precision, three by three, spinning 'round and clapping hands like a drill team.

Meanwhile, a technical crew of 27 hovers on the sidelines–cameras, lighting, audio, time keepers, tape operators, engineers, technical directors, production assistants, even a newsletter reporter. In the control room, producer Cynthia Dodson is mapping out the action with ever-alert eyes, juggling views from seven different cameras, telling her floor director which dances to feature, programming the music, deciding who will be interviewed by host (and former Miss Tennessee) Shelley Mangrum. By the end of the day, there'll be three or four shows in the can–shows that have become an addictive mix of music, family, and personal drama to their fans.

At first glance, the concept seems almost too simple: videotape people dancing to popular country tunes and air it. What's so special about that?

Indeed, in the early stages of Club Dance, even its producers didn't think they had a phenomenon-in-the-making on their hands. They were just fulfilling a request from TNN for a show that was music-driven, with the visual content being dancing. But after the show's first six months of broadcasting in 1991, it started happening: fan obsession at American Bandstand levels. Viewers started tuning in just to follow the 50-60 regulars on the program.

For instance, there's Anthony and Christina, who started dating on the show, then got engaged, unengaged, engaged, unengaged, then flew to Aruba, got re-engaged, and finally married–a consummation which compelled a woman from Connecticut to drive down and throw Christina three bridal showers. The couple had their first baby a few months ago. Then there's Randy the Rat, who's reputation as a ladies' man was sealed when one of his ex-girlfriends declared him a "rat" from coast to coast after being asked why they weren't dancing together anymore. Thus legends are born.

"To some people, Club Dance is their daily soap opera," says Dodson. "They get involved in the lives of the people who come on the show every single day–how many kids they have, what kind of work they do, who they are dating, who they are going to marry. When they break up with one, they look to see who they're going to start dating next."

These true-life dramas have made Club Dance one of TNN's top-rated shows. It generates about 1,000 letters a month, with requests ranging from 85-year-old grandmothers wanting to know who the guy is with the black beard and black hat, to hospital patients wanting to be pen pals. Then there are the phone calls.

"A lot of viewers will call and say, 'Where's the White Horse Cafe? What time do you open? Are you serving lunch today? What's your cover charge?'" remarks Dodson. "I think that probably 94 percent of the people who watch the show think it's really a place–that it exists as a club."

Next: Who Are These People?

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