
Person
Deney Terrio
Acting · Born 1950-06-15
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Denis George Mahan (born June 15, 1950), better known as Deney Terrio, is an American choreographer, former film actor and one-time host of the television musical variety series Dance Fever from 1979 to 1985. In 1991, he sued Merv Griffin, the show's producer, for sexual harassment; the US$11.3 million case was later dismissed. Terrio achieved fame as the dance coach and choreographer for John Travolta in the movie Saturday Night Fever. During his heyday with Dance Fever, he appeared in a number of films, including The Idolmaker, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, A Night in Heaven and Knights of the City and guest starred on popular television series of the time including The Love Boat. Throughout the 1990s, he toured nightclubs, performing with Motion and judging dance contests. Terrio was referred to in the popular Steve Martin movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels where Martin posed as a crippled veteran. Martin claimed that he lost use of his legs after he found his girlfriend having sex with Terrio. In recent years, he has appeared on several VH1 specials and co-hosted the 2004 PBS special Get Down Tonight: The Disco Explosion which featured many popular disco artists from the 1970s and actress Karen Lynn Gorney. During the show, Terrio and Gorney danced to Tavares’ live performance of “More Than a Woman”, as Gorney had with John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Currently Deney is hosting his own disco radio show on the Sirius satellite radio network and is a choreographer and competitor at regional Dancing with the Stars competitions. Description above from the Wikipedia article Deney Terrio, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known for

The Mike Douglas Show
Self

The Love Boat
Floyd
Where Are They Now?
Self

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Khan's Crewman #11 (uncredited)

Knights of the City
Himself (as Denny Tarrio)

A Night in Heaven
Tony
Dance Fever
Host

Battle of the Video Games
Self
Filmography
- 1999Where Are They Now?Self
- 1986Knights of the CityHimself (as Denny Tarrio)
- 1983A Night in HeavenTony
- 1983Battle of the Video GamesSelf
- 1982Star Trek II: The Wrath of KhanKhan's Crewman #11 (uncredited)
- 1979Dance FeverHost
- 1977The Love BoatFloyd
- 1961The Mike Douglas ShowSelf
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