Denis George Mahan, professionally known as Deney Terrio, is an American choreographer, former film actor, and television personality. Born on June 15, 1950, he is best recognized for his work as the host of the popular television musical variety series Dance Fever from 1979 to 1985.
Terrio's career took off after he achieved fame as the dance coach and choreographer for John Travolta in the iconic movie Saturday Night Fever. During his time 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, as well as guest-starring on popular television series of the time, such as The Love Boat.
In the 1990s, Terrio toured nightclubs, performing with the group Motion and judging dance contests. He was also featured in the popular Steve Martin movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, where Martin posed as a crippled veteran who claimed to have lost the use of his legs after finding his girlfriend having an affair with Terrio.
In recent years, Terrio has made appearances on several VH1 specials and co-hosted the 2004 PBS special Get Down Tonight: The Disco Explosion, which showcased numerous popular disco artists from the 1970s and actress Karen Lynn Gorney. During the show, Terrio and Gorney performed a choreographed dance routine to Tavares' live performance of "More Than a Woman", reminiscent of Gorney's iconic dance with John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.
Currently, Terrio is hosting his own disco radio show on the Sirius satellite radio network and continues to work as a choreographer and competitor at regional Dancing with the Stars competitions.
