When the Tesh appears in the flesh, moms go gaga

The Tesh makes mothers swoon.

Many of the younger dancers who lined up Thursday at the Promenade Shops at Briargate to compete in “Dancing with the Tesh” didn’t know much about the New Age pianist and radio host John Tesh.

They must have missed his 10-year stint as co-host on the syndicated TV show “Entertainment Tonight.”

But their maternal chaperones certainly knew who he was.

“I’d dance, if you got to dance with him,” said Susan Stout, 46, mother of 17-year-old crystal-encrusted tap-dancer Laura Stout.

But the towering 6-foot, 6-inch Tesh, who showed up around noon in a black cap and black T-shirt, his bright-white smile matching his fringe of flaxen hair, had no plans to cha-cha or sashay himself.

“I’m not much of a dancer,” he said coolly, setting up his electric keyboard in a large, sunny studio, as 50 hopeful contestants filed through the front door.

Tesh — now known for his Christian music and motivational radio show, and as fodder for cheap popculture jokes — was in town to cull the best local talent for his upcoming PBS special, “Piano, Gospel, Dance.”

“It’s a celebration of dance across North America,” he said, explaining that the top three dancers in the national competition would get to perform on the show.

But the show’s title didn’t quite have enough pizazz, so the auditions are called “Dancing with the Tesh.”

You know, like “Dancing with the Stars.”

But not.

We wondered how you get to put a definite article before your name.

“You have to be over 6 feet tall and have size 15 feet,” he said.

Though Tesh decided to host live tryouts in two cities — Colorado Springs and Fresno, Calif. — the contest is primarily a virtual one, with dancers submitting videos of themselves at www.youtube. com/dancingwiththetesh.

And if the idea is to showcase a diverse set of talent, the dancers at Briargate certainly fit the bill.

The competition began with a freckled 16-year-old pirouetting across the floor, and cut to a hip-hop dancer flipping head over heels.

A gaggle of preteens from a local dance school performed in matching T-shirts.

And a 13-year-old fancy dancer jingled as he twirled in a brilliant, beaded costume.

Most people brought their own music, but Tesh agreed to play keyboard for Dalia Melendez, who improvised a “tribal fusion, hip-hop, flamenco kind of thing with contemporary choreography.”

As the afternoon wore on, 50 contestants were whittled to six, who have a shot at the national competition. Three walked away with new iPods: Josiah Steele, 17; Jade Daniels, 14; and Dubraskha Arrivillaga.

And four won tickets to a cruise boasting the “Total Tesh Experience” — Chris Multon, 16; dancing partners Jackie Brokman and Golden Parker; and Katie Zezulay, a 13-year-old tap-dancer, whose mother beamed.

“I love him!” she cried.