[7] The Empire Skate Center in New York City is credited as the birthplace of roller disco, most notably due to Bill "Mr. Charisma" Butler.

[8] In 1957, serviceman and rollerskater Bill "Mr. Charisma" Butler visited the Empire Roller Rink, where he found all-black clientele skating to organ music.

He encouraged the owners of the Empire Roller Rink to incorporate jazz and R&B vinyls, which would better reflect the cultural preferences of the community.

When the disc-jockeyed music proved successful, Butler became a regular attendee, showcasing the new dance technique he had invented in Alaska called jammin' (jam skating).

[10] Skater Marion Green praised the timing, location, and social environment of the Village Skating, stating that it was "a scene built on the ethics of family and a celebration of diversity, fulfilling the dream of the venue's founder Richard 'Dick' Clammer".

The article begins with a description of the new trend:Take equal parts roller skating and disco dancing, stir in some flashy lighting and mix with hard, fast music.

[1]By 1979, Mr. Charisma's "stylish tricks...made the [Empire Roller Disco] a HOT destination", as it "drew storied celebrities away from the snooty uptown clubs (Studio 54) down to the warm & accepting Brooklyn Rink".

[16][17] At the height of the disco craze in 1979, Billboard reported that there were an estimated "5,000 roller rinks in the U.S.," attracting "more than 28 million young American skaters".

Published by Pocket Books, it contained 114 pages of disco skating instructions[18] written by "the recognized king of the eight-wheeled mania that's taking over the country".

Butler detailed how to "keep the beat", turn, stop, jump, how to do "the Anthony Forde walk", as well as describing regional styles, etiquette, safety, rules, and "How to Become a Disco Dazzler in One Minute Flat".

"[19] By November, Central Michigan University's Kalamazoo News wrote, "Roller disco is hot stuff these days; anybody who's anybody is doing it.

The dance, with music and lyrics by Ed Chalpin of PTX Enterprises, was written and choreographed especially for use as a promotional tool to stimulate interest in the concept of roller discos.

[citation needed] Vaughan Mason & Crew released "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" in the summer of 1979, modeling the song's structure and bassline after "Good Times".

[2] Vaughan wrote the song after a trip to the Empire Roller Disco, where he observed teachers telling students, "C'mon, bend at the knees, bounce".

[citation needed] In 1980, the Milennium Complex dance hall in Plymouth, England was closed and converted into a roller disco.

[33][34] The resurgence was powered by social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat which have seen an increase of roller skating-related content.