Billy Wilson and Zoom! 

After his return from Europe, Billy worked as a choreographer for Zoom! which aired on PBS from 1976-1981. Zoom is a twice Emmy Award-winning television show that Billy Wilson choreographed. Zoom is a half-hour educational television program aired on PBS focused on children’s voices without adults. Each show would end with a choreographed song performed by the cast and choreographed by Billy Wilson during the first four seasons. Most recently in June of  2020, original cast member Zoomer Nancy Walker credits the producers, composer Newton Wayland and choreographer Billy Wilson with bringing “out the best in us.” 

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inUokSS0SIo[/embedyt]

Sources:
Zoom Wikipedia
50 years ago, ‘Zoom’ spoke to children about their real lives | WAMU
Zoom Picture
Zoom Youtube

Left Picture: Zoom TV Cover 1971

 

More about Zoom:

Zoom is a half-hour educational program that is structured around the 7 member cast of children having a voice without the impediment of adults. It was formed after shows like Sesame Street became popular. While mostly unscripted the zoom cast would learn dance choreography for the end of every show. The young Zoomers were only identified by first names, and every six months, half the cast would be replaced, creating a continuous revolving door of hosts.^[4] The cast was chosen by audition, and the producers made efforts to include children of multiple cultures and backgrounds

In the opening sequence, each cast members performed a brief “signature move,” and second season cast member Bernadette’s “arm thing” (a helicopter-like series of arm moves) became famous among the show’s young audience. By popular demand, Bernadette eventually explained on the show how to perform the move. On the show, a cast of seven kids (ten in Season 4) known as Zoomers presented various activities such as games, plays, poems, recipes, jokes, movies and science experiments, all suggested by viewer contributions.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Christopher Sarson & Kate Taylor

CAST MEMBERS:
Season 1 (1972):
Joe Shrand,Nina Lillie, Kenny Pires, Tracy Tannebring, Tommy White, Nancy Tates,and Jon Reuning.

Season 2 (1972-1973):
Maura Mullaney, Kenny Pires, Ann Messer, David Alberico, Nancy Tates, Jay Schertzer, Tracy Tannebring, Luiz Gonzales, Bernadette Yao, Leon Mobley, Edith Mooers, Lori Boskin, Danny McGrath,and Neal Johnson.

Season 3 (1973-1974):
Danny McGrath, Edith Mooers, Mike Dean, Donna Moore, Timmy Pruce, Lori Boskin, Mike Dean, Rose Clarkow, Hector Dorta, Shawn Miranda Reed,and Danny Malloy.

Season 4 (1974-1975):
Harvey Reed, Tishy Flaherty, David “Red” O’Brien, Cate Wadsworth, Norman Christian, Tracey Dellaria, Tommy Schultz, Carmen Hernandez, David Azzoto, and Andrae Wyatt.

Season 5 (1976):
Chris Blackwell, Jennifer Gold, Ron Richmond, Arcadio Gonzales, Karen Wing, Levell Gethers, and Nell Cox.

Season 6 (1977-1978):
Amy Clark, John Lathan, Carolyn Malcolm, Nicholas Butterworth, Shona de Nile, Chee Kim,and Susan Wolf.

Sources:
Zoom Wikipedia
 
Daisy Rosalez