ARTHUR MURRAY INTERNATIONAL

BIDS FAREWELL TO A BELOVED DANCE PARTNER

CORAL GABLES, FL – May 13 - It was with great sadness that Arthur Murray International learned of the passing of Doris Eaton Travis, an iconic lady of dance, in the morning of Tuesday, May 11th. 

Throughout her life, Doris made a huge contribution and a lasting impression on the Arthur Murray organization. In April 2009, at age 105, she took part in the Arthur Murray International Franchisee Convention.  Phil Masters, Chairman of the Board of Directors, who knew Mrs. Travis since the 1950s, described her presentation as “brilliant, witty, charming, and an inspiration.”  Doris spoke about her love of dance, life, and the more than three decades that she was a highly successful part of the Arthur Murray Dance Studio system.

In 1936, when Doris’ stage and film career had slowed, she was having a difficult time finding employment.   A friend was taking her son to the Arthur Murray Dance Studio for tap lessons, and mentioned that the studio’s top tap dancing instructor was leaving.  Doris went into the studio to meet with Arthur Murray.  She introduced herself as a member of the Eaton family, a theatrical family well-known and respected by everyone in the theater and performing arts of New York.  Doris began teaching tap at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio the very next day.  It was to be a collaboration that lasted for the rest of her life.  

As she learned more about the studio and social dancing, Doris was invited to attend Mr. Murray’s training course for instructors.  Within a year, she was asked to help one of the instructors open a branch studio in located within The Statler Hotel in Detroit.  When management at the hotel changed, she was part of the early franchise system, opening Arthur Murray Dance Studios throughout Detroit and Michigan.    At one point, Doris and her husband Paul, who she met while teaching, ran as many as 18 studios throughout Michigan. 

Known as “The Arthur Murray Lady,” she authored a column of dance advice and commentary for the Detroit News entitled "On Your Toes" and hosted a local television program for seven years.  But her influence extended far way beyond Michigan.  She returned to visit with Arthur Murray family often, and was a featured guest at the international convention in 2009.   

Every member of the Arthur Murray family remembers her as an inspirational woman, who believed that ballroom dance was something everyone could enjoy, at any age or stage of life. 

John Kimmins, President of AMI, remembering Doris:

“She's a legend in the dance world, and always an inspiration for the entire Arthur Murray family.   We've been proud of her enthusiasm, spirit, and energy.  At 105, she was actively involved in ballroom dancing and her passion for teaching seemed boundless.”

Claudia Marshall, owner of two Arthur Murray Studios in Dallas and International Training Director for AMI, who was a good friend and dance colleague:

“Doris constantly traveled to Cuba and South America to learn the latest Latin dances and bring them back to the Arthur Murray Studios.  She was a brilliant teacher.    Long before the national

Arthur Murray Dance Party produced by Arthur and Kathryn, Doris produced a local Detroit Dance Show that aired every week and was wildly popular.”
 
Two weeks ago, during the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS annual Easter benefit, something she started doing in 1998, Doris told Claudia: “Best years of my life were the Arthur Murray years.”

Doris Eaton Travis will be missed..….and long remembered by all whose lives she touched. 

 HOW TO BE A STAR AT YOUR WEDDING (or at least not trip over your feet)

CORAL GABLES, FL – Jan – Today, the best wedding dance is whatever the bride and groom want it to be.  That means everything from a procession down the aisle with bride, groom and entire wedding parties dancing down the aisle and into a YouTube video or a video on the couple’s FaceBook page.  Weddings today are more visual than ever before, and the first dance as husband and wife present a great opportunity for couples to be creative and expressive. 

According to the Wedding Dance Experts at Arthur Murray Dance Centers, (the world’s best loved dance teaching organization), the key is to start well in advance so couples, and the entire wedding party, can be as comfortable as possible. Practice does make perfect, and practice takes time and commitment.

Here’s more from the dance experts at Arthur Murray International:

Start as early as possible.  More than one Arthur Murray Dance Studio has stories of couples who come in just days before the wedding.  It takes three to six months, depending on the complexity of the dance and how many people are in the wedding party.

Practice in the same shoes that you will be wearing at the wedding – this goes for the bride and groom.  If you learn to samba in slippers, and then get hitched in high heels, your dancing will not look or feel the same and tripping over your feet is not a good move at the reception.

If you are planning on posting the dance online, have the cameraperson tape you after you’ve got the basics down.  You don’t want to wait until the last minute to find out that the angle is wrong or that a particular move may feel great but looks awkward on the small screen.

Practice often and everywhere.  If your dance is a secret, practice another dance – the idea is to get really comfortable with moving together as a team.

Pick a few different songs or dances that you love.  Make sure your band or DJ works with you so that the music is as perfect as the dance. 

If your honeymoon involves a cruise, you’ll enjoy it more if you include lessons in a variety of dance styles.  Remember that dancing together is enjoyed over many years, in many different occasions.

Call or visit your local Arthur Murray Dance Center to find out about First Wedding Dance programs and learn the right moves to make you feel comfortable and at ease on the dance floor for that special moment. 

Arthur Murray Dance Centers can be found throughout America and Canada and in Australia, Brazil, England, Egypt, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Latvia, and South Africa.  More than 40 million people have learned to dance at Arthur Murray Dance Centers.  For more information about ballroom dance, visit the Arthur Murray International website at www.arthurmurray.com.

 FOR FATHERS AND MOTHERS DAY GIFTS, HERE’S A GREAT GIFT IDEA

We can't think of a better gift idea for Father's Day or Mother's Day than the gift of dance lessons.  From new parents who need a break from tending toddlers to parents of teens who need serious stress relief, Mothers and Fathers at every age and stage  will enjoy the fun and fitness of ballroom dance.  Special gift packages of ballroom dance lessons are easily purchased at any local Arthur Murray Dance Studio.

Ballroom dance lessons offer many benefits:

• Great exercise – a low-pressure way to get Dad off of the couch and moving
• Romantic - creates an instant “date night”
• Good for the brain – regular ballroom dance has been the subject of many studies and is considered a useful tool in the battle against Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
• Booster for social life – people who dance tend to be more social
• Reap rewards for a lifetime – family parties, business and community events are more enjoyable for those who are confident in their dance skills.

Click here to find an Arthur Murray Dance Studio near you that sells dance lesson gift certificates

 Dateline: Coral Gables, Florida

For the brides and grooms planning a wedding now is the time to start working on that special first dance. Captured on videotape, photographed and sent today by video email to friends who can’t attend the wedding, those first steps will be memorialized for many years to come.
Here’s what the dance experts at Arthur Murray International say will help today’s bride and groom look their best:

- Practice in the shoes you’ll be wearing. If you learn to foxtrot in a pair of flats but wear heels for your wedding, the difference may take you by surprise.
- Start as early as possible. More than one Arthur Murray Dance Studio has stories of couples that come in three days before the wedding. Three to six months is better.
- Practice often – in the living room, kitchen, poolside or when you go out with friends. Whenever the opportunity to take a turn on the dance floor presents itself, practice, practice, and practice.
- If you can include parents and other members of the wedding party in dance preparations – it’s a lot more fun and relieves stress for everyone.
- Select a song or dance you want to use. Make sure that band or DJ can get the music or learn the song if it’s one they don’t already know.
- Consider what you’ll be wearing- Trails and a floor length gown will be great for the Waltz, but no for Salsa or Swing.
- Select a band or DJ that can provide you with a variety of music and dance styles.
- If your honeymoon involves a cruise or resort, have your lessons include a variety of different dance styles so you’re ready for anything! 

Contact your local Arthur Murray Dance Studio for an introduction to local wedding couples for upbeat local feature and dance demonstrations.

You can’t multi-task on the dance floor! There’s no way to get email, your cell phone is tucked in a handbag or jacket pocket in the coat closet and the music from a cutting edge sound system drowns out even the most insistent beeper. This is a great way to take a dance vacation: steal an hour away from the hectic, over-scheduled lifestyle without leaving town. In the summertime, there’s nothing like a hot night in a cool dance studio for a get-away.

“In the summer months, work schedules lighten up, kids are in camp, and that’s when people love to feel like they’re grabbing some personal, fun, private time without the hassle of actually going anywhere,” says Thomas Murdock, VP of Marketing & Promotions at Arthur Murray International, Inc.

Here are a few tips to make the most of your summer dance vacation:
- Summer dancing is hot – so drink lots of water before, during and after a dance vacation.
- You won’t need sun block, but your feet will sweat more in summer- so powder your favorite dance shoes and let them air out between trips.
- Music captures so many memories in our lives. Don’t wait for summer to be over to buy your favorite dance recording- it’ll warm you up when winter comes.
- Bring a camera and take pictures of your summer travel friends!
- Before you set out on your summer dance vacation, make a list of all the dances you ever wanted to learn.
- For many, a summer vacation experience is a starting point for a career change or a hobby that becomes a way of life. If the dancing bug bites, remember that dance-sport is now an Olympic event – and you could be a contender. You might even decide to teach dance, and give yourself an ‘endless summer.”

Summer dance season has begun in Arthur Murray Dance Studios located around the world. For more information on making your summer sizzle with ballroom dance, contact your local Arthur Murray Dance Studio.

If you think that most young couples today dream of their first dance at their wedding as a graceful waltz across the floor, think again!

Most of today’s soon-to-be newlyweds are abandoning slow, romantic ballads in favor of something that would have been considered quite shocking not too long ago… A sultry Tango – perhaps one of the sexiest dances in ballroom – or a high energy Salsa are more likely to be that special dance.

One Midwestern couple astonished their guest with a slow, romantic waltz that suddenly transformed into a professional style CHA-CHA, taking everyone by surprise. And, while the dances changed, one thing that stays the same: it takes three to four months to master the basics to look great on the dance floor for that special first dance and the entire celebration. If a couple’s honeymoon includes a cruise, their memories of dancing on deck will be even better.

There’s even an unexpected bonus to learning how to dance for your wedding. “Many couples come back to the studios after their weddings and tell us that they were able to enjoy dancing with uncles and aunts and grandparents for the first time”., says Thomas Murdock, VP of Marketing & Promotions at Arthur Murray International, Inc. “While they know that many different age groups will attend, couples don’t realize that the musical range is enormous. When they know the basics, they can really enjoy dancing to all different kinds of music.”

For more information on weddings and ballroom dance, contact your local Arthur Murray Dance Studio or explore our options contained on this web site.