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+ View Older Messages

Re: Arthur Murray and being an Informed Consumer
Posted by ladydance
4/2/2014  12:40:00 PM
Your experience of not being allowed to attend or talk about other dance events is not new. I have a friend (we are in Canada) who started at AM, at least 20 years ago. She was so excited about dancing and went to a dance at another location. When she told her instructor about it, she was lectured that she was not allowed to go to another dance without his permission. She thought he would be pleased that she got up the courage to go out when she was just a beginner. She was so shocked by his reaction that she walked out and never went back.
Re: Arthur Murray and being an Informed Consumer
Posted by mm76012
4/3/2014  9:45:00 AM
Yeah... I was lectured on how they create a safe environment with no booze or people hitting on my wife. I am 45 years old - I think I can go to a sleazy dance club if I chose too. But the kicker is the place I went to was a dance event where we, in our mid 40s, where the youngest people! Talk about safe... it was. Regardless, a company that I pay for goods or services has no right to tell me I can not go out and use the skills I learned in another setting! So your experience was 20 years ago - mine was 5 days ago. Sounds like it is a mindset drilled into AM owners to protect their turf! Wow
Re: Arthur Murray and being an Informed Consumer
Posted by Dancewithdia
4/28/2014  12:39:00 PM
I am so sorry you had that experience. I used to be a student at the Same AM you are referring to. I finally broke free after two years and pursued instruction at another studio with Independent Teachers. I studied hard and am now an Independent Teacher myself.

I can assure you that in the Independent world that doesn't happen very much. In fact, we support one another. I go to other studio events and others come to mine. I even take my students to other studio's practice parties. I have found the overall support between Instructors to be wonderful. I have even performed as a guest with my students at other studio showcases.

If they believe so much in their system then they should not be afraid of other studios. Bottom line is, they don't believe in it, their price is too high. One of my coaches is a National Champion he still only charges $85/hr.

Don't give up, google is your friend. There are a lot more options out there! And several in Fort Worth. Good Luck!

Re: Arthur Murray and being an Informed Consumer
Posted by mm76012
5/2/2014  3:07:00 PM
Thanks Dancewithdia!

I agree one hundred percent. So far I have seen a very supportive community of students and instructors in our foray outside of AM. I am amazed at how large the Dance community is. There are so many opportunities to Dance without even stepping into a traditional dance night club (not that there is anything wrong with that).

One thing is certain - We will NOT give up! In fact, our passion for dance is higher now than it has ever been despite coming out of a bad experience with one chain studio.

See you around!
Re: Arthur Murray and being an Informed Consumer
Posted by dancewithdia
5/12/2014  9:12:00 AM
If you haven't already, Try www.Dancemakers.com. They are in Fort Worth.

That is where I take my students to their practice parties. The teachers there are so sweet and friendly. That studio is open to the public so Independents teach there as well. Hope you have found a new instructor.
Re: Arthur Murray and being an Informed Consumer
Posted by mm76012
5/29/2014  5:49:00 PM
Dancewithdia - We are indeed in fact going there! And we have found a wonderful new instructor. We are more excited about dance and putting more into our learning both inside and outside the studio than we ever have before!

MM
Re: Arthur Murray and being an Informed Consumer
Posted by Ballroomchick
6/2/2014  10:48:00 AM
MM76012

If you don't mind the drive to Dallas, the Marilyn Myers Dance Connections puts on a dance once a month. This is with a live band and is always well attended. You don't have to be a member to attend one of their dances, the price is only slightly more. There are dance hosts of single ladies. Here's the link if you would like to check out dates and places they go. http://danceconnectionsclub.org/
Re: Arthur Murray and being an Informed Consumer
Posted by diskman50
6/24/2014  9:06:00 AM
We joined AM ages ago specifically for social dance and made that clear when we signed our first contract. Over the years we've been invited to attend the medal ball and had done so on two occasions as spectators only. We go dancing socially many times a month and our dance instructor asks us constantly where we've been dancing. He always belittles our dance events with comments like "only old people dance there". The problem is we can go to a Knights of Columbus dance for $25 per person with a live band and a hot buffet dinner while AM charges $125 per person for a sit down dinner and some social dancing after you watch hundreds of 2 minute dance heats. I'm not knocking medal balls, showcase or any other marketing techniques AM employs but they do their best to keep each and every dollar in house.
Re: Arthur Murray and being an Informed Consumer
Posted by NEWDANCER
5/6/2014  8:31:00 PM
I too have a certain disregard for AM. It's to bad they pray on people with little or no dance experience. It seems their only goal is for profit and exclude their students from venturing off their "turf".
It's true they "groom" you only for their showcases and spotlights. I should know, I am still in debt for the sum of 6k.
Having been a student there for two years, I started to venture out to the dance community including signing up with Ballroom dancers to try to quench my incredible thirst for more Ballroom and other dance knowledge, I was told by their Master instructor that all those other studios and sites are "Elitists".
I left there as soon as my contract expired and have since had the pleasure of meeting and being trained by the likes of Benji Schwimmer, Jen Lyons , Christine Harvey and the list goes on.
When I posted a photo of me and Benji on Facebook, I received a message from the AM studio I had taken lessons from that she was going to block me because I sounded negative in my comment about being able to finally grow in my dance abilities.
I deleted them from my friends list.
Re: Arthur Murray and being an Informed Consumer
Posted by ballroomchick
5/6/2014  11:11:00 AM
I only know 1 girl who went back to AM because she could not cut it in the real world competitions. She was told she would HAVE to fix her foot technique and learn cuban motion first. She pushed and pushed, was told she wasn't ready to compete yet, finally her instructor took her. She came in dead last at 2 or 3 comps. She was always 1st place at AM comps. She didn't want to fix her (lack of) technique and went back to the AM world.
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