TJ Lacey has had a long career working in the Arthur Murray Dance Studios in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area in Washington. In 2017, Lacey began traveling as an Arthur Murray business trainer, utilizing her decades of experience in communication and customer service.
The following is her behind the scenes vantage point, behind the curtains, of Arthur Murray.
Behind the Curtains at Arthur Murray Dance Schools
One of the things that has always impressed me about Arthur Murray Dance Schools, is that they do more than train their teachers with dancing skills.
Arthur Murray trains teachers and students alike on life skills, social skills, having fun and so much more than just where to put your feet.
When I first came to work for Arthur Murray Dance Schools, I was most impressed when I saw the amount of time, energy and investment the studio directors put into the ongoing and constant training of the staff. I witnessed studio owners not only training staff with daily dance sessions, but bringing in top notch dance specialists, choreographers, dance coaches, dance program trainers…AND customer service and communications trainers.
I was delighted when I saw teachers “getting it”.
The incredible moment that light bulb goes on. The joy and excitement when they wrap their heads around a new way to teach a student to dance. Whether that student be a concrete, linear thinker, a visual learner, a physical or auditory learner.
In turn, the teacher’s moment? When they see their student “get it”.
There is nothing quite like it. They have effectively changed that student's dancing, and perception of their own ability to learn how to do it, forever.
The process mesmerized me.
I have been fortunate enough to watch students bloom with new confidence as their teachers applied newly learned concepts and communication skills to their teaching process. Seeing the dancing progress of the students is a magical experience. Observing the students’ newfound confidence with their dancing ability is so gratifying.
Imagine the hours put in by the teachers, not only to learn to teach thousands of dance steps and patterns, how to lead and follow each of them, but how to teach it all to many kinds of learners.
Learning how to communicate to all the different learning styles and personality temperaments is not easy, but these professionals do it.
There is a little bit of humor in that Arthur Murray staff members become a bit of a customer service snobs. We are so well informed of how to be the best possible instructor and caretaker of our students dancing needs, that we really do notice when other businesses don’t have the same commitment. I also think that says something about the level of dedication to the craft.
AM Dance personnel are sold out when it comes to what we do.
Learning to dance. Having the ability to dance, truly changes people’s lives. Sometimes in a grand and obvious way, sometimes in small, gentle, subtle ways.
Arthur Murray has never publicly proclaimed that they “Teach Adaptively”. However, I have never seen an organization more determined to teach everyone that wants to learn, how to dance. This is what inspired me to become a communications and customer service trainer for Arthur Murray. I love the magic.
Yup. I’m a lifer… can’t imagine doing anything else.
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Photo Credits:
- Karen Chuang picture | Visit Karen Chuang on her website www.karenchuang.com
- Logic photo | Listen to Logic on Soundcloud
- Singin' in the Rain | Screenprism
