Walk into any Home Improvement store, and you will find tools to fix anything.
As weird as it may sound to connect a Home Improvement store to an Arthur Murray Dance Studio - we're going to do it. We are talking about tools, because Arthur Murray is in the business of improvement, but of a different variety.
So let's explore tools that you may have overlooked, tools you may have never heard of, and tools you could use on your very next lesson.
7 Arthur Murray Tools You May Not Be Using
1. Practice Parties
This is your lab. It's disguised as a dance party, but make no mistake about it - it's a lab. It is designed to give you, the student, an controlled environment built around one thing: Practical Application.
Read More: What is a Practice Party?
"At Arthur Murray, your Private Lessons build content, but Practice Parties add the context."
2. The 28 Point Teaching System
How important was it to the Rebel Alliance to receive the technical readout of the Death Star? Well, for the uninformed - it was pretty important. Well, even if you don't own a lightsaber, you should know that in every single Arthur Murray Bronze program there is a technical readout of each level of your dance program.
It's called the 28 Point Teaching System, and we'd post a picture of it, but it is protected by copyright, and it should be the first page you look before you start your very next lesson.
Why?
It shows you the process of learning technique. Want to learn more? We wrote this article to help: The Arthur Murray Formula to Social Dancing With Style
3. 90 Minute Appointments
There's a certain amount of time you should wait to swim after eating lunch, or call someone after a first date. The same can be said for transitioning from the outside world into Arthur Murray. Yes, each of your Private and Group lessons are 45 minutes in length, but how much of that time are you spending to get adjusted?
Enter the 90 minute appointment.
Back to back private lessons is a dream come true for students who want to enhance their progress, find shelter from their commute home, or to improve their retention of the material. This doesn't have to be a program-long commitment, but it can create results that can last all program long.
4. Full Potential Lessons
Leading and following are the two basic job descriptions for Social Dancing and Competitive Dancing. Learning how to do that as a couple, in front of your significant other, can present a bit of a challenge.
Enter the Full Potential Lesson
For couples, learning how to dance effectively together is what makes dancing fun, sexy, and exciting. A full potential lesson allows the Leader to work exclusively on leading, and the Follower to work exclusively on Following. Using this strategy eliminates the kinks when the couple dances together. This "Divide & Conquer" approach is a favorite among dance couples new and advanced, and will typically be followed by a couples lesson to put the progress into action.
"Full Potential Lessons at Arthur Murray help dance couples turn into dance partners."
5. Progress Checks
Technically, you're supposed to pull over immediately when your "Check Engine" light goes on in your car. If there were a check engine light for your dance program, it may already be too late (In that case, we'd highly recommend: "5 Reasons Why People Stop Taking Dance Lessons"). For everyone else, we suggest regularly scheduled maintenance.
In Arthur Murray terms - that's called a Progress Check.
This visit, covered in detail in this article, is handled by one of the managers, and it is as important to your dancing as an oil change is to your car's engine. Whether it is coming up with a new approach to make your Tango more comfortable, or to clarify the details of an upcoming event - the Progress Check is designed to keep a student's progress on the right track.
Cars need regular oil changes, and Arthur Murray students need regular progress checks.
6. Coaching Lessons
There are consultants in every industry, and one thing is consistent: They share wisdom. Arthur Murray Consultants, as in any other industry, are proven and successful in the field of dance instruction. Whether you are looking for your next dance routine, or how to finally get your hips to move without falling over - a consultant is a great way to go.
The best explanation of a coaching lesson is this:
For more tips on working with the amazing Arthur Murray consultants, check out: 16 Ways to Utilize a Dance Coach
7. The Curve of Learning
This is the Arthur Murray Tool that has saved more dance programs than any other - the Curve of Learning
Why?
Because it illustrates the stages of the learning process. Out of all of your friends at work, how many of them are ballroom dancers? How about your family - how many of them can you ask about the process of learning the Foxtrot, Waltz, or Swing? There's something refreshing about a poster, outlining a process, that shows that you may not be the only one who feels awkward learning a new dance, step, or technique.
Final Thought
There are many more Arthur Murray tools that weren't mentioned - instructors, a supportive community, or the never ending flow of coffee available. All of these things, including the coffee, make up the Arthur Murray system. It's a customized, yet repeatable, process. A system like this is only possible because the people involved all have a common goal - to change people's lives on and off the dance floor.
We'd love to hear your comments. If there was a tool we left out that has helped you on your dance journey - share it in the comments section below.
