Wednesday, August 31st is D-Day for the Arthur Murray Bay Area staff.
D, in this case, stands for District.
The day, on the last day of August, is the Quarterfinal round of the George B. Theiss Arthur Murray All Star Competition, and Wednesday's round features the top Teachers, Executives, and Administrators from each location in Northern California and Nevada.
Arthur Murray All Stars Prepare for Big Test
About the George B. Theiss Competition
Named after the late President of Arthur Murray International, the All Stars is a skills competition for every level of staff within the worldwide dance organization. In an effort to improve the experience of students in all locations, the competition is the measuring stick for intensive training at the local, regional, and national level. Focusing on areas like customer service, communication skills, dance instruction, and problem solving.
The Testing
Similar to the Medal Ball exam for the students, the All Star Testing includes practical simulations rather than a blue book or number two pencil required multiple choice exam. In an industry that relies so heavily on communication, it should come as no surprise that these exams are closely contested.
The Big Picture
Since it is a competition, only the top scores can pass through to the next round, but every teacher, executive, and admin improve through the process. "The big picture is to deliver an incredible, outstanding experience to the students, and the preparation, and testing, is a big part in improving in that area", says District Director, Daisey Lynam.
The Participants
The following is a list of the staff moving forward into the quarterfinal round of the competition. From there, the winners will advance to the Semi-Finals, held in Portland, Oregon, with the other quarterfinal winners from Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and Western Canada. The Championship round will be held at the Superama, in Las Vegas in October 2016.
New Student Specialist Quarterfinalists
Yajenny Pacheco |
New Student Specialist |
Folsom |
Lizzie Chapman |
New Student Specialist |
Millbrae |
Alex Coloma |
New Student Specialist |
Fremont |
Ron Ricardo |
New Student Specialist |
Livermore |
Kayla Alston |
New Student Specialist |
Carmichael |
Jonathan Garay |
New Student Specialist |
Hayward |
Natalie Walters |
New Student Specialist |
Redwood City |
Rafael Cadelas |
New Student Specialist |
Santa Rosa |
Christina Mullen |
New Student Specialist |
San Francisco |
Erica Evans |
New Student Specialist |
Stockton |
Misty Henthorn |
New Student Specialist |
Walnut Creek |
Ashlyn Smith |
New Student Specialist |
Los Gatos |
Zach Howery |
New Student Specialist |
San Jose |
Instructor Competition Quarterfinalists
Becky Esmiol |
Instructor |
Carmichael |
Austin Bergstedt |
Instructor |
Folsom |
Rhenell Reyes |
Instructor |
Millbrae |
Melisandra Russell |
Instructor |
Livermore |
Jace Guerrero |
Instructor |
Fremont |
Oscar David |
Instructor |
Los Gatos |
Miguel Dominguez |
Instructor |
Hayward |
Sergio Garcia |
Instructor |
Redwood City |
Genevieve Paz |
Instructor |
San Jose |
Victoria Ayers |
Instructor |
Santa Rosa |
Walter Piche |
Instructor |
Walnut Creek |
New Student Counselor Quarterfinalists
Byron Payne |
New Student Counselor |
Carmichael |
Evan Healy |
New Student Counselor |
Hayward |
Joey Sena |
New Student Counselor |
Livermore |
Annaliza Cruz |
New Student Counselor |
Redwood City |
Julie-Marie Serrano |
New Student Counselor |
Santa Rosa |
Eva Love |
New Student Counselor |
San Francisco |
Supervisor Quarterfinalists
Kayla North |
Supervisor |
Carmichael |
Alexis Morales |
Supervisor |
Stockton |
Alex Doan |
Supervisor |
Redwood City |
William Daily |
Supervisor |
Livermore |
Zach Crawford |
Supervisor |
Santa Rosa |
Evan Boyer |
Supervisor |
Hayward |
Karen Prado |
Supervisor |
Walnut Creek |
Admin Quarterfinals
Gerard Santos |
Admin |
Folsom |
Jasmine Ventocilla |
Admin |
Fremont |
Rachael Alonzo |
Admin |
Stockton |
Eleanor Maccoby |
Admin |
Fremont |
Jessica Morgan |
Admin |
Hayward |
Charlotte Keezer |
Admin |
Walnut Creek |
Lili Navarro |
Admin |
Hayward |
Carolyn Serquina |
Admin |
Walnut Creek |
Melissa Ortiz |
Admin |
Los Gatos |
Christina Champman |
Admin |
San Jose |
Rookie Quarterfinals
Ronit Amaya |
Rookie Specialist |
Folsom |
Tyler Schiller |
Rookie Specialist |
Millbrae |
Tawni Jackson |
Rookie Specialist |
Stockton |
|
Rookie Specialist |
Redwood City |
Jenny Haveman |
Rookie Specialist |
Santa Rosa |
Carla Gardner |
Rookie Specialist |
San Francisco |
Yara Granados |
Rookie Specialist |
Fremont |
Dustin Artinger |
Rookie Specialist |
Hayward |
Holle Gutierrez |
Rookie Specialist |
Walnut Creek |
Cimone Bassilios |
Rookie Specialist |
Livermore |
Ramon Ruiz |
Rookie Specialist |
Los Gatos |
Josh Johnson |
Rookie Instructor |
Carmichael |
Final Thought
Think about this. It is extremely difficult to be chosen out of this long list as the representative from each category. The next, most difficult spot to be chosen for? The testing assistants. It speaks volumes about the character, and the vision of the staff that don't advance to want to be a part of the testing process in some capacity, even if it is only to help by playing the role of a student for an entire day. These staff, and all the instructors, executives, and admins, work non-stop to improve the quality of their service. The All Star test is adding a spotlight to an activity that has always been there - a commitment to delivering an unbelievable experience for every student.