Private Dance Class in London for 2

Arthur Murray is a well-established international danced studio. Whether you are a beginner looking to have fun or a professional looking to further develop your skills, Arthur Murray welcomes everyone. Charlotte, and I were beyond excited to learn the art of ballroom and Latin dance. We had no previous dancing experience, were curious to see how good we would actually be. 

We decided to visit the Baker Street venue. It was an easy journey from Brighton to London Victoria. When we arrived at London Victoria station, with a quick change on the tube to Baker Street. When we arrived at Baker Street, we were amazed at how many places there were to visit. The studio was less than a 10-minute walk from the station. 

On arrival, we were greeted by the lovely Ellie and Rytis our dance instructor for the private lesson. We began with a brief introduction into the world of dance, and Rytis taught us that that ladies are always right. Which we all already knew, of course! This meant that in Latin dance, the ladies would always put their right foot forward, whereas men would lead with their left foot.

Our first style of dance was the waltz. Rytis taught us a few steps which seemed easy at first, but once we picked up the speed, things got a little bit trickier. Just I thought I was getting the hang of it, I accidentally stepped on Rytis! We laughed it off and he reassured me that he gets stepped on a lot, so I didn’t feel too bad. He was really helpful when it came to memorising the steps, as he would talk you through the steps while doing them. He would also tap me on my right or left arm to remind me which foot I needed to move first. After some more practice, Rytis decided it was time to dance with some music. He also stood in front of charlotte and I and held one of our arms. This was a good method of teaching as he was able to instruct and guide both of us at the same time. He also took turns dancing with Charlotte and I individually, which was also very helpful as it was a one to one dance.  We were then joined by Rio, the managing director of Arthur Murray. He took turns dancing with Charlotte and I individually to help us practice the dance routine. 

Once we mastered the waltz, it was time to pick up the pace and learn the famous Salsa, which was faster than the waltz. I also found it slightly easier than the waltz as I had gotten the hang of following the steps at this point. Rytis introduced the Salsa by describing the first step as being on an island, using our right foot we would step out of the island then take a step back. With these two simple steps, he was able to lead us. Radus, who is another instructor at the Arthur Murray also joined us and partnered up with me. Although we only learnt the basics of Salsa, we found ourselves doing a whole dance routine! We learnt so much in a short space of time. 

After our dance taster with Rytis we then had the opportunity to join a dance class. The dance class included 5 teachers, who stood at the front. Isobel, was our main instructor for the group dance class. She taught us our steps while being at the front of the class, the first dance we learnt was the waltz. Isobel make sure everyone was comfortable with the routine before putting us into pairs. Once we practiced the dance a few times alone, we partnered up with one of the instructors. All the partners would rotate, so everybody had the opportunity to dance with a different teacher. I was partnered with Isobel first. The music came on, then the dancing began! It was interesting to see how all the teachers had a different style of dance. 

Charlotte and I had an amazing time! I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the dance lessons and I would love to go again! We would like to say a huge thank you to Ellie and Rio for inviting us and our amazing dance teachers Rytis, Radus, Isobel and Luzia. 

Are you looking to brush up on your dancing skills? If so, this is the perfect experience for you. This private dance experience is available at various locations in London, and is suitable for everybody from beginners to pros! We interviewed Ellie from Arthur Murray Dance Academy to find out a little bit more about the dance academy.

Can you tell us more about the Arthur Murray Dance Academy and how it began?

Arthur Murray Dance Studios were set up in 1912 in New York by Arthur Murray and his wife Kathryn. Since this time of inception, Arthur Murray had a mission to teach the world to dance and remove its elitist connotations. He created a national radio programme in America in the 1940’s where he taught dance across the radio waves, and then went on to host a national television show called “The Arthur Murray Dance Party”. In the 1950’s, the Arthur Murray Dance Studios became a franchise, and developed studios across the entire world. The Arthur Murray Dance Studios franchise now boasts a worldwide reach of 300 studios. Over the years, the studios across the globe have collectively taught over 45 million students to dance and have sponsored some of the most well-known motion pictures about dancing, such as: Strictly Ballroom, Shall We Dance and Dirty Dancing. Among the millions of students taught over the last 100 years, there are many famous names who have experienced the teachings of Arthur Murray as well; The Roosevelts, The Clintons, Al Pacino in preparation for the film Scent of a Woman, and various other actors for movie preparation in Ballroom dance. These include: Clint Eastwood, John Travolta, Patrick Swayze, Richard Gere, Madonna and Michael Douglas. 

Presently, in its 107th year, The Arthur Murray Dance Studios can be found in over 300 locations across the globe, from right here in London all the way to Australia, providing a global dance network for all members, where dancing has long been considered the fun loving alternative to more traditional exercise as a method of contributing to a healthy emotional and physical body. 

Who can participate in your dance classes?

Any person who wishes to learn to dance! There are no barriers.

Do you find that both beginners and those with a dance background participate in your classes?

You could be a complete novice or a seasoned ballroom dance student; our teachers design choreography and styling in dances and styles that are unique to any student’s experience and/or ability. 

What can one expect from a private dance class?

Our expert teachers introduce Ballroom and Latin dance in a fun and enjoyable way for any student, no matter their experience. For absolute beginners, the four main dances in Ballroom and Latin are introduced: Waltz, Rumba, Tango and Merengue. For people with dance experience who have a preference for their lesson, they can select one or two favourite dances to focus on in their private lesson in Ballroom and or Latin. 

The group classes that people are also invited to attend are fun and high energy, and provide a wonderful opportunity for meeting new people and meeting new friends with shared interests.  Students come away from the experience with an improved sense of positivity, improved mental-health because of the boost of happy hormones they will have experienced while dancing, and if they continue with Arthur Murray after their lesson, physical improvements for health via exercise.

What is your personal favourite style of dance to teach? What do you find to be most popular?

My personal favourite dance is Waltz. As a modern woman it is a chance for me to step out of my over articulated, busy, stressful life and during my lesson it makes me feel elegant and graceful.

What advice would you give to somebody nervous to come and participate in a dance class?

Just do it! The methods used to teach dance with these Arthur Murray classes make the lessons fun and engaging, which is always a surprise to people. When you are having a good time, you learn more easily and retain more information, therefore there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment too. 

Can you let us know more about the benefits of dancing?

Dancing has a main element of social activity. Social, Ballroom and Latin Dancing is a lifetime investment of fun, poise, confidence, improved personality and new friends. Beyond these, dancing is a superb physical conditioner.

- Increased self-confidence.

- Social ease.

- Exercise.

- Make a special person happy.

- Business reasons.

- Acquiring more grace and poise.

- Overcoming shyness.

- Stress relief.

- Stand out on the dance floor.

- Making new friends.

- Recreation or entertainment.

- Relaxation.

- Never again saying no to a dance invitation.

- Dance contributes to a good posture and body alignment.

- Dance encourages gentle stretching.

- Dance increases your flexibility and stamina.

- Dance benefits your cardiovascular system as your swing and sway for hips and shoulder.

- Dancing is a romantic alternative.

- Weight loss.

- Good dancing is a lifetime investment in posture, poise, confidence and fun.

- Better health and physical benefits.

Thank you very much Ellie for taking the time to answer a few of our questions.