History

Arthur Murray started teaching in 1912 in New York City. For 2 years he worked in an architect's office during the day and taught dancing in the evenings. Once he began to make more money teaching dancing, he went to work as a full-time instructor.

Being a stickler for perception, he always maintained his dance standard. He invested in taking dance lessons with such greats as Irene and Vernon Castle.

In 1919, he enrolled in business administration course at Georgia Tech. In his spare time, he taught group classes to students. He had over 1000 students enrolled. It was a lucrative business that gave him exposure in Forbes Magazine. His dance classes soon attracted adults as well as celebrities such as opera star Enrico Caruso.

Mr. Murray then had the idea for the famous footprint that became an Arthur Murray trademark to define the dance steps. It was a tremendous success!

The dance studio in New York thrived during the 1920's. In the 1930's he did extensive advertising concerning the benefits of dancing. Mr. Murray gained more momentum when he began sending instructors to the Statler Hotel chains and would take a percentage of their earnings, hence the beginning of the Arthur Murray franchise system.

In the 1950's, Arthur Murray created a television series called "Arthur Murray Dance Party". Millions of viewers all over the US fell in love with the show and encouraged its continuation by flocking to Arthur Murray studios across the country.

Mr. Theiss, along with 5 other associates, purchased the corporation. They managed to extend the franchises to over 300 cities world wide.