TAKING YOUR TWO LEFT FEET AND MAKING THEM RIGHT

We know you want to have fun, but you also want to learn to dance. Really learn. You want dance to become second nature. You want to move naturally and flawlessly on the floor.

That’s why we teach using the proven Arthur Murray method. And why our dance instructors are required to maintain up-to-date qualifications.

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When you take ballroom dance lessons at the Arthur Murray Dance Centre Adelaide, you’ll be taught by world-leading dance instructors.

TARA & THOMAS: A PASSION FOR DANCE

Tara and Thomas lead the Arthur Murray studio with passion and professionalism. Both are fully qualified dance instructors, holding two levels of advanced certification. They regularly attend competitions and events across Australia and around the world, continually learning and expanding their extensive skills and experience in dance.

As a team, they are driven by their desire to share their love of dance with you.

They know how dancing can change lives. And they want to help you realise your dance dreams.

In 2019, Tara & Thomas began working on the South Australian premiere production of Strictly Ballroom: The Musical as co-choreographers. The Advertiser has dubbed the show "A lavish production... abundant glitz and glamour" and of the choreography, Glam Adelaide has written "Ballroom numbers are well-staged and have a tidy finish... polished to a gleam". Tara & Thomas couldn't be more thrilled to have been part of this wonderful Matt Byrne Media project.  

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As a dance team, Tara & Thomas have achieved:

• Australian Open Professional Smooth champions (four times undefeated champions)

• Hawaiian Open Professional Smooth finalists

• Italian Rising Star and Open Professional Smooth finalists

And with their advanced Arthur Murray certification, Tara and Thomas are in demand to conduct exams and judge events around Australia.

TARA JOHNSTON

Studio Owner

When you start at Arthur Murray, Tara’s vibrant smile will be waiting to greet you. She’ll help you get to know the studio and will match you with the right instructor and the best ballroom dance lessons for your goals. She wants you to have the time of your life. And she knows you will.

To put it simply, Tara embodies dance. She loves how moving with music can instantly lift your mood. She loves nothing more than watching her students shake off the shackles of a bad day as they move across the floor, elated and able to face the world again.

Tara has trained under some of the world’s leading dance coaches including Nick Kosovich (America’s Dancing with the Stars) and Augusto Schiavo (2000 WDC World Ballroom Champion) and has been an active member of the ballroom community for over 20 years.

Tara took over ownership of the Arthur Murray Dance Centre over 15 years ago so she could share her enthusiasm and expertise with Adelaide. She can’t wait to welcome you and help you discover how a love of dance can change your life.

THOMAS COGHLAN

Dance Director

As Dance Director, Thomas will make sure you’re getting the best dance instruction and continually moving towards achieving your goals. He’ll keep you updated with the latest dance moves and best methods to get you dancing faster.

Thomas came to dance as a n awkward teenager in the mid-90s, and emerged as a powerful Latin dance machine. In 1999, he won a scholarship to train with an Arthur Murray centre in Victoria and quickly worked up the ranks to become the Dance Director of three successful studios.

Thomas has trained and been mentored by some of the best dancers in the business, including celebrities: Kerry Shrimpton (of Strictly Ballroom and Burn the Floor fame) and Nick Kosovitch (America’s Dancing with the Stars). Arthur Murray royalty: Robert Long II, Bill Jacobson, Jessica Holty, Beverly Kimmins, Gabriella Young, Christy Melgoza and Augusto Schiavo from overseas and Chris Michaels and Mark Perkovich from here in Australia. Also big-name DanceSport figures: Robin Sewell, Andy Phillips, Tony Gauci and Glen Tierney.

After meeting Tara at a dance competition in Miami, Thomas and his extensive dance expertise made the move to Adelaide in 2011. And he’s been an integral part of the Arthur Murray Adelaide family ever since.

ENRICO D'AMBROSIO

Manager

Enrico is your go-to-guy to get you booked in and ready for your private ballroom dance lessons, group classes, parties and events. If you have a question, Enrico is here for you.

Enrico started dancing at the age of eight and has been successful on the competitive Latin American dance scene in Italy and across Europe since 2007. His passion and dedication for dance are evident whether he’s moving effortlessly across the floor or managing the operation of the studio. Enrico lives and breaths dance.

Enrico’s qualifications in leadership and management, combined with his love of dance means he can manage the studio in a way that gives our students the best outcomes and opportunities to explore their own dance experience. Enrico leads the team through daily training sessions, which is just one way that Arthur Murray Dance Centre ensures our staff are always at the top of their game for you.