In 1912 Arthur Murray, a young Jewish immigrant to New York, began what would go on to become the world’s most famous and largest dance organisation. The franchise first hit Australian shores in 1965, 6 years before the first McDonalds opened in Sydney. Adelaide’s very own Grote Street location has been operating continuously for over 25 years.
Tara Johnston, Adelaide’s current franchisee, says “It’s so inspiring to be celebrating this milestone with such an historic company, but more than that, we love being part of the Arthur Murray family. We have hundreds of friends and colleagues across the world, including some of Ballroom dancing’s biggest names, sharing their talent and wisdom. For me and my team this means we can offer Adelaide the latest and greatest when it comes to social dancing.”
With 105 years of history it’s hard to say exactly how many people have learned to dance at an Arthur Murray Dance Centre, but it has been estimated to be well into the millions. A lot of people have heard of Arthur Murray through TV and movies, the most famous being Dirty Dancing and most recent being Boardwalk Empire. Tara Johnston goes on to say that most people however have heard of the brand on a local level. “Everybody knows somebody who has been to an Arthur Murray studio. We are honoured to help people prepare for their wedding dance, work function or cruise ship. A lot of people just want to learn for the fun of it, to keep fit or to enjoy Adelaide’s lively social dance scene.”
Arthur Murray Adelaide will be celebrating 105 years of dance throughout April and the rest of year. As Kathryn Murray always said at the close of each episode of the hit 1950’s TV show The Arthur Murray Party: “Put a little fun in your life, try dancing.”
