Dance Is Their Love Language

For Week 2 of our International Spring Festival, Romance is in the air! To celebrate, we interviewed three of our student couples about how dancing has changed their relationships.

How did you meet your significant other? 

Louie & Odette said: “We were classmates in Chemistry 3 class in College; Louie was in Pre-med; Odette was in Pre-nursing.”

Matt & Caitlin said: “Caitlin and I met in our second year of college. We were both pledging a community service fraternity, a process which encouraged us to become, at a minimum, friendly with everyone else joining that semester. I learned that Caitlin lived directly below me in the dorms, and she mentioned that we played our music loudly. Despite the consistent, reverberating bass line through her room, we started to hang out frequently and became fast friends. It was not until a few months later, though, that we started dating.” 

Tom & Abby said: “We met at  New Years Eve party in Hoboken.”

What’s your favorite part of your Arthur Murray date night? 

Louie & Odette said: “We always look forward to that day in the week when we have our private lesson. It gave us that “break” from all the stress from our work because we were doing something we both enjoy. Dancing has always made it feel young at heart. It helped us keep our sanity in this crazy, hectic world.”

Matt & Caitlin said: “Our favorite part of dancing is that we get to spend one-on-one time together, challenging ourselves while having a good time. It is different than most other activities as it requires us to constantly listen to the other person, feel how they are moving, and respond to their actions. Initially, there were times we could argue about who made what mistake, but I am amazed at how we have grown closer and more communicative through the process and we really enjoy the experience.”

Tom & Abby said: “The best part is we get time away from our kids.”

How long have you been dancing? 

Louie & Odette said: “We signed up for dance lessons at Arthur Murray in December of 2001. Nuria has been our instructor since day one.”

Matt & Caitlin said: “We initially joined Arthur Murray, at my parents’ suggestion, to learn how to dance for our wedding. Then after the honeymoon, we enrolled in an actual program. This month is officially one year at the studio.”

Tom & Abby said: “Dancing two years now.”

Share a story about dancing together outside the Arthur Murray studio. 

Louie & Odette said: “We have been requested numerous times through the years to perform in birthday parties/celebrations of our family members and class reunions (both high school and college). We have performed at reunions/events in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and most recently during Louie’s 40th Med class reunion in Manila, Philippines.”

Matt & Caitlin said: “We have not yet danced together, aside from our wedding, outside the studio, but that is going to change this summer. We tend to have a much more active night life in the summer, unlike in the winter when we prefer to be at home under the warm blankets, watching a movie or reading a book.”

Tom & Abby said: “We’ve gone to a wedding for a friend and our cousin where we got to dance!”

In what ways has dancing changed your date night or relationship? 

Louie & Odette said: “We have met life long friends through dancing, sharing happy memories of competitions, Freestyles, and other events. Dancing has made our life more colorful! We cannot imagine our life without it.”

Matt & Caitlin said: “Last year, we went out to a few nightclubs and mostly danced variations of the two-step. This year, we are definitely ready to use some of our new skills. And with two weddings as well, we are excited, for the first time really, to go out and dance.”

Tom & Abby said: “For the first time in our marriage, we actually have date nights! We attended grad and post-grad programs back to back, then wound up with three kids in quick succession. Prior to dancing at Arthur Murray, we hadn’t dated since 2008. Most weeks our lesson is the only time we have together.”

The First Steps To Your First Dance

Congratulations – you’re getting married! It’s a big step to take, and it’ll be full of fun, excitement, and plenty of new things… and maybe some apprehension. Wedding plans have a lot of working parts, after all, and everything may seem like it’s happening at once.

But not to fret, because we’re here with good news for you: your wedding dance plans don’t have to be another thing to agonize over. Our wedding specialists will help you every step of the way, regardless of how much you do or don’t know about dancing; trust us, we have the experience of thousands of wedding dances behind us, and we’re happy to share.

Arthur Murray Dance Center of Cranford

Here’s what to expect from the complimentary wedding consultation we offer at our Arthur Murray Cranford and Hillsborough locations.

First, we need to get in contact with you, but we don’t know you yet. So whether you fill out our online form, or give us a call, let us know you’re getting married! We’ll get in touch with you the same day (and we will answer any and all questions about what to expect).

Here are some of the questions we’ll ask you, to get a better sense of your vision. It’s alright if you don’t have the answer to all of these, or even any of them – we’re here to help you, after all, with everything about your wedding dance. (Or dances!)

  • When is the wedding?
  • Are you looking for a first dance, or to learn some general dancing as well?
  • Do you have a song selected?
  • Is it a surprise, or are guests expecting this?
  • How large will your dance floor be?
  • What style of dress will you have? (Don’t worry, we’ll keep it a secret!)

The next step is to schedule your complimentary consultation. With whatever information you’ve given us – even if it doesn’t seem like much, we can help you fill in the blanks you need – we’ll be prepared to give you a personalized lesson. So if you want to take the plunge now, give us a call – (908) 272 7955 – or keep reading to find out a bit more about how we get you started.

On the day of your lesson, you may wonder what to bring. The most important thing is yourselves, of course, and we also enjoy an open mind and positive attitude. You may also bring your wedding shoes, at any point in the program, but they aren’t necessary. (Helpful tip: If your shoes are white, bring tape to cover them! The last thing you need is to go shoe shopping again because they got scuffed.) Arrive a few minutes early, if you can, and treat it like a date night – you’re here to learn, but also to have fun!

Your lesson will begin with a short consultation with our wedding director. We’ll go over your song choice, what you’d like the dance to look like, any other dances you may want to learn, and get a good sense of what you’re looking for. We’ll get a good grasp on your vision, and figure out how to best personalize your lesson.

Our wedding dance specialists are trained to work specifically with wedding couples. We will lead you both through basic steps in a couple different dances, and to your chosen song, if you have it already. (We can help you pick one out based on your vision if you don’t have one just yet!)

We can work within any budget, and will do our absolute best to make your wedding dance vision happen no matter what kind of budget you may have. Dancing is a lifetime investment! We even have special classes called First Dance, Second Glance. Those nights are dedicated to married couples dancing their wedding dance again, to bring back the memories as well as show off a dance that otherwise many don’t ever repeat. We want to ensure you get the most mileage possible, even if you only dance your special dance a few times. At least it’s more than just once!

Here at Arthur Murray we are prepared to help you through your first dance – and help prepare YOU for that special moment. Don’t procrastinate on such a fun part of your wedding planning. The important thing is that you call us as soon as you can. Three years, three months, or three weeks – it’s never too early to schedule your first complimentary lesson! Come in today!