What Happens If I Have To Cancel?

Sometimes, despite your instructor’s best efforts to accommodate any schedule, life will get in the way. And that’s okay.

So what do you do when life happens?

First, please call the studio and let your instructor know what is going on – whether you need to reschedule or are just running late. Think of the last time you had a salon or doctor’s appointment. Sometimes, they require some form of deposit to hold the time slot for you. In the event you had to cancel, you wouldn’t just skip your appointment, and lose your deposit, you would call and reschedule. You reserved someone’s time and they are expecting you. Arthur Murray operates in the same way. Not showing up to a lesson runs the risk of the lesson being charged to your account. So, please, call!

Expect genuine concern when you do call. Your team cares about your dance education and wants to make sure you don’t miss out on your opportunity to dance. Expect your teacher to reschedule you for a later time that day or week if necessary.

We’re serious about your dancing. Some things in life are out of your control, and we know that. For those that you can control, please be mindful if you have already made an appointment to dance with your instructor. If you have to cancel last minute, you will be rescheduled for the soonest next available time. If you are unable to reschedule within the week for non-emergency cancellations, the studio may exercise the 24 hour notice cancellation policy.

But what if I think I’ve injured myself?

The great thing about social dancing is that not all lessons require intense movement. Your instructor can modify your lesson plan to fit any malady, from a cold to a broken limb. Sometimes, coming to dance is actually better medicine than sitting around and nursing a strained muscle. Of course, we will never do anything to further your injury. If you feel like you have truly hurt yourself, make sure you see a doctor, and let us know.

It matters more to us that you come and take your lessons. As much as we want you to be able to dance every day, we recognize you have a life outside of Arthur Murray. Barring a cataclysmic end, call the studio and let them know what is going on so they can keep you on track and keep dancing!

Your First Group Class

Arthur Murray studios take great pride in creating strong social dancers. Their secret? The three part teaching system: personal lessons, group classes, and practice parties.

Part of the reason people choose Arthur Murray is the unparalleled service offered on your personal lesson. It is a semi-private, comforting environment for you to learn the finer points of dancing. But more often than not, learning to dance is not the hardest part – socializing is. Before attending your first practice party, we recommend the newcomer group class as your first taste of social dancing.

The objective of the class is to get your body acquainted with the basic movements in one or two dance styles. You are not expected to remember the steps – but extra points if you do! Rather, your muscles will remember for you after many repetitions. Leaders stand on one side, followers on the other, while learning where to put your feet. The class is designed to give you the maximum number of repetitions in a single step – AND have a social evening. We rotate partners throughout class so you become accustomed to what your own body can do rather than try to focus on what each partner needs.

We especially recommend couples try dancing with others. Why? We recognize you want to dance specifically with your significant other. But think of it this way. As you are both learning from level 1, it can often feel like the blind leading the blind. You are going to try moves and leads that will be uncomfortable and probably upset your partner. Rather than stay frustrated, rotate partners so you can try it on someone else. Everyone in newcomers class is around your same level, have been in your shoes, and want to conquer this. By the time you get back to your special someone, you will both be better – and everyone in the group class will be thankful you danced with them.