The heroine of my soon to be released book, “The Blueberry Swirl Waltz,” aspires to be a ballroom dance teacher. Just when her dream is a about to be realized, fate steps in and interferes. This character is based on my mother’s early career as an Arthur Murray’s Dance teacher.
Me: What made you want to give dance lessons?
Mom: I always loved to dance. Even when I was younger and had to help clean the house, I would dance around while dusting.
Me: How did you get the job at Arthur Murray’s?
Mom: I was working at Yard’s department store in Trenton and I heard that there was going to be a class for people who wanted to teach at the school. I went to the class, thinking it was a one-night thing, but found out it was for four weeks, five nights a week. I worked some nights at Yards, especially since it was nearing Christmas and the store was open later hours. I told the instructor I couldn’t attend every class because of my work schedule. He said I should come whenever I could. So I did. Each time I went, there were fewer and fewer people in the class. It had started out as about 40 people and they were whittling it down to 6. Even before the four weeks of classes were over, I was pulled out to teach a student one night whose teacher didn’t show up. In the end, I was hired.
Me: What did you learn in these classes?
Mom: We learned both the woman’s and man’s parts for each of six dances; the fox trot, waltz, tango, rhumba, samba, and jitterbug.
Me: What were your hours of teaching?
Mom: At first I was teaching a few nights a week. Then I quit my job at Yards to teach full time since I was making substantially more money at Arthur Murray’s. I taught six days a week, mostly nights from six to ten, and all day Saturday from ten to ten. I also taught some day classes.
Me: Where was the studio located?
Mom: In Trenton on East State Street near the corner of Willow Street. It was on the second floor above a men’s clothing store. There was one big room where the teachers practiced new steps or additional steps for each dance, and three smaller rooms where we taught our students.
Me: What do you mean additional steps?
Mom: There were twenty steps to each dance. We started out with the basic steps and would add on as students became better. Of course, we had to learn all of the steps.
Me: What did you wear while teaching?
Mom: I wore full dresses, or skirts and blouses. There were a few rules that we had to follow. We had to have our shoulders covered, had to wear stockings and heels, and couldn’t be dressed in a sexy manner. We also couldn’t date our students.
Me: After teaching all week, did you still like to dance?
Mom: I loved it. After work, several of us would go to local dances on some nights. Once a month, Arthur Murray’s had a dance party at the hotel across the street and all the students were invited. We had to ask our students to dance so they could practice while being out at a real dance, as opposed to just in the studio.
Me: Did students graduate?
Mom: Students would attend as long as they wanted. But every year there was a Medalist Ball at the hotel. Certain students who had learned enough steps would be part of the exhibition with their teacher. If you learned 5 steps for a particular dance, you would get a bronze medal, 10 steps earned you a silver medal, and 20 steps a gold medal. After my first year there I had five students who received a bronze medal, a few achieved silver, and two gold.
Me: What was one of your favorite experiences there?
Mom: I was invited to dance at the Mayor’s Ball along with one of the male teachers. We performed a tango. I wore a gown (which I borrowed) and it was such a special night for me.
Me: What was your least favorite experience?
Mom: At the monthly dance parties at the hotel, we had to ask our students to dance. I didn’t like to ask my male students to dance. Back then, men asked women to dance, not the other way around. But I had to get over it.
Me: How long did you work there?
Mom: From the beginning of 1953 until mid-1954 when I got married.
Me: Why didn’t you keep teaching after you got married?
Mom: I didn’t think it would be right to be out every night. It wasn’t even a consideration. Once married, I got a job at the Social Security office with normal day time hours. Certainly not as exciting or as much fun. I really missed dancing every day.
Me: That’s sad. Did you and dad go to dances?
Mom: All the time. Your father was a very good dancer. You have a very dark, old photo of your dad and I dancing back then. You also have a photo of me dancing with one of the instructors. (See below for both)
Thanks, mom. I love hearing about your past. Some of my memories include my mom and I dancing in the living room when I was about four. She’d turn on the Dick Clark Show and taught me how to jitterbug and cha cha. At weddings, I would stand on my dad’s feet and he would take me for a spin around the dance floor. And I loved to polka with my mom.
The heroine of my soon to be released book, “The Blueberry Swirl Waltz,” aspires to be a ballroom dance teacher. Just when her dream is a about to be realized, fate steps in and interferes. This character is based on my mother’s early career as an Arthur Murray’s Dance teacher.
Me: What made you want to give dance lessons?
Mom: I always loved to dance. Even when I was younger and had to help clean the house, I would dance around while dusting.
Me: How did you get the job at Arthur Murray’s?
Mom: I was working at Yard’s department store in Trenton and I heard that there was going to be a class for people who wanted to teach at the school. I went to the class, thinking it was a one-night thing, but found out it was for four weeks, five nights a week. I worked some nights at Yards, especially since it was nearing Christmas and the store was open later hours. I told the instructor I couldn’t attend every class because of my work schedule. He said I should come whenever I could. So I did. Each time I went, there were fewer and fewer people in the class. It had started out as about 40 people and they were whittling it down to 6. Even before the four weeks of classes were over, I was pulled out to teach a student one night whose teacher didn’t show up. In the end, I was hired.
Me: What did you learn in these classes?
Mom: We learned both the woman’s and man’s parts for each of six dances; the fox trot, waltz, tango, rhumba, samba, and jitterbug.
Me: What were your hours of teaching?
Mom: At first I was teaching a few nights a week. Then I quit my job at Yards to teach full time since I was making substantially more money at Arthur Murray’s. I taught six days a week, mostly nights from six to ten, and all day Saturday from ten to ten. I also taught some day classes.
Me: Where was the studio located?
Mom: In Trenton on East State Street near the corner of Willow Street. It was on the second floor above a men’s clothing store. There was one big room where the teachers practiced new steps or additional steps for each dance, and three smaller rooms where we taught our students.
Me: What do you mean additional steps?
Mom: There were twenty steps to each dance. We started out with the basic steps and would add on as students became better. Of course, we had to learn all of the steps.
Me: What did you wear while teaching?
Mom: I wore full dresses, or skirts and blouses. There were a few rules that we had to follow. We had to have our shoulders covered, had to wear stockings and heels, and couldn’t be dressed in a sexy manner. We also couldn’t date our students.
Me: After teaching all week, did you still like to dance?
Mom: I loved it. After work, several of us would go to local dances on some nights. Once a month, Arthur Murray’s had a dance party at the hotel across the street and all the students were invited. We had to ask our students to dance so they could practice while being out at a real dance, as opposed to just in the studio.
Me: Did students graduate?
Mom: Students would attend as long as they wanted. But every year there was a Medalist Ball at the hotel. Certain students who had learned enough steps would be part of the exhibition with their teacher. If you learned 5 steps for a particular dance, you would get a bronze medal, 10 steps earned you a silver medal, and 20 steps a gold medal. After my first year there I had five students who received a bronze medal, a few achieved silver, and two gold.
Me: What was one of your favorite experiences there?
Mom: I was invited to dance at the Mayor’s Ball along with one of the male teachers. We performed a tango. I wore a gown (which I borrowed) and it was such a special night for me.
Me: What was your least favorite experience?
Mom: At the monthly dance parties at the hotel, we had to ask our students to dance. I didn’t like to ask my male students to dance. Back then, men asked women to dance, not the other way around. But I had to get over it.
Me: How long did you work there?
Mom: From the beginning of 1953 until mid-1954 when I got married.
Me: Why didn’t you keep teaching after you got married?
Mom: I didn’t think it would be right to be out every night. It wasn’t even a consideration. Once married, I got a job at the Social Security office with normal day time hours. Certainly not as exciting or as much fun. I really missed dancing every day.
Me: That’s sad. Did you and dad go to dances?
Mom: All the time. Your father was a very good dancer. You have a very dark, old photo of your dad and I dancing back then. You also have a photo of me dancing with one of the instructors. (See below for both)
Thanks, mom. I love hearing about your past. Some of my memories include my mom and I dancing in the living room when I was about four. She’d turn on the Dick Clark Show and taught me how to jitterbug and cha cha. At weddings, I would stand on my dad’s feet and he would take me for a spin around the dance floor. And I loved to polka with my mom.
The heroine of my soon to be released book, “The Blueberry Swirl Waltz,” aspires to be a ballroom dance teacher. Just when her dream is a about to be realized, fate steps in and interferes. This character is based on my mother’s early career as an Arthur Murray’s Dance teacher.
Me: What made you want to give dance lessons?
Mom: I always loved to dance. Even when I was younger and had to help clean the house, I would dance around while dusting.
Me: How did you get the job at Arthur Murray’s?
Mom: I was working at Yard’s department store in Trenton and I heard that there was going to be a class for people who wanted to teach at the school. I went to the class, thinking it was a one-night thing, but found out it was for four weeks, five nights a week. I worked some nights at Yards, especially since it was nearing Christmas and the store was open later hours. I told the instructor I couldn’t attend every class because of my work schedule. He said I should come whenever I could. So I did. Each time I went, there were fewer and fewer people in the class. It had started out as about 40 people and they were whittling it down to 6. Even before the four weeks of classes were over, I was pulled out to teach a student one night whose teacher didn’t show up. In the end, I was hired.
Me: What did you learn in these classes?
Mom: We learned both the woman’s and man’s parts for each of six dances; the fox trot, waltz, tango, rhumba, samba, and jitterbug.
Me: What were your hours of teaching?
Mom: At first I was teaching a few nights a week. Then I quit my job at Yards to teach full time since I was making substantially more money at Arthur Murray’s. I taught six days a week, mostly nights from six to ten, and all day Saturday from ten to ten. I also taught some day classes.
Me: Where was the studio located?
Mom: In Trenton on East State Street near the corner of Willow Street. It was on the second floor above a men’s clothing store. There was one big room where the teachers practiced new steps or additional steps for each dance, and three smaller rooms where we taught our students.
Me: What do you mean additional steps?
Mom: There were twenty steps to each dance. We started out with the basic steps and would add on as students became better. Of course, we had to learn all of the steps.
Me: What did you wear while teaching?
Mom: I wore full dresses, or skirts and blouses. There were a few rules that we had to follow. We had to have our shoulders covered, had to wear stockings and heels, and couldn’t be dressed in a sexy manner. We also couldn’t date our students.
Me: After teaching all week, did you still like to dance?
Mom: I loved it. After work, several of us would go to local dances on some nights. Once a month, Arthur Murray’s had a dance party at the hotel across the street and all the students were invited. We had to ask our students to dance so they could practice while being out at a real dance, as opposed to just in the studio.
Me: Did students graduate?
Mom: Students would attend as long as they wanted. But every year there was a Medalist Ball at the hotel. Certain students who had learned enough steps would be part of the exhibition with their teacher. If you learned 5 steps for a particular dance, you would get a bronze medal, 10 steps earned you a silver medal, and 20 steps a gold medal. After my first year there I had five students who received a bronze medal, a few achieved silver, and two gold.
Me: What was one of your favorite experiences there?
Mom: I was invited to dance at the Mayor’s Ball along with one of the male teachers. We performed a tango. I wore a gown (which I borrowed) and it was such a special night for me.
Me: What was your least favorite experience?
Mom: At the monthly dance parties at the hotel, we had to ask our students to dance. I didn’t like to ask my male students to dance. Back then, men asked women to dance, not the other way around. But I had to get over it.
Me: How long did you work there?
Mom: From the beginning of 1953 until mid-1954 when I got married.
Me: Why didn’t you keep teaching after you got married?
Mom: I didn’t think it would be right to be out every night. It wasn’t even a consideration. Once married, I got a job at the Social Security office with normal day time hours. Certainly not as exciting or as much fun. I really missed dancing every day.
Me: That’s sad. Did you and dad go to dances?
Mom: All the time. Your father was a very good dancer. You have a very dark, old photo of your dad and I dancing back then(bottom left). You also have a photo of me dancing with one of the instructors. (bottom right).
Thanks, mom. I love hearing about your past. Some of my memories include my mom and I dancing in the living room when I was about four. She’d turn on the Dick Clark Show and taught me how to jitterbug and cha cha. At weddings, I would stand on my dad’s feet and he would take me for a spin around the dance floor. And I loved to polka with my mom.
