David Earl Woodbury
No 6: Changing Lives through Dancing
By David Earl Woodbury
Friday, January 31, 2014
“The Medalist System ”
Recently one of our new students said this to me as he was starting on his journey of dance at the Santa Monica Arthur Murray: “Your internal well of enthusiasm is your storage room for your product”. We were sharing that we did not have a tangible item to store at the studio, and he recognized that our product is truly “Changing Lives Through Dancing” one step at a time.
When we give our greeting tour to our new students, we show them our Medalist Wall. We have the three diplomas on our wall, Bronze for Great Social Dancing, Silver for Flashy Social Dancing, and Gold for our Hobby Dancers. As we walk through the new Arthur Murray Center, we share about the future of dancing with us.
As we enter the ballroom, we first view the Bronze, Silver, and Gold chart shelves and then, our piece de resistance, our Medalist Board. Our Medalist Board begins with Guests. (We will become the Number One Guest School in the Arthur Murray System!) Then, all our great foundation students. When our students graduate into the Bronze, we play Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance and have all the students and staff gather as we move their names onto the Bronze Level. It is always a joyous and memorable moment for us all.
The Arthur
Murray Medalist System is based on Degrees of Perfection in Ballroom Dancing. The levels are achieved by Progress Checks, School Figure Exams, and Freestyle Checkouts. When a student or couple graduated a level at Arthur Murray, they are able to dance the patterns alone with music, and follow any partner in that level with music. The proof of progress is celebrated with a Graduation Medal Ball where they receive a Medalist’s Certificate of completion.
This is such an exciting system, and Arthur Murray is the World Leader in teaching social dancing. I have based my entire career on this wonderful method of teaching and believe in it stronger today than ever. The Medalist Levels of today have been complied by the greatest minds in the world of dance and designed to make dancing Fun, Easy, and Quick!
If you are not on the Medalist Program just yet, or already there, enjoy and keep on dancing the Arthur Murray Way!
Thank You!
David Earl Woodbury
Next Week: Adding Style and Exciting Technique to Your Dancing!