Category: Arthur Murray Dance Center

  • Week 20 5-19-23 “Two Ballroom Students Who Changed My Life!”

    Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury                                        Arthur Murray Santa Monica When I began in 1975 as a student, it was the beginning of a magical life journey for me. I was very young and inexperienced, but I had talent, passion, and I was hungry to learn and grow. At 20 years old, I…

  • “Dancing is Good for Your Heart and Body”

    Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury                                        Arthur Murray Santa Monica I’m not a medical doctor, but I have seen dancing heal a lot of broken hearts and bodies. I’ve had students who had truly bad physical hearts. They had experienced strokes, high blood pressure, fainting spells, open heart surgery(s). Many were on a…

  • “Three Things That Keep You From Dancing” 

    Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury – Arthur Murray Santa Monica The three major causes of illness are: Fear Anger Depression (Sadness) Why do I write about such a sad, dark subject? Well, for most people, the past three years have been very challenging. At home, work, school, worship, health, career, family and friendships. All…

  • “Is it too late to start dancing?” 4-28-23

    Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury                                        Arthur Murray Santa Monica “I’m too old to dance” “I’m too fat and my knees hurt” “It’s too expensive and I can’t afford it” “What would my (our) kid’s say?” “What would my friends think?” “Is it safe?” “I’m too busy” “I’m not good enough” Guess what?…

  • No 38 9-21-18 “We will never give up”

    “There is a sense of exhilaration that comes from facing head-on the hard truths and saying, “We will never give up. We will never capitulate. It might take a long time, but we will find a way to prevail.” – Jim Collins, from his book, Good to Great (1958) American business consultant Ever want to give up or…

  • No 38 9-14-18 “Obscure Heroes”

      “Man’s greatest actions are performed in minor struggles. Life, misfortune, isolation, abandonment and poverty are battlefields which have their heroes – obscure heroes who are at times greater than illustrious heroes.” – Victor Hugo (1802-1885) French Writer Have you had a hero in your life? My dad was my hero in every way. When…

  • No 36 9-7-18 “To Discover Ability in Others”

    “It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test.” – Elbert Hubbard (1856 – 1915) American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher Today as an older dancer, I love to discover the great new dancers of today and help them grow and mature to their full…

  • No 35 8-31-18 “Go out and do something kind for somebody”

    “When you find yourself overpowered, as it were, by melancholy, the best way is to go out and do something kind for somebody.”

  • No 33 8-17-18 “Good friendships are fragile things”

    “Good friendships are fragile things and require as much care as any other fragile and precious thing.” – Randolph S. Bourne (1886 – 1918) American Writer After 42 years with Arthur Murray Dance Centers, I now have a lifetime of my dancing friends, and they are truly my family. These are precious and fragile relationships. All…

  • No 28 7-13-18 “The Greatest Test of Courage”

    “The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”             – R.G. Ingersoll (1833 – 1899) American lawyer Do you like the rough times in life? I don’t. I can barely handle the great times in life with all their abundance and joy, much less loss, illness,…