Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Wildwood celebrates its first year with a growing roster of students, a diverse teaching team and a community that recognizes the brand long before stepping through the door. 

Franchise owner Samuel Da Silva says the success comes from understanding each client’s interests and then personalizing their needs. 

“That could be anything from the type of music they like to the styles they want to learn or a special event they want to prepare for,” Samuel says. 

“Some people aren’t even sure what styles exist when they come in, so we introduce them and because we are so involved in their process, everything is personalized. We write down what we do on every lesson and we plan lessons in advance. We plan the whole program.”

Samuel says their job is not to decide whether someone is naturally talented but rather to meet them where they are.

“It’s less about strengths or weaknesses,” he says. “Anybody can learn to dance and our goal is to take that idea so when they walk in, they dance out.”

They offer a complimentary 30-minute evaluation to see how fast they learn, then customize the program to whatever level they want. It doesn’t matter if they are slow or fast learners, they make it happen.”

Studio manager and instructor Hayley Coats came to Wildwood from the Orlando location and quickly noticed differences in the local community.

“At this studio, it’s people who already know how to dance or took lessons years ago and then retired here. A lot of foxtrot, a lot of West Coast swing.”

She says the Arthur Murray name carries real weight in a retirement community like The Villages.

“When people come in they recognize the sign right away, they know the Arthur Murray name,” Hayley says. “It’s even possible that their parents took lessons or their grandparents did. Some even say their parents were Arthur Murray instructors. The history means something.”

That history goes back to Arthur Murray himself, a ballroom dance instructor who built one of the most well-known dance franchises in the world. His method focused on simple instruction, muscle memory and helping everyday people feel confident on the dance floor. More than a century later, his studios still operate on that foundation.

For students Brian and Amanda Kinder of The Villages, the studio offered structured instruction and a reliable place to grow together as dancers.

“I’ve always loved to dance,” Amanda says. “I watched my parents dance the Jitterbug and the Foxtrot and I always wanted to take lessons but nothing was close. When we retired I asked my husband if we could take couples lessons and he said yes.”

Brian had no dance background at all.

“I was pre-med and then went into my career so I had no time,” he says. “Now that we’re retired I’ve given it a try and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

The Kinders now treat lessons as a standing date night, complete with dinner after class. They also appreciate the one-on-one format.

“At the clubs, we would take the intro lesson and then it jumped into complex steps we weren’t ready for,” Brian says. “Here they tailor everything to us.”

They are six lessons into their first twenty-lesson package and just signed up for thirty more.

“There is a wide variety of instructors,” Brian says. “One might be very detailed, another might show an easier way. Sometimes we learn from a male lead, sometimes from a female performer. It balances everything.”

Arthur Murray Dance Studio is located at 9819 US Hwy 301 in Wildwood.
352.399.2220
arthurmurraywildwood.com

Photos by Gina Horan