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Induction of Arthur and Kathryn Murray
Into
The National Museum of Dance Hall of Fame
Speech Given by Tony Cardinali, Jr.
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and especially the family of Arthur and Kathryn Murray. On behalf of the Arthur Murray Organization, I would like to welcome everyone. I am so very honored to be here today and to be given the opportunity to briefly elaborate on Arthur and Kathryn Murray’s induction into The National Museum of Dance. With my entire family having been involved with the Arthur Murray Organization and presently my parents owning the four schools in the Pittsburgh area with the help of my brother Mario, his wife Rosalinda and my sister Claudina, who own one of the four schools, it is truly an honor for me to be a second generation Arthur Murray individual, as well as in my capacity as the company’s First Vice President and Member of Board of Directors.
Arthur and Kathryn Murray had a love for dancing and truly felt everyone should experience dancing and all its benefits. It is difficult to discuss any aspect of Ballroom dancing without noting the various influences and contributions of the Murray’s.
It is widely known that Arthur and Kathryn were not only wonderful dancers but also especially dynamic teachers of Ballroom dance, but this is only the beginning. Throughout their careers, they would come to define the terms of entrepreneur and pioneers over and over again. They started by creating a methodology of teaching, which focused on keeping dancing simple, fun and easy. This methodology also centered on getting the student to feel the movement of dance and music in the shortest period of time. These specific techniques truly show their genius in teaching. Arthur and Kathryn did not stop here. They then incorporated this methodology and tailor made it to each individual student. This methodology and procedures of instruction are still in use today and are greatly credited for the organization’s continued success.
Realizing teaching was an intangible product, they created a written syllabus and a corresponding chart system to help with the instruction of all Social Ballroom dance. They also created a tangible, tailored dance instruction specifically for each individual, which allowed the student to rapidly learn dancing. Through their career, they would continue to create inventive tools to keep dancing simple, fun and easy for all their students.
Another remarkable accomplishment was the creation of the system known as franchising. Arthur and Kathryn were instrumental in forming franchising and the company remains second oldest franchise company in the world. The first franchise agreement was issued for Detroit, but Minneapolis is also recognized, as it was the first franchise actually opened.
As much as the Murray’s will be forever known for their dancing and teaching accomplishments inside the Ballroom Community, they are also recognized for being Advertising and Promotional Stewards. Whether utilizing footprints to teach patterns of dance as direct mail pieces or their eleven year run of the TV Show ‘The Arthur Murray Dance Party’, they were always promoting Social Ballroom dancing through any new means of communication.
Other notable advertising and promotional aspects were:
1. The use of radio to explain and teach dancing between band numbers while at Georgia Tech.
2. Dance Discovery – as new music or dance would evolve throughout the world, Arthur and Kathryn would create steps to fit the new music or dance and then introduce these steps throughout the U.S.
3. Community Service via the dance studio which was ingrained in every franchisee to give back to the community.
4. The use of celebrities, dignitaries, or popular personalities to show and prove how easy their system was to learn.
Through their system of teaching and use of Advertising, Arthur and Kathryn’s organization grew to nearly 433 studios at its peak. Many franchisees that started with the Murray’s are still present today in the organization or are represented by second generation or third generation families such as the Cardinali’s, DeWolfe’s, Lightner’s, Platt’s, Panasuk’s, Powers, Spearin’s, and Theiss’s. Also in the age where women were mostly homemakers, nurses, or teachers, many of them became franchisees and master franchisees, which in turn became prominent leaders in their communities. This is just another indication of how the Murray’s were ahead of their time.
The Murray’s were always cognizant that each franchisee should develop through the ranks and have at his or her core the ability to teach dance well. To this day, this remains fundamental in our system and even World Champions Nick and Lena Kosovich, who will be performing in the Opening Gala in the weeks ahead, have no problem teaching new students the basic steps. This basic aspect was instilled in the organization by Arthur and Kathryn and has helped the organization reach worldwide, as it teaches in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, South Africa, USA, and soon England and Spain.
The Murray’s also recognized before their time the Psychology of the studio or the atmosphere of the dance studio. Knowing students were usually uncomfortable learning to dance, all and any aspect of the studio that could be used to create a warm and inviting atmosphere was done. Today this is normal in business as one can readily see in Starbucks or at TGI Fridays, but in their day, it was a developing and innovating notion.
To keep it fun, simple and easy was at the core or what all the Murray’s have done and accomplished, it is these two Ambassadors of dance that have brought millions and millions of people together through dancing. As dancing has become mainstream again, I cannot help but feel that Arthur and Kathryn are smiling. Even in this difficult day and age, students from Lebanon and Israel have no problem dancing together.
For someone with no dance experience, in the words of Kathryn “Put a little fun in your life, try dancing.”
To close, I would like to thank Leslie Valencia for her help in making this induction possible. I also want to thank Jennifer Girard and the Arthur Murray dancers for their wonderful dance show. And now it is with great pleasure and fondness that I introduce to you Phyllis McDowell, one of Arthur and Kathryn’s daughters and Phyllis McDowell’s daughters Duby McDowell, Meg Smith, and Katy Magown and her great Grandsons Ian and Andrew.
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