Our history

In 1912, a young man named Murray Teichman began teaching dance in the evening, while working in an architectural office during the day. He was a fast learner, and by 1914 he changed his name to Arthur Murray and was established as a leading teacher to members of the upper class.

During the 1950s, Arthur and Kathryn Murray began a television series, “The Arthur Murray Dance Party,” a highly popular show that ran for twelve years national television.

In the early 1960s, the classes began a era of social dancing in America, under the leadership of Masters and George B. Thesis.

It started nearly 50 years ago, George B. Theiss stepped off toward the future by enrolling as a student in Madison, Wisconsin and quickly learned the Arthur Murray Magic Step method of learning.

As successor to Arthur and Kathryn Murray, Mr. Theiss and Mr. Masters assist in the training and supervising of instructors and franchisees. Their closeness and association with the Murrays for many years, has instilled the motivation to keep the best of the basics that popularized the company, and continue to revitalize, and try new ideas for studio management and encouraging student.

The Arthur Murray philosophy of dancing holds that since people are all social and gregarious by nature, we seek pleasure in human contact and experience. Dancing, throughout the ages, has been the art that brings people together and is an efficient method for developing a sense of adequacy for young and old alike. Under the guidance of Arthur Murray, Inc. the classes have been teaching dance not as isolated feet or step movements, but as an integral part of social life and an expression and celebration of it.

Masters and Theiss were the first to realize the growing popularity of the Latin Dances and introduced many to America’s dancers after holding many training sessions for Murray’s instructors in Cuba. Several Arthur Murray International studio conventions were also held in Cuba during the ’50s so dance trainers would learn first-hand the hot new Latin styles and moves then becoming in vogue.

The company directs an entire world of dance, with studios in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Jordan, Italy, Egypt, and South Africa. Sign up now for your $10 introductory class now.