Famed dance studio hasn't lost a step

Step, two three. Step, two three. Before Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers clicked on screen, Arthur Murray Dance Studios began teaching people to move to the music. This year the company celebrates its 90th anniversary.

Here in Las Vegas, two Arthur Murray studios are owned and operated by Greg Darrough. He said the physical movement of dance affects more than muscles.

"There are days when I'm feeling tired and depressed and then I get to work, start dancing and it makes me feel better," Darrough said. "It always happens that way. It's the endorphins, working with fun people, whatever. But it always happens."

To celebrate the 90th anniversary, various studios across the country will be presenting special showcases with performances by teachers and students. The shows will feature a variety of music from the Roaring '20s to big band to rock 'n' roll. In September, Darrough's students choreographed their own production, "Movie Madness."

Their showcase featured songs from cinematic hits like "The Pajama Game," "Mambo Kings," "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," "Saturday Night Fever," "Pretty Woman" and, of course, "Dirty Dancing."

The original studio opened at a location near Tropicana Avenue and Mountain Vista Street in 1981. In 1992, it moved to 4550 S. Maryland Parkway. The 2,400-square-foot site has a ballroom and two smaller teaching rooms.

Darrough opened a second studio in June 2000 at 4440 S. Durango Road. That one has a ballroom and a junior ballroom. The majority of clients want to learn social dancing for an upcoming event like a wedding or cruise. Darrough's studios serve as many as 600 new students each year.

One of those students is Carmen Peterson, 89, a resident of Black Mountain Golf & Country Club, who moved to Las Vegas 50 years ago. She has been taking lessons at Arthur Murray since 1985.

Peterson never attended dance school as a child, but said her family was musically inclined and her younger years filled with songs and dancing. She was in an empty-nest stage when a friend invited her to a dance lesson. It was a turning point.

Peterson was hooked. She signed up for classes and never looked back.

She now knows plenty of styles -- waltzes, swing, Latin and ballroom dancing. Peterson competes about twice a year, and her home is filled with so many trophies and awards she has no idea how many she's earned.

"When I win, I don't take them (trophies) home anymore," she said. "I don't have the room. I give them back to the studio and tell them to reuse them."

Peterson continues to take lessons to keep her steps sharp. Even though she retired from accounting years ago, she was at the dance studio so much she was hired as its bookkeeper.

"If everyone were as motivated as Carmen, they'd all be healthier and happier," Darrough said.

It is not just the clients who are notable at the studio. One of the instructors is Alisa McAffee, 28. She gives private lessons, mostly to people in their mid-20s to mid-90s. The five main dances people want to learn are the waltz, fox trot, swing, rumba and cha cha.

The hot dances to learn right now, McAffee said, are Latin ones like salsa and merengue.

If anyone wants to learn Mediterranean dances, she is well qualified. McAffee appeared in shows in various states as a belly dancer before winding up at Caesars Palace's now defunct restaurant, the Bacchanal. She is certified by the World Professional Dance Teachers Association. "To me, movement of dance is another way of expressing yourself," McAffee said. "Some people paint a picture. For me, movement is a more effective way to connect with the creative side of myself."

Peterson had another take on belonging to a dance studio.

"It's just not possible for an old lady to go to a dance hall, lounge or anywhere by herself and be able to dance and enjoy the evening," she said. "You have to have an escort. With the Arthur Murray group, we always have a wonderful time, because you never have to wonder who you are going to dance with."


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