Ballroom Dancing – The Early Years

Author: Genevieve Riggs Williams

Arthur Murray, Fred Astaire, Dale Dance Studio. In the late 50s and early 60s ballroom dancing was all the rage. In 1959 I started working in the phone room for Dale Dance Studio in Miami. We were offering a free lesson to anyone who could answer a simple question over the phone. It was a new gimmick and most people contacted were thrilled to enter the glamorous world of ballroom dancing, as was I.

Before long I was promoted from the phone room to the front desk. The hours were 1:00 in the afternoon until 10:00 at night with an hour off for dinner. Soon I was learning the basic steps to all the Latin dances – Cha-cha, Mambo, Samba, Tango, Rumba and Merengue (my personal favorite) – as well as polishing up the swing, foxtrot and waltz. 

We had a minimal staff from 1:00 until 5:00. This meant that if a male came in for his free lesson during those hours I was it. My roommate, Mary, had the same hours but she was usually booked for a paying customer. She and I and the two full-time male instructors went to dinner at 5:00 when the part-time staff arrived. From six to ten was the busiest time, with private lessons, group classes and, of course, the freebies (read “hot prospects”.)

Friday night was Dance Party Night. All students and prospective students were invited to the studio for two hours of free dance. We served light refreshments and the staff made it a point to dance with every student of the opposite sex at least once during the evening. Three-inch heels, hose and dresses were de rigueur every day but Friday night brought out the full regalia. (I look at my poor feet now and can’t believe that I walked five blocks in those heels to and from the bus and then danced for several more hours every day for three years!)

Since we were already dressed to the nines we headed for the Deauville Hotel on Miami Beach Friday night after work to dance some more. Teachers from other dance studios were there and we had a chance to see the best of the best, plus pick up some new steps. It was the highlight of the week for us and we made friends with dancers from all over town. Seems like every hotel on Miami Beach had a dance studio with a professional pair of dancers on staff. One downside of this life was that we lost contact with our former friends in other professions. Our work hours pretty much isolated us from the 9 to 5 crowd. But, we had each other and that was sufficient at the time.

Mary went on to win some competitions and to teach at a resort in the Catskills. I opted out after three years for the more mundane but stable corporate world.

I will always remember with delight my years at the dance studio. It was an exciting time and a glamorous life for a young woman with no ties and no responsibilities. And, I still love to dance!