The Arthur Murray Live Blog: A Year in Review
Arthur Murray Live saw a big jump in activity in 2016 across the board. From articles on Dance Advice to Interviews with interesting Arthur Murray people - we couldn't be happier to see how our audience has grown and engaged with our content.
So we've assembled the most popular articles by month throughout 2016 so you can catch up on the best of the best - and anything beyond that will just make you that much cooler.
So curl up with your favorite digital device, grab your favorite post-dance lesson snack, and prepare to injest plenty of ballroom dance hobby enriching information... and hopefully enjoy some laughs in the process.
January 2016
6 Practice Habits of Highly Annoying Dance Partners
In this article we offered some insight on some typical dance practice behavior, and added some "gentle modifications". A great read for everyone with a dance partner, from amateur couples to competitive dancers.
Runner Up: Why Ballroom Dancers Need These 4 Audiences
Too often as dancers we can neglect some of the audiences that we shouldn't. For anyone interested in looking more polished in their social dancing, competitive training, or wedding dance - this article will shed some light on how to prepare for more than just the audience they may be expecting.
February 2016
If Ballroom Dances Walked the Red Carpet
This article channeled the beautiful garments worn at the Academy Awards as a way of explaining the role different dances like Waltz, Tango, and Cha Cha Cha play in a student's program.
Runner Up: You Might Be a Ballroom Dance Conspiracy Theorist
From time to time dancers can fall into the trap of looking at an elaborate conspiracy as a means of explaining a bad result. This article has fun with that type of thinking, sheds some light on what prompts it, all in a fun, non-judgmental, way.
March 2016
What You Can Learn from the Obama Tango
This article prompted some strong opinions on Facebook, and while we typically avoid anything in the political or religious world - the President and First Lady dancing a Tango was too good of a dance story to pass up.
Runner Up: Showcase Advice from the Arthur Murray Champs
Emmanuel Pierre Antoine and Liana Churliova not only shared their beautiful dancing with the participants at the Spring 2016 District Showcase, but they also shared some of their best dance advice as well.
April 2016
10 Dance Lesson Fails: How to Avoid the Agony
There are plenty of external factors that can contribute to someone slowing down or stopping their dance hobby altogether. This article, on the other hand, is talking about all the internal factors that can inhibit or, otherwise, derail your dance program - and what to do to avoid them.
Runner Up: Eye Contact in Latin Dances: How Much is Too Much?
This is a legitimate concern, and it has caused many would-be confident dancers to study their shoes while dancing the sexy latin dances. Here's what you need to know about eye contact, and how to handle it when someone deploys it.
May 2016
What Do You Do When Your Dance Partner Quits?
This was the clear winner for views in May, and it speaks to a problem that doesn't just pertain to high level competitive dancers either. Sometimes, it can be an amateur couple where one party just lost their zest for dancing. An informative read for a very sensitive topic.
Runner Up: Same Sex Dance Event Has Arthur Murray Ties
Every year the San Francisco Bay Area is host to a Same Sex Dancesport Competition - the April Follies. In 2016 two of Arthur Murray's own took first place and shared their story with us, and what it means for the sport going forward.
June 2016
3 Game of Thrones Lessons that are Ballroom Dance Gold
There's this show on HBO called Game of Thrones... maybe you've heard of it? Well, there are also some great story elements that translate back to, of all things, ballroom dancing. This article is loaded with dance comparisons and exactly zero spoiler alerts for the next season of the hit show.
Runner Up: 4 Reasons Why Cool Dudes Don't Dance (or Look at Back at Explosions)
Perhaps it was the headline, or possibly the artwork, but this article stirred up a little frenzy on social. Fortunately, people that read the article understood the message, and that's why it ended up on this list. Highly recommended for the non-dancing guys you may know.
July 2016
23 Problems Only Competitive Dancers Will Understand
One of the top articles of 2016 loaded with plenty of truth about the competitive dance world. Due to its popularity, there's also a downloadable infographic infographic too.
Runner Up: 5 Super Annoying Things that Secretly Irritate Your Dance Teacher
This article created some heated debate on Facebook, but this is an important subject for anyone that wants to get better acclimated in their studios. Are dance teachers human? Yes. Are they always irritated? Hopefully not. Is this article worth a read and a comment? You bet.
August 2016
10 Ballroom Dance Wounds and How to Avoid Them
This article created a great discussion on Facebook, and prompted a lot of shares from dancer to dancer. We evaluated 10 ways you can get hurt as a ballroom dancer, and we graded them by physical or emotional pain. A great read for you, your dance partner, and anyone you've ever stepped on as a token of your apology.
Runner Up: Dancing with the Stars Season 23 Preview and Predictions
It's a real shame, but it took 23 Seasons for us to cover this show from start to finish. Interestingly enough, no one died, we had fun doing it, and there was a lot of great feedback.
September 2016
Dancing with the Stars Set to Dance Off in Week 3
Sticking with the DWTS theme, this article took a fair bit of social media based investigative journalism (or Twitter stalking). Nevertheless, it was the most popular article in September and kept the Season 23 momentum going.
Runner Up: 9 Reasons Why Social Dancing Should Begin with Foxtrot
For anyone that has ever scoffed at their teacher when they suggested Foxtrot, only to come back and thank them later when they realized how valuable and practical it is.
October 2016
Dancing with the Stars Season 23 Third Elimination Recap
These DWTS Elimination articles gave the viewers a chance to share their thoughts about who should win, who should go home, or just vent about Ryan Lochte.
Runner Up: 13 Nightmares for Every Competitive Ballroom Dancer
In the spirit of Halloween we shared some of the nightmares that keep competitive dancers up at night. Think scary movie, but the main characters have great footwork and hip action.
November 2016
31 Things Your Dance Teacher Wants to See You Do
This article is currently the second most read article ever written on our site! Written for dance students of any level, we shared all of our favorite tips on what you can do to make your dance teacher beam with pride, or shed tears of gratitude.
Runner Up: Dancing with the Stars 23 Halloween Elimination
There were some incredible moments throughout the DWTS 23 season, but James Hinchcliffe's Suicide Squad Viennese Waltz may have been one of the most memorable. We recapped his, and the rest of the performances on the Halloween themed episode.
December 2016
Holiday Shopping Guide for Ballroom Dancers
Chalk this up as an idea we've always wanted to do, and now will do from now on. Let's face it - ballroom dancers can be difficult to shop for, and based on the response we received, we are glad to have filled a need.
Runner Up: Top Moments From the Dancing with the Stars 23 Finalists
The finals of Season 23 saw three couples that all had a legitimate chance at the Mirrorball Trophy. Here we break down why each finalist deserved to be there.
Final Thought
We hope you enjoyed reading this blog as much as this author enjoyed writing it. With all of the things that can occupy your attention, the fact that you would take the time to read, share, and comment on these articles is incredible.
Everyone at the Arthur Murray Live team hopes that at least one article made you laugh, helped put your progress in perspective, or even guided you on a path to a better version of you on the dance floor.
How did we do? Were there any articles you enjoyed that didn't make this list? Are there any suggestions of topics you'd love to see in 2017? Let us know in the comments below, and if you haven't done so already - we'd love it if you'd subscribe to our blog.
Once a week dance tips, advice, and entertainment direct to your inbox, and nothing else (except our love).
Happy Dancing, and Happy New Year!
