The 2016 Arthur Murray All Stars Prepare for their Next Big Test

Wednesday, August 31st is D-Day for the Arthur Murray Bay Area staff.  

D, in this case, stands for District.  

The day, on the last day of August, is the Quarterfinal round of the George B. Theiss Arthur Murray All Star Competition, and Wednesday's round features the top Teachers, Executives, and Administrators from each location in Northern California and Nevada.  

Arthur Murray All Stars Prepare for Big Test

About the George B. Theiss Competition

Named after the late President of Arthur Murray International, the All Stars is a skills competition for every level of staff within the worldwide dance organization.  In an effort to improve the experience of students in all locations, the competition is the measuring stick for intensive training at the local, regional, and national level.  Focusing on areas like customer service, communication skills, dance instruction, and problem solving.  

The Testing

Similar to the Medal Ball exam for the students, the All Star Testing includes practical simulations rather than a blue book or number two pencil required multiple choice exam.  In an industry that relies so heavily on communication, it should come as no surprise that these exams are closely contested.  

The Big Picture

Since it is a competition, only the top scores can pass through to the next round, but every teacher, executive, and admin improve through the process.  "The big picture is to deliver an incredible, outstanding experience to the students, and the preparation, and testing, is a big part in improving in that area", says District Director, Daisey Lynam.  

The Participants

The following is a list of the staff moving forward into the quarterfinal round of the competition.  From there, the winners will advance to the Semi-Finals, held in Portland, Oregon, with the other quarterfinal winners from Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and Western Canada.  The Championship round will be held at the Superama, in Las Vegas in October 2016.  

New Student Specialist Quarterfinalists

Instructor Competition Quarterfinalists

New Student Counselor Quarterfinalists

Supervisor Quarterfinalists

Admin Quarterfinals

Rookie Quarterfinals

Final Thought

Think about this.  It is extremely difficult to be chosen out of this long list as the representative from each category.  The next,  most difficult spot to be chosen for?  The testing assistants.  It speaks volumes about the character, and the vision of the staff that don't advance to want to be a part of the testing process in some capacity, even if it is only to help by playing the role of a student for an entire day.  These staff, and all the instructors, executives, and admins, work non-stop to improve the quality of their service.  The All Star test is adding a spotlight to an activity that has always been there - a commitment to delivering an unbelievable experience for every student.