Jamie Pinder Advances to the 2017 Arthur Murray All Star Championships
Name: Jamie Pinder
Studio: Princeton, NJ
All Star History: Never tested in All-Stars before due to a tragic family loss.
Year You Started in the Business: 2015
What is the AM All Star Competition?The Arthur Murray All Stars is a skills competition for every level of professional within each location around the world. The goal is to grow, develop, and reveal the professionals that demonstrate the best customer service, communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. The competition begins in each studio and winners advance to small region, or District, competitions. From there the District winners advance to the large region, or Area, competition. Finally, the Area winners advance to the World Championships in Las Vegas where each Area team tests and one team is pronounced the winner.
More importantly, the real winners are the students of the Arthur Murray Dance Studios as these tests, and accompanying training, help to deliver better communication, teamwork, problem solving, and confidence from every member of the staff.
AML: First off, congratulations on moving into the finals in Last Vegas. How did you react when the announcement was made?
JP: For everyone who didn't get to witness my over dramatic reaction, I cried, followed by screaming, then I jumped, and cried again. It was just so surreal to know all my hard work of studying and practicing paid off.
AML: How did you feel going into the Semi-Finals?
JP: My brain has never hurt so much in my entire life. I was anxious, nervous, and scared I was going to become sick in front of the judges. Especially when one of the judges is your boss.
AML: What kind of last minute things did you do to prepare?
JP: Destiny's Child and all the coffee in Columbia! I blasted "Survivor" by Destiny's Child to get amped up. Music helps calm my nerves and not get psyched out. Aside from that, when we (Melanie, my co-worker who was competing in the teacher's division) got to the hotel at 2:00am, we stayed up to study. We did simulations together until 5:00am. There was lots of coffee involved.
AML: How has this process made you a better professional?
JP: It gave me great insight on how to better myself with Arthur Murray and outside of work. I've learned to speak slower (I'm from Jersey, so we speak a mile a minute) and it has also taught me to become more involved and connected with students.
AML: What's you All Star backstory? If you can give a little synopsis of the highs and lows of this competition over the years.
JP: I have been with Arthur Murray for two years now. This year was my first year competing because last year, on the same day we didn the in-studio testing, my grandmother passed away. Even though I suffered a tragic loss, it honestly helped push me to better myself and to prep harder for All Stars this year. I not only wanted to win this for myself, but I also wanted to give something for my grandmother to be proud of.
AML: What will it mean to you if the team wins it all this year?
JP: It means that hard work truly pays off and that if you can set your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.
AML: Who are some people that helped you get to this point?
JP: Lori, my boss, has definitely helped push me through this, along with the rest of my team here at Arthur Murray Princeton.
AML: Last question: what does this mean to you? What makes it special?
JP: Words cannot describe what this means to me. Growing up, I've had many people tell me I would amount to nothing and that I am a failure. With that being said, I'm going to give it my all to prove them wrong.
Most importantly, I'm doing this for my grandmother.
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