Chris is a very outgoing, friendly person who cheerfully professes that he “Loves Dancing!” Chris resides in Wellington. He has been a member of the GTDC since 2009 and a past GTDC President.

Chris started (partner) dancing at age of 15. Later in 1971, he started his 8-year professional career in the Arthur Murray Studio system teaching students, training teachers, coaching competitive couples and eventually owning a studio. As a teacher, he understands the importance of communication, and that to instruct others means to communicate, helping others to understand the goal or need, and he gets excited when he sees the “Light go off in a student’s eye” when they “get it.” He is very knowledgeable and always the teacher. (Did you know that there are 500 named dances worldwide? Or that there are only 6 Major Movements and 4 Major Elements of Momentum Control, Turning, Frame and Styling, within those 500 dances, that create endless dance pattern possibilities? This is just a taste of his passion.)

He believes that dancing is truly a unique partnership, where two people are working together for recreation and the enjoyment of dancing and can even serve as “therapy” for couples, serving as an outlet of re-connections. He loves leaving a smile on his partner’s face. “Dancing expresses my life,” he says, in teaching, learning and dancing.

One of his most memorable moments when dancing or teaching, was working with a young woman dance student with one leg longer than the other, (often called Congenital Hip or Hip Dysplasia) and how, after acquiring shoes to help equalize her stance, became a very lovely dancer.

If you haven’t chatted with Chris already, take the opportunity to introduce yourself and get to know him.