Name: Nick and Laura Manzo
Title: Ballroom Dance Studio Owners / Professional Dance Couple
City you live in: Goodyear
A typical day in our life includes…
breakfast with the whole family that gives us that quality time together to start the day. We open the studio at 1p daily. We love our work. We are blessed to be part of an organization that puts people first, teaches them how to dance, build their confidence and sometimes, be the best part of their day!
We were born…
Nick: and raised in Phoenix, Arizona
Laura: Toledo Ohio, but moved to Phoenix at the age of 15.
Our favorite thing about Arizona…
the weather. It doesn’t matter how hot it gets, it doesn’t slow us down from doing anything!
We are currently listening to…
Nick: podcasts. I love to entertain myself and learn new things.
Laura: a Cha-Cha tune so I can choreograph a great routine for my student!
Our family…
we are lucky to have been blessed with two children, Sophia, 3 1/2 and Vincent 2 months. Owning Arthur Murray Dance Studio with late hours like we keep is challenging when trying to raise a family, so we feel extremely lucky to have the support of our parents and sister. We don’t know how we could do this with out them.
If I could have dinner with anyone it would be…
Nick: well, we’d get in trouble with each other if we didn’t say each other but I would love to have dinner from someone from my family from several generations ago. I’d like to see what their lives were like, their struggles, what they had to go through to make a good living.
One thing we can’t live without…
family.
When we were younger we wanted to be…
Nick: a baseball player and a business owner. When I discovered dance, and Laura also, we made a life and a business that has given us an amazing journey. Arthur Murray Dance Studios gave us the skills to make the dream of owning our own company a reality.
Laura: I always wanted to be a teacher. I completed my education degree at ASU and taught for both Madison and Dysart school districts before chasing my dancing career. I found I could use much of my education degree in teaching people to dance which has always been so rewarding to me.
We are inspired by…
so many people inspire us in either the dance industry or in a sports field that have overcome great odds and difficulties to become an extraordinary success. We are inspired by people that can “get it done” day after day.
The one person that motivates us…
Nick: it’s always had to be me. I’ve always had to have these inside talks with myself to get to where I want to go. We can be inspired by others but at the end of the day it’s me I have to answer to.
If we could change anything in the world it would be…
to play a part in helping people find common ground solutions for conflict. To make dance and music as important in schools as math and science.
Our perfect day would be…
dancing together! Lots of family time and a good workout!
Our first jobs were…
Nick: paper boy
Laura: youth soccer referee.
Our favorite escape…
since we are around people all day, teaching dance and being social we both like to do a mental reset by hiking in nearby Arizona mountains, go on long bike rides and enjoy outdoor beauty.
we are currently working on…
preparing for an upcoming dance competition, getting the students and staff ready in both choreography, costumes, coaching and charisma on the dance floor! Our studio is always getting ready for a special event, outing with the students, a dance showcase or more! We never stop moving!
Always…
be on time
Never…
put a ceiling on your sky
Favorite Quote…
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong, because someday in your life, you will have been all of these.”
Our biggest dream…
Whether it be our children, our staff or our students, both of us want to see them achieve their dreams, their goals, big or small. We want to inspire them to go after life with a passion, to never let the obstacles stop them from moving forward. We never want to stop providing opportunities for growth to the people around us, and we would love to be remembered as the ones that helped them get there!
Pet Peeves…
people who say they are going to do something and make a million excuses not to.
