Dance instructor C. Matthew Rice has a vision for dance in Utah.
"I want to maintain the highest standard of dance in the state," Rice said. "If people in the community can get the joy and experience out of dance that I get out of it, then I'm successful."Rice is the manager/owner/top instructor of Salt Lake City's Arthur Murray Dance Studio, 145 E. 1300 South. He took the helm about nine months ago as owner, but has been dancing with the international francise since 1985, when he lived in Albuquerque, N.M.
"I've been involved with a lot of different things," Rice said during an interview at the dance studio. "I got into dance for health and creative reasons."
Rice, who has a degree in technical engineering and culinary arts, was originally a restaurant chef.
"I was getting ulcers and needed to find another job that I could relax with," he said. "I loved country line dance. That was my pastime. I used to go to the club every Friday.
"Then one day I noticed an ad in the paper asking for a male dance instructor," Rice remembered. "I went to apply and went through a series of classes and got the job."
Dancing was a way for Rice to let himself loose from the hustle and stress of the kitchen but still keep the creative side of his brain working.
"Dance and cooking both incorporate creativity and logic," Rice said. "But I like dancing more because it's a more social profession than being back in the kitchen."
A year after he applied for the dance instructor job, an opening at the Salt Lake studio caught his attention.
"The owner of the Albuquerque studio was partners with the owners here," Rice said. "They asked me if I wanted to come up and I accepted."
Rice, who didn't know a thing about the Salt Lake culture, said he really respects the communty's view on art and dance.
"At Brigham Young University, they give degrees in ballroom dance, or dancesport, the new buzzword, which is not very common at universities," Rice said.
"In my eyes, the people here see dance as a way to meet people," Rice said of the many reasons there are to dance. "There are also health reasons to start dancing. We had a student, an older man who used to skate, whose doctor told him to take a (dance) class to help the arthritis in his knees.
"Other reasons to start dancing include balance, coordination and aerobic needs," Rice said. "I also like to look at the emotional side of the coin.
"There was a woman whose spouse had died and she went into a deep depression," Rice said. "She lived down the street from our old studio and saw our sign every day. Eventually she decided to take a class and began feeling better about herself. Her depression had created some physical ailments as well, and once her depression dissipated, so did her ailments."
A major challenge to his job, Rice said, is the same as his goal - to maintain the highest degree of quality in dance for the state.
"There's also the business side of the studio, but it's a cycle," said Rice, who, with dance partner Nancy Umemura, has won a few awards in the Rising Star category of professional competition. "If your quality is good and people can see that, they'll come."
As for rewards?
"Seeing people's self-esteem grow is a large part of the rewards," Rice said. "You get to see your students advance from one level to another. And you can get to the real reason why people want to dance and deliver. Those are the main rewards of owning this studio."