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Allen Darnel began his dancing career in 1956 at the Tucson, Arizona Arthur Murray Studio. After completing both dance and management training, he relocated to California where he worked for the Veloz and Yolanda, Fred Astaire and Arthur Murray dance studios and the Golden Door Resort.
At the Golden Door, Allen taught dance classes to movie stars, socialites and celebrities. Some of his favorites were Delores Hope, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Bob Cummings and his wife, and Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World.
In 1970, Allen moved to Houston, Texas where he became owner of Dance City USA, the largest dance studio in the world at that time. During his career he has written three books about Ballroom dancing, sponsored the first United States Ballroom Champions (USBC), formed the Ballroom Dance Arts Foundation (whose main objective is to fund dance teams) and presides over the Luis Arnold Dance Awards Society, which annually recognizes outstanding figures in the Ballroom community.
In 1971, he proudly carried the Texas flag to the first U.S. Ballroom Championships at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, joining representatives from 32 other states. He also had the honor of addressing the Blackpool, England Competition -- the Mecca of International Ballroom -- on behalf of Dance City USA.
Mr. Darnel presently owns and operates his Beginners Only Social Ballroom Latin Dance Studio in Houston, Texas and is the Promotional Director for the Annual Feather Awards -- the Academy Awards of the Ballroom Dance world which are held each June at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
New Moves
Next on Allen’s to-do list is organizing an Association for Dance Instructors in addition to creating a Ballroom Dance Museum with a large ballroom setting. |
