When Hunter Lisle's parents began taking lessons at Arthur Murray Dance Studio 25 years ago, then 12-year-old Lisle had no intention of taking lessonsÖuntil he saw how cute the instructor was.
It was then that he began taking lessons, and by age 15 he was an instructor at Arthur Murray. Lisle has been dancing and working for the same company for most of his life. His devotion coincidentally is to the second oldest franchise in the U.S. Arthur Murray Dance Studios has been instructing people in the art of movement for over 95 years.
A Lexington native and UK graduate, Lisle moved to Cincinnati after college, where he held several positions in the company. But before long he felt the pull to return to his hometown.
Seven years ago, Lisle returned to Lexington to build his own studio from the ground up. Lisle now owns one of the largest schools in the country, which teaches approximately 25,000 lessons a year.
Throughout his career, Lisle has been ranked as a top-five Arthur Murray instructor and is certified as a world judge, enabling him to judge competitions at any level. He says the fuel that keeps him going is seeing the changes that take place in his students as a result of dance.
"You'll see people come in, and they're very shy, and you'll see them gaining confidence," Lisle said. "You'll see a single person who comes in very, very insecure, and when they leave they're really having a great time-their lives are totally different. You'll see a couple that has maybe not done a lot together, and when they get done they're making time for each other."
Lisle has a genuine passion for what he does, and it doesn't look like he's going to slow down anytime soon. He has plans to open another school sometime in the near future.