Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Inc. is a ballroom dance franchise chain of studios in the United States and Canada, named after a famous dancer Fred Astaire. It is headquartered in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, USA.
It was co-founded by Charles Casanave, Chester Casanave, & Fred Astaire in 1947. Astaire divested his interest in the chain in 1966, while agreeing the continued use of his name by the franchise. The studios became franchised in 1950; currently there are no corporate owned studios. Each franchise is individually owned & operated. Currently there are 140 Fred Astaire studios in the United States alone. As of December 2010, Fred Astaire Dance Studios will now be franchising around the world.</ref>
All of the following worked for and or started with Fred Astaire Dance Studios and won at least one United States Dance Championship. Vernon Brock & Beverly Donahue(Latin) Vernon Brock & Linda Dean(Latin) Corky & Shirley Ballas (Latin) Charles & Jean Penatello (Smooth & Rhythm) Joe Lozano & Jan Mattingly(Smooth) Jim & Jenell Maranto (Smooth) David Hamilton (Smooth) Ben Ermis & Shalene Archer-Ermis (Smooth & 9 dance) Forrest Vance & Susie Thompson (Rhythm) Tony Dovolani(Rhythm) Tony Dovolani & Elena Grinenko(Rhythm) Jose DeCamps(Rhythm) Brian & Susan Puttock (Standard) Armando & Laura Martin (10 Dance) Jay Larson & Julie Jacobson (9 dance) Gleb & Tatiana Makarov (9 dance) Andrey & Anastasia Abrashin (9 dance) Gunnar Sverrisson(9 dance)