Fred Astaire Dance Studios
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Dance education |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Founder | Charles Casanave, Chester Casanave, and Fred Astaire |
| Headquarters | Longmeadow, Massachusetts |
| Website |
www |
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 and has studios opened in countries like Lebanon and South Africa.
Fred Astaire Dance Studios current & former champions
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)