For some people, their life’s journey is a series of calculated steps and decisions to get to a predetermined end… for others, chance encounters and golden opportunities decide one’s fate for them.

Dick Raymond, owner of LET’S DANCE in Cary is one of the latter. His journey though the world of professional ballroom dancing seems to have been blessed by the "Angel of the Quick Feet".

Dick Raymond, owner of Let’s Dance in Cary NC, shows off his trophy he won at a bike show

Raised by his grandparents from the age of six months, Dick was introduced to ballet, jazz, and modern dance at a very early age. Many of us had dance lessons as a young child (along with piano, and soccer, and a myriad of other activities), but frequently those lessons do not have a long-lasting effect. For Dick, however, the love of dance did stick. In fact, he parlayed the modern dance training into doing Summer Stock for West Side Story.

In the summer of 1964, the path to ballroom dancing became more tightly defined. "I wanted to go to college, but funds were a little limited," says Raymond. "So during the summer I looked for a job and saw an ad in the paper for a dance instructor, no experience needed." Needless to say, he never made it to college. The folks at the Arthur Murray Dance School in Providence, Rhode Island saw the potential and hired him immediately. But the position was for full time. "I had to commit, so I did," Raymond continues. "I decided that if it didn’t turn out, I could always go to school later. Well, the rest is history. I was with the organization up until two years ago when I moved to Cary [42 years total]."

Dick’s rise within the Arthur Murray family was quick and steady. His love of dancing was complimented by his willingness to travel and move to where the opportunity arose. He moved to New York in 1967, and to Florida in 1981. "Moving to Boca Raton, gave me the opportunity to get to know my father, and to have some closure on that relationship," he remembers.

From Florida he moved to Connecticut where he became general manager for five Arthur Murray studios, and ended up training the individual store managers. A feel for management developed so the next step would naturally take him to becoming an owner himself. He bought a studio in Richmond with a partner in 1989 and subsequently purchased a Raleigh studio in 1993. The commute between the two stores became too much to manage, so Dick sold the Richmond studio and moved permanently to Raleigh in 1998. He sold his half to his partner in 2006 when he decided to go solo.

What motivates a man to take that kind of risk— leaving a well-established brand to starting a brand new dance studio? "I wanted to see if I could make it without the Arthur Murray name behind me," Raymond explains. "And fortunately for me, I had built up a good reputation. My first year here in the Cary store has been fantastic. The residents here are eager for a good dance studio, so we have exceeded our expectations."

Dick is a walking encyclopedia of dance. He has an appreciation for the history and evolution of dance, and he recognizes fads as well as those with staying power. For example, I found out that the Waltz is the oldest of all modern ballroom dances today, and was the dance that started touch dancing. The Fox Trot was only one of several "Animal Dances" that has survived (remember the Bunny Hop, the Camel Walk or the notorious Turkey Trot?), and still remains the most popular of the slow rhythm dances today.

Dick also talked about a few dances that didn’t make it. "In the 60s, for example we had the Bosa Nova. That dance didn’t last more than 6-8 months, it just didn’t catch on. Neither did the Lambada (The Forbidden Dance) in the 80s. Now the Hustle did catch on and never really disappeared, the name just changed to Club Swing."

Dick remembers when he performed The Hustle on the Merv Griffin show. "Out of 1,800 Arthur Murray instructors, my partner and I were chosen to go to California," he says proudly. "We did the show, and then two months later, we were invited back to do another show. We performed the Tango and Mambo along with the Hustle."

Proficient in all forms of ballroom dance, Dick specializes in the Latin Dances. "My very first professional exhibition was the Tango," he says. "I did that one for my grandmother, she loved the Tango! It was my first routine, and I dedicated it to her."

The Latin dances are among the most poplar today, particularly Salsa. But for most people wanting to learn the fundamentals, he recommends five basic rhythms: the Fox Trot, the Rumba, the Cha Cha, the Waltz, and Swing. "These five staples have been around since the dawn of time and will never, ever go away."

"I believe that most people care about dancing," Raymond continues "And it’s not because it is my job and my passion, but dancing in itself, from a social style, to club style, to exhibition is a communication with music. It’s great for the soul, provides stress relief and exercise, all of the benefits that come from dancing. People will always have an opportunity to dance wherever they go—it’s a universal language. All over the world everyone talks the same language on the dance floor."

Aside from dance, Dick has other passions: he loves to golf, loves his motorcycle, and is deeply in love with his current wife Karen, recently married in November. "She is probably my soul mate," smiles Raymond.

Staying in the same career for so many years requires more than just dedication. "Dancing washes away the dust of the soul," Raymond explains. " Since 9/11 my philosophy has been, you never know what tomorrow will bring, so you have got to live in the moment. And if you have a passion for something, it doesn’t matter what it is, something you have always thought about doing, don’t wait any longer. Just do it!"