VALLEJO – There’s a new ballroom studio in town. Arthur Murray Studios, which boasts private and group lessons for different styles of dance, including waltz, salsa, bachata, tango, and many more, had its grand opening in Vallejo last weekend.
The studio is at 480 Redwood St., in the same plaza as Matsuri Restaurant and Costa del Sol. It’s part of a global franchise; the name comes from Arthur Murray, a legendary ballroom dancer who started his first studio in Manhattan in 1912 and hosted a variety show throughout the 1950s. Today, there are over 300 Arthur Murray studios in 22 countries.
The Vallejo location is one of six franchise studios owned by Jenny Lynn Gomez and her husband, CJ Gomez, who grew up in Europe and trained in ballet, jazz, and tap. Jenny Lynn Gomez said that she’s been dancing since 2002; she met her husband while they were both teaching at the Arthur Murray studio in Redwood City.
They’d go on to compete together in ballroom dance competitions, and then they opened their first studio together in Millbrae in 2014. They opened a second location in Monterey in 2019, purchased the Napa and Santa Rosa studios in 2022 from another owner, and opened a Petaluma location in 2024.
The Vallejo studio is their latest venture, which had a soft opening in July and an official grand opening this past weekend.
Gomez said it’s gratifying seeing how their students heal and grow through dance.
“The people we teach usually come in with no dance experience, and they’re usually adults and older people,” Gomez said. “People tell us it changes their lives, because sometimes they’re going through divorce, or social anxiety, or needing exercise. We see their lives transform through dancing, and it helps build confidence.”
The Vallejo location currently has five instructors and around two dozen students.
Jadrian Gaddi, the Vallejo studio manager and a dance instructor who first started at the Napa location, said he grew up in Vallejo and jumped at the chance to teach at the new studio.
“Growing up here and seeing a bunch of things close was sad, so when they were like, ‘Yeah, we’re opening one in Vallejo,’ I was like, ‘My hometown? Let’s do it,’” Gaddi said.
Gaddi said he was inspired to dance by his grandparents, who displayed their ballroom trophies at home and would dance around the living room when he was a kid.
Now as an instructor, Gaddi said that students can choose any style of dance they want to start with, and come into the classes at any experience level.
“We support all of our students' dreams,” he said. “So if they want to be at the level of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ it's going to be a long journey. But we'll definitely help you get there.”
Danielle Heckman joined the Vallejo studio after the soft opening in July. She said she was excited to join after years of being away from the dance floor.
“I've been dancing my whole life, and in college, I started taking ballroom dancing classes,” Heckman said. She continued to dance until she was seven months pregnant with her son. She stepped away from dance, but now that her son has his own extra-curriculars, she said was interested in returning to her own hobbies.
“I was just working, so I was just like, let me find something. Let me get back into one of my passions,” she said. “So I came for my first lesson, and the rest is history.”
Gomez said the first lesson is always free, so locals can try out the Vallejo studio with no obligation. After that, the lessons come as a $160 set that includes one private lesson, five group classes, and two practice sessions for that week.
The Vallejo studio is also planning to have a Halloween-themed open house on Oct. 30. Guests are welcome to attend, meet the instructors, and try a group class for free.
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