TLDR edit: Mark Arnott told me himself that he watched extended security footage of a private conversation and used it as justification to hurt those individuals professionally and financially, which is a crime in the State of Florida (Statutes §934.03 and §934.04).
Original post:
Note: this applies only to the physical studio, studio owner, and not any of the individuals or groups that rent this space for their independent activities. Likewise, this is my personal perspective alone.
I worked on my ballroom dancing at this location for ~10mo at approximately 4.5-8.5hrs per week for private lessons (with independent instruction), group classes, and socials, until the studio owner Mark Arnott's paranoid and erratic behavior toward collaborating independent professionals crossed into malicious.
All independent ballroom instructors that considered Winter Park Ballroom as their primary public teaching location left this studio in Nov 2024 after a series of increasingly temperamental actions from the studio owner. I left the studio out of respect for those professionals.
The core ballroom community here is made up of fantastic people that are warm and inviting and joyful, but unfortunately most are intrinsically tied to the Winter Park location and therefore this studio and owner. I miss seeing everyone--you all brought a lightness into my life that is now lacking.
Everyone entering this studio should be wary of Mark's civil and potentially criminal misuse of studio security footage. You are being recorded and watched without your knowledge or consent, and any small private grievance toward Mark may be used to hurt you personally, publicly, and professionally without explanation. To be clear, this is not simply a communication issue between two parties. Mark acted unethically, unprofessionally, and with petty malice to undermine a community that was greater for having these individuals.
If you are considering investing your time and energy here, either as a professional or as a new member of the ballroom community, I would walk away. Mark will never condone professional, personal, or community growth that is beyond his control or that is greater than his own.
If you are attending any of the group classes or socials led by independents that are just paying for floor space: West Coast Swing with Aimee and Gary on Mondays, or Contra Dance with Joe Harrington on Fridays; these groups have their own communities that are fantastic. Enjoy the independent events, but just be aware of the cameras and how your words or actions, however slight, could be used to hurt you, the event hosts, and respective communities on Arnott's whim. read more
