During their earlier years, John and Julie seemed to dance their way through life with glitter, glamour, and glamour.
As owners of their own dancing studios, the Texas couple and their pupils routinely stepped up to stages throughout the country, competing in national events that brought light-footed competitors from all over the world.
Yet, life was not always a waltz in the park. "It didn't provide any security," recalls John. "We enjoyed dancing, but if I broke a leg or suffered any ailment, I couldn't perform. I had no time for my wife or my family."
"We had such horrible hours to have any type of home life," remembers Julie. "We'd come to the studio at midday, then teach until 11pm.
" John continues, "There were no residuals. We would start the year at zero and end the year at zero. We were swapping hours for bucks with no end in sight.
"What made us stay in the dance world was the glitter and the excitement," remembers John. "Some dances were quite sophisticated.
For ballroom dancing, males wore tuxedos, white bow ties, and tails; women wore long, sequined gowns.
Costumes for country-western dance, disco, and other styles glittered with sequins and feathers against the brilliant lights. "It was a highly theatrical experience," John adds.
They competed in the USA Ballroom Championships, which were held in Madison Square Garden on a number of occasions.
"We were one of the top ten independent dance studios in the country in terms of the number of students who received first place awards.
" However, during the early 1980s recession, the cyclical industry of dancing experienced a downward shift, resulting in "all kinds of hardships," as John recounts.
"We were hoping against hope for something better to happen."
The Felixes then learnt of a marketing firm from one of John's former teachers in June of 1984, just as Julie was about to give birth to the first of their three kids.
Julie was overjoyed because she saw the chance as a means for her to take a break from teaching and spend more time with her husband and their child.
According to John, starting this firm was "like a breath of fresh air, a dream come true." The Felixes currently reside in a magnificent home in Georgetown, Texas, with their three children, Jennifer, Jaclyn, and Jessica, who are all in college.
Their daughter Julie's mother has also joined them and is a tremendous asset in caring for the girls.
"It's an awesome dream come true," John expresses his delight. "We are grateful to God for it."
"We're able to have both time and peace of mind," Julie continues. We had no sense of security when it came to the dance profession.
However, this is a whole different way of living. Everyone comes together and lends a hand to one another.
It's a people-helping-people business that is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Moreover, it only gets better and better!"
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