Your First Dance Questions answered
So you’ve listened to your song, tried dancing to it with your fiance in your living room, kitchen, wherever and decided you want to do a little something more than sway back and forth for an entire 3 minutes and 52 seconds…
You inquire about lessons but wonder….
”I don’t even know what I want”
”We’re not big dancers!”
“I just don’t want to step on each other’s toes.”
“When should we start?”
“I don’t want anything too cheesy!”
Let me tell you a little bit about my process and help answer some questions you may have.
What if I don’t want choreography?
So a bit on the word “choreography”: Anything other than swaying back and forth is considered choreography. The good thing is, I know how to make it look more natural and can choreograph a simple or more complex dance depending on what you’re looking for. I start by teaching you a few basic steps. Our first lesson is very important to me because this is where I really get to know you as a couple, learn how you move together, understand what you’re comfortable with and what you’re willing to try. I would say I’m really good at reading people and if I feel you’re more reserved I will keep the steps more conservative. If I learn you’re more of the outgoing type, I may plan a fun lift or twirl! After the first lesson, I listen to your song about a dozen more times (don’t worry, I never get sick of it!) and choreograph steps to teach you at our next lesson. The good thing about my process is that nothing is set in stone. If you don’t like something, we can change it. If something doesn’t look great, we switch it up. This is why I encourage my couples to practice after each lesson and really feel out the moves. That way they can come to the next lesson with any questions or ideas.
When should we start?
I recommend starting to practice for your first dance about 2 months out from your date. That gives us some buffer time for events you may have surrounding your wedding like showers, bachelor/ette parties, holidays, being out of town, etc. Other things to consider are my schedule and the studio availability. I feel as though 2 months is a good window of time for you to practice but not give it so much time that you get sick of it or your song!
How many lessons should we take?
I offer 2 and 4 lessons packages with the option to add on any additional classes if you feel you need extra time (and dedicated space!) to practice. Two classes are for those with busy schedules and wanting something a little more than the slow back and forth sway. In 2 hour long sessions, I can teach you a few basic steps to the tempo of your song and even a simple dip. For those needing more guidance with dance, looking to learn something more complex, or even wanting to add a second song (usually upbeat and funky!), four 1 hour lessons are a better fit.
How long should my dance be?
I recommend a first dance be no more than 2 minutes 30 seconds. A little less than 2 minutes being the ideal amount of time for you to WOW everyone and hold their attention for just the right amount of time. This is especially true if there will be more dances (mother/son, father/daughter, etc). The length of your first dance usually goes hand in hand with the number of lessons you should take→ if you want to dance to your entire song without any edits or fading, you will likely need more lessons. Just something to think about when choosing songs. I can also help with deciding what part of the song to fade out or can usually help with making simple edits.
I hope this information helped answer any questions you may have had or give you a bit more insight of what it’s like to take lessons with me! Feel free to email me about anything I didn’t mention. Happy to help with making your first dance a memorable one!