Wedding First Dance
Dance is Memorable
Wherever we go, whatever we do, we remember the dancing. Was it effortless that day? Did we make anyone smile? Did we inspire someone else to dance with us?
It makes sense to give dance an elevated place on such an important occasion. Dance moves people and brings them together, and it helps leave a lasting impression on both those who experience it and those who watch it. Why not spend a little time learning how to do it well?
Besides, with a little patience and time, anyone can learn how.
Choose Music
It helps a lot when couples choose music they really like. We can make suggestions, but there's really nothing better than dancing to your favorite song together. When you contact us, let us know what song you've chosen or if you need help!
Can't Pick?
During their lesson(s), students often find that the best way of choosing between favorite songs is by dancing to them. You'll know immediately if a song is "right" for you or not, just by the way it makes you move!
We have compiled a list of wedding songs used by our students. Start here if you need some ideas, or simply want to know what songs are popular these days.
Choose a Style
If you don't know what song you would like to use, you can start instead by thinking about the style of your dance. Would you like a light, romantic wedding dance with flowing turns and dips? Maybe you envision a tango like the one in Scent of a Woman. Whatever your preference, the dance style you choose will influence your experience on the dance floor. You can come to us with a style already in mind, or we can help you find one that fits your personality and needs.
Partner Dancing or Choreography?
There are some important differences between learning to partner dance together and learning a choreography.
How to Sign Up
Once you've browsed the choices and decided what style of lesson interests you the most, call us to book your time. You can bring payment to your first lesson. We try to be as flexible as possible, so creating a schedule is easiest if we chat on the phone. You can also contact us here.
Lesson Options
We offer a number of approaches to help couples prepare for their first dance together, from the basics of partner dancing to fully choreographed routines. Some last-minute options are also available.
Option 1: The Basics of Partner Dancing
Ready to dance? It takes an average of four lessons for most couples to learn and adapt to new ways of moving together, and feel comfortable doing it. We recommend four lessons as a starting point, but you can take as many as you want.
The goal in this series is to be able to dance freely in front of your friends and family without choreography. It means less memorization and more skilled leading and following. A sample outline looks like this:
- Lesson 1: leading and following; weight shifting; moving across the dance floor; turns
- Lesson 2: more leading and following; step variations; more turns
- Lesson 3: adding style; more step variations; more turns; how to dip safely
- Lesson 4: flourishes; dancing to the music; putting it all together
Practice is really helpful between lessons. If you practice just fifteen minutes together once or twice a week, you'll feel more comfortable and remember more, and we'll be able to help you progress even further.
Cost
- $80/hr drop-in (pay as you go)
- $70/hr for 4 one-hour lessons (paid in advance)
- $65/hr for 6 one-hour lessons (paid in advance)
- $60/hr for 8 one-hour lessons (paid in advance)
Option 2: Wedding Dance Choreography
Send us your song and let us know what style of dance you would like to learn. We'll create a routine and teach it to you. This approach requires more time and dedication outside of lessons. Practice really helps!
Almost all couples start with four basic lessons (Option 1) and then learn a choreography in one or two hours. This is our recommended approach.
If you start completely from scratch, it may take a bit longer - three or four lessons at least. For students who start off with this approach, we charge for a minimum of two hours.
Cost
- $60 per minute of song length choreographic fee ($120 minimum)
- $80/hr for instruction ($160 minimuml )
- $40/hr for 45 min practice sessions (pay as you go)
Option 3: Last-Minute Lesson
If you're short on time, don't worry! In one to two hours, you will learn enough to move comfortably on the dance floor together. It's better to learn a few key concepts than nothing at all!
We will teach you as much about the partner dancing basics as you can learn in one or two lessons. This includes steps, pauses, turns, flourishes, your entrance, and how to dip safely. We'll start with focused instruction and finish with practice, polishing, and ways to use the music and structure your dance.
Note: Two lessons is the best of the following three options. Our hope is that you will have time (even if it's just one evening) to practice what you've learned before returning to learn more material. It's nice to allow things to sink in and then be able to ask questions at the second lesson. You'll learn more that way!
Cost
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- $90 for one 1-hour lesson
- $120 for one 90 minute lesson
- $160 for two 1-hour lessons
Option 4: Full Lesson and Practice Package
Some couples want to learn to dance together or perfect a choreography but don't have the time, space, or energy to practice everything on their own. They end up using their lessons partly as a practice time, but this means they don't learn as much as they would like.
This is where our Full Lessons and Practice Package comes in - part lesson series, part practice schedule, part choreographic workshop, it includes just enough of everything to help students feel truly comfortable on the dance floor together. Pay one flat rate - then it's simply a matter of scheduling.
What it includes:
- Four 1-hour lessons in the basics of your dance
- Four 45 minute guided practice sessions
- One hour-long "dress rehearsal" on location or in a *studio
- Choreographic help during lessons and practice times
- Notes from all of your lessons
- Video clips of your final routine, whether loosely or tightly structured
This package gives students the best of everything - four lessons focusing on the dance itself, including footwork, simple and more advanced moves, how to begin and finish the dance, choreographic structure, and more. Then the practice sessions can be used to polish what has already been taught - we won't teach more during these sessions - we're here to help guide your practice. The final "dress rehearsal" is your chance to try everything in a space that more closely matches where the dance will happen on the actual wedding day, with shoes and clothing as closely matching your wedding attire as possible. Some students have even simulated the large skirts of a wedding dress with a tablecloth tucked into pants - anything to make the rehearsal more realistic.
We recommend at least two months to complete this package, although it has been done in a month in the past. Scheduling is based on your and our availability, and both lessons and practice times can be arranged in any order. In the case of the final practice, if a studio is needed (rather than your actual wedding location) there may be an additional rental fee.
There is an additional option of having us choreograph your dance separately from your lessons. For this we charge an extra $60 per minute of your chosen song length.
Cost
- Without separate choreography: $490
- This works out to:
- $260 for 4 lessons
- $140 for 4 practice sessions
- $90 for final rehearsal
- Notes and video - FREE
- With choreography: $490 + $60/min of song length
Other Ideas: Groups and other arrangements
We teach 30-60 minute group lessons at wedding receptions, and can offer your guests the chance to learn anything from swing to disco to more open-ended styles of partner dancing!
We also teach small groups. Past lessons have included the groom- and bride-to-be and their parents, family members, and friends.
Do you have other ideas to make your wedding more memorable for your guests? Let us know how we can help.
More questions?
Our Frequently Asked Questions page has answers to some common questions about wedding dance lessons in addition to questions about learning to dance in general.
