FIRST DANCE TIPS
Tips for the couple
- Select a romantic song with a good, easy to hear dance beat.
- Pick a song that keeps a consistent beat throughout the song.
- Start your dance lessons at least 3 months before your wedding! This will give you enough time to plan, practice, and perfect you dance. It will also allow for unforeseen missed lessons and practice, and will reduce stress.
- Make your First Dance photographically interesting so that you will end your wedding day with Video and Still photos you will be proud to show off to friends, family, and your children in years to come.
- Ask your dance teacher for some stylish moves, dips, turns, and spins to get memorable and exciting photos!
- Have a good idea of the size and shape your wedding reception dance floor will be so that you can practice and get used to dancing in that amount of space.
- Plan how and where you are going to start (enter), and end your dance.
- Advise you Band leader or DJ how and when you plan to start and end your First Dance. Also let your Photographers know.
- Plan what will happen when you end your dance. Will you invite everyone onto the dance floor or just your parents and/or grandparents?
- If you are taking dance lessons you should plan to practice at least twice a week, a half hour or more each time. Practice is very important (especially for the groom) between dance lessons in order to really feel comfortable and be able to look and feel relaxed on your wedding night.
- Practice sometimes without the music, especially at the beginning stages, it will help you concentrate on perfecting your steps, and leading or following.
- Keeping time to the beat of the music is very important-feel the beat!
- Remember HE leads...SHE follows. (At least when you’re on the dance floor).
- He keeps time and dances to the music...she keeps in time with him.
Tips just for him
- Men, you are going to discover, that once you get over the initial fear and trauma of taking dance lessons, it can be a lot of fun! The best part is you will learn to lead, take control)...and your girl will not only enjoy it, she will actually let you lead! Remember if you don't lead she will! Also if you don't lead she can't follow. Remember you are the captain of the ship while you are on the dance floor.
- Lead her firmly but gently.
- Your arms are her guide on the dance floor, keep them firm. 80% of lead comes from your right hand.
- Look straight ahead (not at your feet), when dancing. Remember you are steering. Believe it or not your feet will work without your looking at them!
- Listen and keep time to the music. Try to pick a song that has an easy beat to hear. Listen to the song on your own, and if you are doing a dance routing try to visualize what step you are dancing at each part of the song.
- If you have trouble hearing the beat of the music ask your dance teacher or your partner to help you.
- Try to practice at least twice a week with your partner. The more you practice the more comfortable you will look and feel on your wedding night.
- Don't dance on your toes, unless you are doing swing or Latin dances. Take each forward step like a comfortable walking step, with your heel hitting the floor first.
- Always try to move counter-clockwise around the dance floor.
- Become comfortable dancing the steps first, then smoothly combining all the steps and keeping time to the music. Your confidence and lead will improve the most after you are comfortable with the steps. * Remember this is a team effort, the cooperation and teamwork you developed on the dance floor while learning and practicing will serve as a foundation for cooperation and teamwork off the dance floor.
- Have Fun!