Should we have dance lessons?

Hi Jessica!

I've been asked this question many times, and the best response I can give you, is that it really depends on what vision you have for your First Dance.

A choreographer will take your song suggestion and create a sequence of movement inspired by the song's rhythms and musicality. They will then teach you in a structured and progressive manner often backed by extensive teaching experience to ensure you are able to learn and perfect your dance to look spectacular on your big day.

That being said, getting a choreographer can also mean having to make time for your lessons which can be both good or bad, because it could actually force you to make time for it, or it could become an added stress for you. 

Now, if you're looking for are just some simple moves that you can repeat and alternate between in your first dance, then this is definitely something you can do by yourselves, YouTube has heaps of videos you can refer to! But if what you're after is someone with experience to do it for you with teaching expertise, than a choreographer is the way to go.

Either way, it really comes down to what you want, so take your time, talk it out, and I hope you eventually find what you're looking for! :)

Kindest Regards,

Auntora

Hi, this is an interesting question. My first question for you is "Have you ever made up your own dance with your partner before?".  If you have, then your partner may feel comfortable doing what he has experienced before, and I say give it a go.  If you don't get to an agreed result within a week of rehearsal, then perhaps consider choreographing, as you don't want the frustration of it not coming together to get bigger than it needs to be.

If not, it is your special day, and choreographing your own dance, could be either a fun experience, or it could add additional frustration to achieve the first dance as you would like it to be.  If it is important to you, my advice is to express how you feel about the importance of the first dance, and why you would like it choreographed. Use words such as "I feel, I felt and I found" so the focus is on how you feel and it won't come across as you telling your partner what they are not doing, such as "you won't, you can, or you should...".

For example, "I feel having our first wedding dance choreographed will take the stress away from trying to get it right ourselves. And, I felt by having the first dance choreographed, will also give us time to focus on other areas of the wedding that we still have to consider. So I found this to be the best option for us. What do you think?"

See how you go with this approach.

Sincerely, Annette

A lot depends on how you dance already and what kind of music you are having.  The 'high school box step' is always a good beginning if you are looking for slow dancing music.  From there, you can get as elaborate as you wish.  In your case, assuming you can both dance, you might confide in a friend to see what kind of ideas they may have.  Just remember, unless you are going crazy on the dance floor, everyone is going to be more interested in your faces, your expressions, and how you connect with each other.

That said, I saw one where they had a drummer and guitarist in on the 'scam'.  It started out exactly like a cheesy high school box step with the drummer barely able to keep a simple beat.  After a few moments where the guests figured you hired them out of pity, they ripped into a couple of very fast dance numbers the couple absolutely wowed everyone.  Up to you.  Have fun with it no matter what you do.