Do you have two left feet on the dance floor, or are you worried about making a fool of yourself in front of everyone? Read on for great first dance advice…
Your first wedding dance is such a personal moment and the most important part of your dance is that it’s ‘you’. Confidence is the key to a great first dance and you won’t feel or look happy if you’re not comfortable. Luckily Amy Nelson from Wedding Day Dance UK is full of advice on the different types of first dance – which one is ‘you’?
Movie magic
Recreate the magic of the big screen by taking inspiration from your favourite movie. Being familiar with the song and dance steps avoids starting from scratch, which makes learning the dance a little easier. Once your guests hear the music and see your moves they will recognise what you are doing and be hugely entertained, the atmosphere will hit the roof!
Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire – Watch Kate & Duncan’s Bollywood-style first dance
Timeless
A classic, sophisticated dance is perfect for couples who don’t want a big showy number, but something elegant and romantic – Ideal first wedding dance choices for this are foxtrot, rumba and waltz. As not all styles can be danced to all songs, we recommend that couples choose their song foremost and then their choreographer can teach the appropriate style. It’s best to avoid the disappointment of choosing a style, only to learn that there aren’t any songs you love with an appropriate beat! Traditionally a first dance is a waltz, but unfortunately there are very few modern popular songs with a waltz beat.
Watch a classic first dance waltz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe8ynuOiNVY
Prop-tastic
Using props is a great way to add personality to your first wedding dance. Consider sports equipment, hats, masks and musical instruments. We once choreographed a first wedding dance for a couple who loved to play hockey. We used hockey sticks as dance canes for a ‘Fred Astaire on Broadway’ flavour. The groom even used his hockey stick as a seat for his bride to lift her and twirl her around.
Watch the video of Rob & Dion get their party started with the ingenious use of glowsticks!
First wedding dance with a twist
Your first dance is a great opportunity to get your wedding guests into the party mood and choosing an upbeat song is a great way to encourage everyone onto the dance floor. You can twist, swing or jive, get funky with hip hop or flirt with Latin styles. This sort of first wedding dance can be strenuous and isn’t suited to restrictive wedding gowns, so a costume change is the ideal solution and a great reason to chose another beautiful dress or short evening gown for your special day!
Watch Julia & Craig rock and roll first dance and check out Julia’s gorgeous first dance dress
Surprise!
A first dance surprise makes your wedding very memorable indeed! Mash up your first wedding dance by starting with a slow romantic song, a rumba is ideal, lulling your guests into the idea that you are just doing a standard first dance. All of a sudden disaster strikes when your CD screeches to a halt…. But then SURPRISE! Suddenly the bride and groom break out a crazy dance routine to a song the guests would never imagine being used for a first dance! This type of first dance works best when the two songs completely clash, creating a fantastic surprise dance mash-up!
There are many great examples of surprise surprise dances on YouTube and in our opinion this is the best as it shows the three essential ingredients for a great first dance, being effective choreography and a well rehearsed dance, which in turn results in the most important aspect – confidence!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiw-Kqtlr0
Wedding Day Dance UK specialise in first dance lessons, providing dance lessons for a couple’s first wedding dance. Their lessons are private, professional and available in all UK locations, one of their experts will even teach you in the comfort of your own home. You don’t need any previous dance experience and lessons are scheduled for dates and times that suit the Mr & Mrs to-be.
