Wedding Dance Tips
Copyright 2003, 2004 Philip Seyer
When to start dance lessons. Start your wedding dance lessons as soon as possible so you have time to practice. Starting early also helps you adjust for possible schedule conflicts with your wedding dance lessons.
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Get out dancing whenever you can. A good opportunity is the twice
monthly Argentine Tango Parties at Tango By The River in Old Sacramento.
Free practice sessions in Argentine tango are available on Thursday in Sacramento at:
Argentine Tango & Meditation
Sunrise Unity Church
4440 Marconi Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95821
Private Dance Lessons, Sacramento
Phil is available for private dance lessons in the Sacramento - Roseville area in California. You can reach Phil at 916-772-7555 or send him email.
San Francisco Dance Lessons
In San Francisco, call Ken Delmar. 415-468-8000 or visit his San Francisco Argentine Tango website
You may also want to see:
Picking a song for a wedding dance.
Preparing for a wedding reception dance party.
Creating your own wedding web page.
Wedding Dance Lessons,
Sacramento, Roseville
Wedding Dance Tips
(For dance lessons in the Sacramento Roseville
area,
call Phil Seyer, 916-772-7555)
Wedding Dance Song. Pick a tune you both love. Make sure it has a good beat. To check this, try to clap your hands to the music. If you are unsure how to clap, then the beat is probably very weak. You may want to pick another tune. Before making a final decision, consider checking with your dance instructor. He can help you pick a tune that's good for dancing. Some tunes are very sweet, but they don't have a good beat and don't lend themselves to enjoyable dancing. Sometimes the beat may drop out for a while in the middle of a song while the mood changes. That's OK. Your instructor can show you how to handle that change for a wonderful dramatic effect. If the beat changes tempo (speed), it doesn't mean you can't dance to it, but dancing to that kind of music will take more practice. In the final analysis, though, if you both really love a song, your instructor can always make you look great dancing to it.
Length of the song. Avoid songs that are longer than 3 minutes, unless you plan to really practice a lot. The longer a song is the more steps you will need to learn to keep it interesting.
Dramatic moves. Learn some dramatic moves that are easy to do. These steps don't require fancy footwork, but they will *look* great. The moves will make great photos and videos. Don't be shy. You will really enjoy showing and viewing these pictures for years to come.
Dance Floor. Check out the floor you will dance on. Make sure you know its dimensions. Some styles of dancing (like Foxtrot) require a bigger space. Other styles like nightclub two step don't require much space. 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.
Entrance and Exit. Ask your dance teacher to show you how to present yourself when making an entrance. Also ask him for a routine to do as the music draws to a close. Along with the dance steps, you may want to start and end with a kiss.
In addition, plan where on the dance floor you will enter and exit. See Phil's article on planning a wedding reception dance for ideas on what to do after you finish dancing with your mate. For example, will you invite everyone to dance or use the traditional Father dances with bride routine, etc.
Let your photographer and videographer know details about your dance: where and when you start. Where you will exit and what dance routine you will do at the end of the song. If the photographer knows, for example, that you will do a certain dramatic step, he can be ready to capture it. A dip is cool move that looks very romantic and it's easy to do once you know how.
As you dance you will be turning and facing different walls. Be sure to plan (and tell photographers) which wall you will face for the dramatic finish. This will help them posiion themselves for the best photographic angle.
Practicing. Practice at least twice a week besides your private lesson. But don't just practice at home. Go out dancing at local ballroom or go to an Argentine tango dance party . Do that and you'll feel comfortable and look your best for your wedding dance.
Choreography. Learn to lead and follow so that you can just dance and not worry about doing choreographed (planned in advanced) steps perfectly. Mix choreographed steps with lead and follow steps. Learn to "fake it" if you forget some steps. No one will know the difference if you learn good lead and follow skills.
Who will Lead? Decide who will lead and follow. Today it is no longer always HE leads and SHE follows. If you are a beginner, you may want to stick with the traditional "he leads" mentallity, but be aware that as partner dancing evolves this is changing. If you have time and work at it, you might enjoy developing a routine where the lead is exchange during the dance! Whoever does lead, remember this gem of wisdom from Ken Delmar: the leader's purpose is the follower's pleasure. Often the follower gets a lot of pleasure from clear, simple romantic leads. They don't always have to be difficult, fancy steps. Leaders, remember this: if you do your job well and give the follower pleasure, just maybe she will reward you for it!
Fear. You may have fear about taking dance lessons. I know I certain did when I first started, especially with group lessons. But private lessons are different. Your instructor can adjust the lessons to your ability and help you master the basics and learn to dance in a hurry. You will find that dancing is a lot of fun and a very healthy activity. but it is more than that! As you learn to move as one to the music, you will find it exciting, mesmerizing, and that it brings a lot of joy into your heart.
When to start dance lessons. Start your wedding dance lessons as soon as possible so you have time to practice. Starting early also helps you adjust for possible schedule conflicts with your wedding dance lessons.
***
In the Sacramento / Roseville area, Phil Seyer is available for private
dance lessons for couples or small groups. You can reach him at 916-772-7555.
In San Francisco, for wedding dance lessons
call Ken Delmar at 415-468-8000.