Wedding Preparation

Nothing gets a wedding reception off to a fun start better than a fantastic first dance. No matter what your style- from classy and elegant to wildly entertaining- Mary will work with you to create a first dance that captures your personalities and will have your guests raving for years to come. Her first dance choreography has even been featured in the Wall Street Journal and on several viral video shows.

Booking

In order to schedule a private lesson, please call Mary at (323) 828-2420. Time and location will depend on your availability and location as well as studio and instructor availability. Most private lessons are booked a week or more in advance, however same day appointments are sometimes available.

Currently, well fitting KF94, KN 95, N95, or higher rated masks are required for in person private lessons. (If you need any special accommodations regarding masks, please reach out to Mary about your situation and we’ll find a solution.)

Online private lessons and/or a hybrid of in person and online private lessons as well as outdoor lessons are also available.

Payments can be made by cash or check.

Services Available:

  • First Dance choreography

  • Choreography for the Father/Daughter Dance, Mother/Son Dance, Bridal Party Dance, & more!

  • Fun and easy group dance lessons at the reception to get guests on their feet

  • Choreographed routines by professional dancers to entertain your guests at the reception

  • Professional dance couple(s) to freestyle to the band or DJ’s music at your reception

  • Professional dancers to dance with guests during the reception.

Out of town wedding? Dancers are also available to fly in for your big day.

Gift certificates are available and make great wedding gifts!

How Many Lessons Will We Need?

Private lessons may be purchased on a lesson per lesson basis or in packages of five or ten lessons. Most couples who are preparing for their first dance purchase a package of ten lessons. If you want choreography for your first dance and to learn the basics to some other dances. I recommend purchasing two sets of ten lessons.

Cancellations

If you should need to cancel your lesson, at least 24 hour voice notification by phone is required. You must speak to Mary or leave a voicemail at (323) 828 – 2420. Neither text messages, faxes, nor e-mails count as notification. If you cancel less than 24 hours prior to your scheduled start time, you will be charged the standard fee for a private lesson.

Picking Your Music

Look for a song with a medium tempo. Often people make the mistake of picking an extremely slow song. Really slow songs are sometimes even harder to dance to than really fast songs. If it makes you want to move, it’s probably a great song to dance to. If it makes you want to grocery shop or take a ride in an elevator, it may be too slow.

Don’t be afraid to pick a song that isn’t a waltz or foxtrot. The song should represent your personality as a couple. I have choreographed great first dances that were to R&B, rumba, salsa, tango, pop, cha-cha, hustle and musical theatre songs. What matters most is that you love the song. If you love the song, it will show when you are dancing. If you are having fun while dancing then your guests will love the song too, no matter what the style.

Featured Dances

Often family members and friends of the engaged couple also want to take dance lessons in preparation for the big day. It is very common for parents and members of the wedding party to take dance lessons prior to the wedding. Usually anyone with a featured dance (Father-Daughter, Mother-Son, Parents of the Brides or Grooms, etc.) will want to take some private lessons together or get special choreography prior to the wedding day. A fun way for members of the wedding party to prepare for the celebration is to take semi-private dance lessons (three or more people) together.

Mother/Son Dance

“I Hope You Dance” – Lee Ann Womack
“A Song For Mama” – Boys II Men
“When a Boy Falls in Love” – Sam Cooke
“Wind Beneath My Wings” – Bette Midler
“Because You Loved Me” – Celine Dion

Editing Your Music

For your first dance remember to “KISS” (Keep It Short and Sweet). I tell all of my clients to edit their music down to 1.5 to 2 minutes- at most. You will be surprised at how long that seems when all eyes are on you. When you watch professional ballroom dancers competing on television, do you notice how they fade their music out after about a minute and a half? Five minutes of the same song gets boring to watch even when you are watching professional dancers. The last thing you want is for everyone watching to be grinning politely through their teeth thinking, “Is this song ever going to end?”

Before I begin editing a song, I always print out the lyrics. This gives me a better understanding of the structure of the song and alerts me to repeated words that I can splice together to make a cut mid phrase. When possible, I like to use the real beginning of the song and the real ending. Usually I cut out a big middle chunk so there is only one cut in the song. Most often I tack on the ending mid word, towards the end of the second phrase. For example, if the song is written in anAABA form, I will usually edit it so that it’s goes AA. I use the free user friendly program Audacity to edit all my music. 

Editing Your Music

For your first dance remember to “KISS” (Keep It Short and Sweet). I tell all of my clients to edit their music down to 1.5 to 2 minutes- at most. You will be surprised at how long that seems when all eyes are on you. When you watch professional ballroom dancers competing on television, do you notice how they fade their music out after about a minute and a half? Five minutes of the same song gets boring to watch even when you are watching professional dancers. The last thing you want is for everyone watching to be grinning politely through their teeth thinking, “Is this song ever going to end?”

Before I begin editing a song, I always print out the lyrics. This gives me a better understanding of the structure of the song and alerts me to repeated words that I can splice together to make a cut mid phrase. When possible, I like to use the real beginning of the song and the real ending. Usually I cut out a big middle chunk so there is only one cut in the song. Most often I tack on the ending mid word, towards the end of the second phrase. For example, if the song is written in anAABA form, I will usually edit it so that it’s goes AA. I use the free user friendly program Audacity to edit all my music. 

Coaching Your Partner

Never correct your dance partner. Your partner will take direction much better from the professional who has been hired to teach the two of you. Most of the time your partner knows they made a mistake and just needs some practice to get it right. If you are repeatedly having the same problem in rehearsals, privately ask your dance instructor to work on it during your next lesson. Have fun and do your best to make your partner look good.

When to have the “First Dance”

Your first dance should be done as soon as you arrive at your reception. Have the DJ introduce you and go straight for the dance floor. An exciting first dance can set a festive tone to the night and serve as a conversation starter for guests who don’t know each other. It is tradition that no one is allowed on the dance floor until the happy couple have had their first dance together. Having the first dance at beginning of the night opens up the floor for cute flower girls and adorable ring bearers to freely twirl around while their parents are finishing their meals. Also, it’s always best to have the first dance done before the champagne kicks in.

Ideally, you will purchase dance shoes for your first dance. Dance shoes are light weight, stay securely on your feet, permit you to fully point your toes, and allow you to twirl with grace and ease. Women’s dance shoes are available in white satin. While most brides buy shoes that match the color of their bridal dress, most dancers buy dance shoes that match their skin tone. For dancers, it does not matter what color dress they are wearing, they will wear flesh colored heels in order to have a beautiful, long, and uninterupted leg leg line.  This long line factor is not as important if your wedding dress is covering most of your legs. White satin dance shoes can be dyed any color. Most dance shoe stores have satin swatches that have been dyed in every possible skin color. You can compare the swatches to your skin to find the dye that is your best color match. They also sell the dye right there in most dance stores.  Dying is easy to do at home, but some dance shoes stores will also do it for you. If you dye your shoes to match your skin tone, you can get lots of use out of them on your future dancing date nights.  

Wardrobe Tips For Brides

I recommend you remove your veil before doing your “First Dance”. If it is long, it may get caught under your partner’s hand on your back. 

When is comes to hem lines, err on the side of being too short. Also consider buying dance shoes for your first dance that are a bit taller (but not so tall it’s harder to dance in them!), than the shoes you wear to your dress fitting and for the rest of your wedding day. This will lessen the odds of you tripping on your gown. Depending on the cut of your gown, you may need to hold the skirt during parts of the dance like Cinderella at the ball with Prince Charming.

At your fitting, try doing your choreography in your dress. Are you able to walk backward without stepping on the dress? How big of a step can you take in it? How wide can you open your legs? Can your partners legs pass through yours or will tight fabric be in the way? Show your choreographer a picture of your dress at the beginning of your first lesson or as soon as you pick it. Let them know about any potential problems you may have dancing in the dress. The choreography can always be altered to accommodate the gown. Practice in a skirt with a similar cut to your wedding gown and in comfortable shoes with the same heel height as your dance/ reception shoes or the actual shoes you will be earring for your first dance, if possible.

When should we start taking dance lessons?

Now. Seriously. You can’t start dance lessons too soon. Starting sooner does not nessisarily mean you’ll need to buy more lessons. (However, once you see how fun they are, you may decide to do just that!)  Starting sooner gives you more time to practice what you learned between lessons so that your lessons are more productive. ( 5 hours of practice per hour of private dance instruction is ideal, but please don’t feel any pressure if your schedules don’t allow for that)

There are a lot of wedding preparation things that will need to be done in the weeks and months before your big day that can’t be done in advance. Unexpexted problems pop up at the last minute that need to be handled. Dance lessons are something that can be done early.  Do schedule at least 1-2 lessons for the weeks right before the wedding if possible so your instructor can do polishing on your routine, make any  last minute adjustments that are needed, and so that the choreography is fresh in your mind.

Starting  sooner takes the stress out of the situation. If you start sooner you will be more prepared than if you start later. Being prepared will make you more confident and the whole process will be a lot more fun. Although your first dance may turn out equally great if you start early or if you procratinate to book that first lesson, there can be a big difference in your experience and feelings as the wedding approaches. It’s the difference between being super anxious about how the dance will go or being super excited to share your dancing because you know you are going to nail it and it will be a big hit with your friends and family.