Make Your First Dance Something To Remember
One of the sweetest traditions of a wedding is the first dance of the newlyweds. But this can also be quite a nerve-wrecking thing for the bride and groom, especially if they are not dancers. Unless you are professional dancers, you shouldn’t expect your first dance to be a spontaneous masterpiece: it should be a well planned, practiced and choreographed dance, and this is how to make sure it’s just perfect:
Research and get inspired
There are so many different styles of dance; the only option is for you to start researching. Look at different first dance videos, ask around with your friends and family, and see what is out there. You can go for a standard, timeless English waltz, a retro quickstep or jive, and even something completely modern and contemporary. However, while looking, make sure you don’t fall in love with someone else’s interpretation of the dance, but rather try to imagine yourself performing it. Does it suit your style and your abilities and will you feel good doing it?
Get the pros involved
Nobody is born knowing how to dance. It is a skill that is trained and developed over time, but if you never learned to dance while you were younger, you might feel like you are completely clumsy and uncoordinated. But you have to remember that all of that is just a lack of practice, and the best thing you can do is enroll in some adult dance classes that will help you get your rhythm in check. Your best bet is to go through a series of group classes to learn the basics of dancing, and work privately with a choreographer to make your vision come to life. Start early, get enough practice in, and most definitely practice by yourselves at home, and not just in class. With an activity as fun as dancing – why wouldn’t you?
Pick the perfect song
Music is one of the most emotionally stimulating arts, and we all have songs that hold special places in our hearts. Set one evening aside and make a playlist of all of your favorite songs. Make sure you include all the songs that have special meanings for each of you, and songs that you both love. Then listen to the playlist and see what songs feel right. Make a selection that consists of two to five songs and take them to your dance teacher. They will be able to tell you which songs work well for what you want, and which should be saved for another occasion. If you are having a live band, make sure you tell them the song choice well in advance, so that they have time to rehearse it, and ask them to notify you if they will make any changes to the rhythm or tempo.
Plan the scene
The first dance is not only about the dance itself. It is usually the first entry of the couple and the first steps they take together as husband and wife. For this reason, it is important to not only plan the dance, but the entry and exit, and all of the props. Will you walk in, hand in hand, while a smoke machine covers the floor? Or will you enter the room on the opposite sides and meet in the middle for a swift twirl? And when the dance comes to a close, should your guests then join you on the dance floor, or will you walk to your table and wait for the speeches to finish until you reopen the dance season?
Your first dance will be a wonderful memory for both of you, and even if you forget your steps, step on each other’s toes and completely go off-beat, you will still smile when you look at each other and laugh at the beautiful time you are spending together. Make sure the dance is video recorded, so you can watch it again down the line and remember that moment from your special day.
By Georgia Selih
