Your wedding dance:
Choosing a dance studio or instructor
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Your wedding is coming up, and you've just realized you don't know how to dance.
You know that everyone will be watching, and the video is capturing every second -- and (sweat begins to trickle down your back) you really don't know how to dance!
The First Dance has become an important, special element of most weddings, and you don't want to look silly, or have it be boring, but you also don't have a lot of time in your schedules, and money is definitely an issue.
First, don't worry. If you can walk, you can dance.
Next, if you have a special song that you want to use, great; ask someone what the best style of dance is for that song. If you don't have a specific, special song, it won't be a problem - so long as you give yourself a little time. Most dance instructors suggest giving yourself six months to prepare. That doesn't necessarily they mean they are saying you need to take two lessons a week for half a year to do one dance!, but rather starting six months before the wedding will give you ample time to, a) check out the options available to you, and b) comfortably learn how to move together, without feeling pressured and under the gun the last few weeks, when you are juggling a thousand other last-minute things.
Wherever you are, there are lots of options for learning how to dance, but still, choosing a quality Dance Studio or instructor sometimes takes some research and some experimentation. If you shop around and look for the cheapest thing you can find, keep in mind that you generally do get what you pay for - you may be shown a few steps, but you probably won't be learning how to dance, or even how to dance well to your song. And people can tell. Have you ever been to a wedding and watched them move like wooden automations or you could see them frowning in concentration, counting the steps? Yes, they learned the dance, but didn't probably didn't learn anything about how to dance easily together, moving as one unit. Married life is a wonderful dance together through the years, giving and taking, leading and following. Make that First Dance the perfect symbol, memory and springboard for your future together.
Factors you should keep in mind when you are looking: Look for atmosphere. Are the people friendly? Is the Studio clean? What is the instructor's Professional certification?
Generally, just like everything else, students work and learn best when they are comfortable and relaxed.
But the most important factor of all is to be sure that you actually like your instructor!
Always take advantage of Trial lesson offers, introductory lessons which are either low cost or free. But be prepared for the interview afterward, when the instructor or studio presents their comments, observations, and of course the Sales Pitch. After all, the Studio does want to sell you lessons - it has to, to stay in business. But don't let a hard sell trap you - if the Instructor or studio has to resort to being a Used Car Salesman, it may not have a lot of confidence in its instruction.
When you are dancing, remember to always have fun. That's the most important thing. Learning a dance and its unique step patterns and rhythms are just tools you use to make the dancing (communication between two bodies) easier. But it is your dance, whatever you do will be right, so long as you do it with confidence and grace.
Your First Dance! Remember to keep the "learning how" to do it stress-free and fun, so that you can enjoy it!
This article was written by Peter Jones of BallroomNYC
New York City, NY
http://www.ballroomweddingdance.com
info@ballroomweddingdance.com
phone: 917-375 3027
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