Choreographed first dance - worth it?

[SusieQ79]

Hey all,

I've been kicking around the idea of dropping a few hundred bucks to have our first dance choreographed and taught to us. DF and I both agree we really don't want do the "middle school shuffle" and would prefer something more upbeat and swing-y....but we have two left feet, so we'd need some help from a pro.

Did any of you go that route, and if so, did you feel it was worth it?

 

[princess lil]

We haven't had our wedding yet, but DF and I have been taking lessons they've been great. So worth it already! They've actually become a fun "date night" since we don't have a lot free time anymore, and DF didn't feel like he could even keep a beat before, much less dance, and now is feeling much more comfortable and confident. We're looking forward to surprising our guests and the lessons paying off just on the dance floor the rest of the night, too. There is no way we could have taught ourselves, so I would definitely recommend lessons if they're in the budget Good luck

 

[lurkyloo]

We took swing lessons from a local instructor who charged something like $12 a session for group lessons, and from just a few months of those we were able to put together enough moves to make our first dance memorable. Like you, I was so not into the Middle School Shuffle! Plus it gave us a fun date once a week!

 

[kharmagirl]

DF and I felt the same way. We started taking dance lessons in June. We've been doing private lessons once a week and then go to group lessons once or twice a week. It's not cheap at all - but we are having a lot of fun. We had our instructor choreograph a tango and a swing for us that we will do, one flowing into the next. It's a bit ambitious but she felt we had plenty of time. We now have 3 weeks left to practice and learn the last of the dance so we think we're going to schedule a long afternoon. I highly recommend it though. As the other poster's have said, it's a lot of fun and one of the few chances we get to do something together every week. We definitely plan on continuing with lessons for a long time to come...

 

[sambycat]

We didn't have dancing, but I think some low key lessons ala carries experience would be fun, build confidence and be something fun to do together!

 

[jshora]

Both me and my DF are amateur ballroom dancers. So, for our wedding reception in October we are doing a full choreographed Viennese Waltz to "Once Upon A Dream". I'm so excited about it I could burst! She even has us ending the routine very similarly to how they are dancing at the end of the movie. I'm not going to lie, it's costing us an arm and a leg. For us, it's worth it.

I usually suggest to people to not go with a fully choreographed routine unless a) you have the money to throw into it, b) you have the time/dedication to practice and memorize it, and c) you already have dance experience. It takes a lot of work and if you are not already a dancer, then you are learning new moves and trying to memorize how they all work together. I know from my competitions, unless you have it in muscle memory you usually end up forgetting a move or two and then you get frustrated trying to pick things up. Unless you have the skills to improve your way through it.

My suggestion is to take some dance lessons and pick out a specific dance you like (triple swing, single swing, west coast swing, waltz, tango, foxtrot, salsa, rumba, hustle, ect). If you want something fun and flashy, I usually suggest a swing. If you want something fun and classic, I usually suggest a Tango or Foxtrot. If you want something slow and romantic, I usually recommend a Rumba or a Waltz. If you have music in mind, bring it into an instructor and they can tell you what type of dance would go best with that music. Then, one the day of your dance, have fun! Take all the different moves you learned together and just dance with each other.

 

[SusieQ79]

Thanks so much ladies, I'm sold.