First Wedding Dance Styles | Jive & Swing

18/08/201712/02/2020 AlisonLoveofDance

Get the Wedding Party Started with a Swing

Swing dance styles are the more fun, vivacious dance styles to suit more up-tempo tracks – great first wedding dances to to get the party started. There are many types of Swing Dance, including Lindy Hop, Charleston, Jive and Rock N Roll created in the 1920s-50s to accompany swing style jazz music.

Heres a throwback photo to one of our jive parties we taught at for a regular social dinner and dance!

Jive for example is classed as one of the international latin styles of dance. It came from the US in the 1930s and has a bit of a retro vibe about it. Your first dance song doesn’t have to be from these eras – here are some songs that we think perfectly fit Jive and Swing dance:

Happy – Pharrell
Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
Candy Man – Christine Aguilera
Sing Sing Sing – Benny Goodman
Do Your Thing – Basement Jaxx

Social Jive Dance basic steps consist of two slow steps on the spot and then a ‘quick quick’ rock back and forward. These styles don’t travel around a dance floor, although the size and energy of movements that can go towards the spins and sometimes jumps and lifts (for those feeling really adventurous!) can really eat up the space. The steps should be light and bouncy and the upper body is free and responds to the usually jazzy and lively music with an air of showmanship and lots of smiles!

We’re not just about weddings. TLOD has also taught Jive and Swing dance parties for many occasions such as birthdays and commercial party events. Taster sessions in any dance style are a fun way to help guests get up to their feet and onto the dance floor. Your guests get mingling whilst learning some basic steps too – well we don’t want them feeling left out of the dancing action!

First Wedding Dance Styles | Salsa & Rumba

16/08/201712/02/2020 AlisonLoveofDance

Bring Your Sauce to the Dancefloor with the Latino styles

Salsa

If you want to bring a bit of sauce to your first dance or maybe your first dance song has a bit of latino flavour, Salsa is a good style to throw some dynamic moves into your routine. Originally from Cuba with African and Spanish influences, and developed further in South America and New York too, this dance style is sure to bring a bit of fiesta to your day. A style of dance that can also transfer to many dance floors together, once you have some basics under your belts. Salsa can be entirely spiced up with the full on latino hip swank, it can be fun and energetic, sensual, or tamed down according to your preference to become a stylish first dance. There are many different types of Salsa, depending on the country or region of origin – e.g. Cuban or New York cross body style. Your teacher may specialise in one, two or many styles thus influencing the footwork and floor patterns you will learn.

Dan & Jo. Photo (c) Kirstin Prisk

Songs to suit Salsa:

If You Had My Love – Jennifer Lopez
Fly Me to The Moon – search the salsa version on Youtube
Suavamente – Elvis Crespo
Sway (There are many versions of the Dean Martin original. Bublé does a cha-cha version. Have a search on Youtube for the many different versions.)
Have a listen to the Buena Vista Social Club album.

Quite often you may find Salsa covers of popular songs – worth a search through YouTube for the options!

Rumba

Just like Salsa, Rumba has flexibility to be as camped up Strictly Come Dancing/competition style or smoothed out to be a little more relaxed. A little more intimate style than salsa, Rumba suits many modern popular and jazz standard songs on the 4/4 tempo, with a prolonged, slow first step and two percussive quick steps. The song doesn’t necessarily have to have latino flavour.

Some of our favourite song examples that suit the Rumba are:

Can’t Take My Eyes off You – Andy Williams/Franki Valli
At Last – Etta James
The Way You Make Me Feel – Michael Jackson
My Baby Just Cares for Me – Nina Simone

Here’s Amie and Alex’s First Dance using the Rumba footwork. Watch out for the sustained first two beats to the bar.

First Wedding Dance Styles | Waltz

16/08/201712/02/2020 AlisonLoveofDance

As part of our daily guide helping you choose your First Wedding Dance style, will it be a Wedding Day Waltz?

Originating from Germany, the characteristic flowing rise and fall of the Waltz offers an ethereal, graceful quality when bride and groom dance in their wedding day finery. Another of the more classic, romantic and formal styles of ballroom, which will suit songs that are counted in a 3/4 time signature. Three beats to the bar means three steps in a basic Waltz footwork pattern.

Body Control

Couples dance in closed hold and you’ll see from the video example below the man/the lead have a strong, proud air to their poise, remaining lifted in the chest, whilst the woman/the follower may arch backwards. There is minimal movement to the upper body, aside from the dancers’ upper body leaning slightly to follow the turn of the head towards the left or right shoulder.

First Dance Lesson (c) Mike Edwards

Travelling Patterns

Social Waltz steps usually travel anti-clockwise around the dance floor, and in a ballroom with many other partners dancing, couples will move to the centre of the floor to perform steps on the spot. The usual rules of course can be stretched for your first wedding dance, so that the floor patterns can travel in any direction, or that posture can be more relaxed.

The Music

There are different types of Waltz dance, as there are many forms of the music. Traditionally classical composers such as Strauss, Chopin and Brahms wrote Waltz scores, and now more modern popular songs using the 3/4 time signature can also be danced to, such as;

Come Away With Me – Nora Jones
Kissing You – Des’ree
Kiss From A Rose – Seal
If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys

Here’s a beautiful Waltz from a Strictly Come Dancing moment, performed to Des’ree’s Kissing You. Just like something out of a fairytale.

Tips to Feel Fit and Fab for your Wedding

03/09/201512/08/2020 AlisonLoveofDance

The way that our busy lives go these days, sitting at a desk Monday to Friday 40 hours a week or so is the norm for many, and is a recipe for creating bad habits that can stick for a lifetime.

During your first wedding dance you may want to achieve a statuesque posture as you glide around the floor. You may already be blessed with this, but if you wish to improve your posture, here are some tips for how to strengthen your alignment through your fitness regime. These fitness activities are popular with the pro dancers and will perfectly accompany and compliment your The Love of Dance first dance lessons.

Personal training – your personal trainer will advise you on exercises that will focus on strengthening and training the muscles in direct reference to the dance lessons. Try TRX Suspension training – it’s a bit hardcore, but suspending yourself from specially designed ropes, using your body weight to create the resistance works a treat for creating tone and definition, rather than bulk. Iona from Train Heal Breathe (THB) is a great outdoor fitness instructor based in London who tailors your programme to your requirements.

Check out the Special Offer with THB!

>Special Offer: We’ve teamed up with Train Heal Breathe who are offering 15% off personal training to The Love of Dance clients (see below for info!*).<<

Train Heal Breathe: PT for men and women

Yoga or Pilates – strengthens the muscles in the back, focuses on posture and also helps with the vital relaxation and breathing you may wish to practice in advance of, and on, the big day. Also good for brain training to help with coordination on the dance floor!

Swimming – excellent for strengthening the arm and back muscles to draw the shoulder blades down the back. Try some Aqua-aerobics too. Even if it’s not a class, you can create your own exercises in the pool. Treading water and moving your arms with the same action as if using weights offers effective toning to all areas of the body, especially if you can use floats and woggles (the tube shaped floats) too.

General dance classes – obviously! Your gym might offer a street class or many community centres offer classes in lot of styles, and most dance styles focus on strength of posture.

Alexander Technique – use this in conjunction with your fitness programme. Helps you to identify and correct bad habits like slouching, or to improve your technique in virtually anything you want to master!! Here’s a summary about Alexander Technique Summary and help to find certified teachers here.

Get the right fitness programme for you and maybe a bit of advice from an expert in each field about a programme to help you achieve your goals. Maybe consider getting your friends/bridesmaids/spouse etc involved, to make your sessions more enjoyable with a bit of bonding whilst your at it. You CAN have fun whilst getting fit. If you feel great in yourself you’re going to feel even better in front of your guests!

Work out with friends for more fun & to make sessions with THB even cheaper!

*Train Heal Breathe SPECIAL OFFER: 15% off Personal Training for TLOD clients! Get a small group together and you will reduce the cost per person even further. Contact Iona for more info on Facebook, or visit her website here.

If you’ve got any injuries or physical health problems make sure you seek advice from a physician or an expert about your fitness regime before you try any new physical activity.

Enjoy Every First Wedding Dance Step

28/07/201512/02/2020 AlisonLoveofDance

First Dance Performance Tips

You may get a bit hot under the collar thinking about your big day; all eyes will be on you for most of it. You’ve rehearsed your first wedding dance many times over in the privacy of your dance lessons, but you still have to think about all your friends and family and loved ones watching you do it next. Here are some first wedding dance tips for you on your wedding day, taken from the professionals, to help deal with your performance nerves…they may help further than just getting you through your first dance!

Breath deep

Take deep breaths and learn how to calm yourself in advance of your wedding. A bit of mindful practice if you will. Practice this with your partner so you can help each other through the day. Maybe a signal or something between you when you need it to trigger a relaxation mode – or maybe just a glance at each other will be sufficient!

Dance in your mind

Imagine yourself going through the routine in the reception room. Even better, get a rehearsal in your reception room if you can be for the event. This will prepare you mentally as you picture a crowd around you, and also physically so you can get used to the floor you’ll be dancing on. Listen to your first dance song on the tube, close your eyes and imagine any little detail you can about where your guests will be, which end of the room you will be facing, which part of the routine happens in which part of the floor.

Stand like a pro

Put yourself in the mind of a professional – adopt that cool calm exterior of ‘gliding’ through the routine. Hold yourself tall, practise the posture you’ve trained yourself for through the dance lessons throughout your day and it will instantly give you an air of assurance – even if you don’t necessarily feel it inside.

Don’t be a perfectionist

Don’t worry about being step perfect and relieve yourself from the pressure of thinking it has to be! Most of your guests won’t be aware of your first dance lesson preparation! They’ll already be really impressed that you’ve done that much. This is not a grand world premiere at the Royal Opera House (unless you want to treat it as such), and any slip ups you might make through the first dance will probably just be endearing if you know how to have a good old laugh at yourself if it happens.

Prepare yourself during the lessons for the eventuality that things may go wrong. Know how to revert back to the basic step, which you’ll work on through your dance lessons, or how to not panic if it falls apart. No one in your audience will know the routine so you can pull the wool over their eyes if it doesn’t go as planned.

See the ‘Practice Makes Permanent’ blog for tips to hard wire your dance steps into your muscle memory! Couples who have practiced in advance of their event report they feel much calmer doing so.

Relax your face

Think of the dance as a conversation so you engage your facial expression too. Talk through the dance with your partner or sing the words once you can switch off from concentrating on your feet. You can decide how much to ‘camp’ it up – or not – but this will give you a bit of focus for your face!

Where to look

Who you focus on when dancing is down to character. You may be quite happy to look out into the audience and smile and enjoy the reaction on the faces of your friends and family, but if you think that might put you off you can focus on your partner for the most part, and then try looking over the tops of the crowd’s heads. The distance between you will mean they’ll never have to know you’re not looking at them!

Overall prepare to have fun! ‘When you dance the purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way.” Wayne Dyer

Remembering this will hopefully help you remain calmer and reduce the anxiety if you prepare for any little hiccups.

Perfect Practice from Caroline & Tim

09/07/201512/02/2020 AlisonLoveofDance

Continuing our theme of Practice Makes Permanent this month, meet Caroline and Tim.

They started their first wedding dance months in advance of their wedding, and practised regularly. We held their final dance lesson in their wedding venue – The Priory Barn in Little Wymondley. We recommend this final practice in the wedding venue to all couples. The floor wasn’t very gracious – uneven flagstones, but you wouldn’t expect anything less from a beautiful, 16th c. barn, and this helped them to familiarise themselves with the geography(!) of the floor.

The extra practice paid off, and the result was an elegant, effortless first wedding dance. Congratulations to you both!

Caroline & Tim (c) Jackson & Co Photography 2015

Caroline & Tim’s First Wedding Dance (c) Jackson & Co Photography 2015

Practice Makes Permanent

26/06/201514/04/2023 AlisonLoveofDance

Plan your first wedding dance in advance

I’m a glass half full kind of person, so to put a twist on the age old saying this is my version:

Succeed in your planning and expect success. Simple. I’m sure this resonates with your wedding planning through and through. Ultimately we all want to look and feel great and confident on our special day and no doubt you’ll have started planning your fitness schedule. If having first dance lessons is also somewhere on your to do list, because you want to achieve a little more than just a predictable shuffle round the floor, move it forward in your planning now and give it the same priority ranking as your fitness plan!

Practice makes Permanent

I’ve refrained from using the other well know phrase; ‘practice makes perfect’. The Love of Dance teachers try to release pressure for couples by reminding them that the first dance should be about having fun and relaxing. Leave the perfection to the ones who are going to be judged at international dance comps…unless that is what you are aspiring to, then who are we to stop you?

I do recommend aiming for permanence though. Whilst first dances don’t need to be physically demanding, our bodies need time to absorb movement information into the muscle memory. You’ll have no trouble picking up movement sequences, but that beautiful Rogers and Astaire posture and grace we see from ballroom dancers doesn’t happen after a couple of lessons. It is practised to become second nature so that by the time you reach your first dance moment your steps will feel more natural and you certainly won’t be concentrating on posture any more. Get in the habit of holding yourself tall and your guests will be so blown away by the confidence you omit, they won’t care what your feet are doing!

Similarly, as much as some may like to think they are John Travolta on the dance floor on a Saturday night, as a professionally trained dancer, I know the process our brains and bodies go through to really give a confident and relaxed, rehearsed performance.

Performance: It’s a big word I know, but don’t let that put you off. As you will be dancing in front of your adoring public (friends and family!) throughout your first dance, for around 2 minutes of your lives, you will effectively be ‘performing’! Start working on your first dance in advance, if you want to start to hardwire the posture, steps and confidence into your muscle and cognitive memory. The further in advance you start practice, the more confident you will feel during the dance. (Blog to follow on tips to prepare for, and relax during your first dance).

Give it time

Without the luxury of a lot of time on our hands amongst busy schedules we appreciate it isn’t maybe feasible to have weekly dance lessons, and you may find in the early days you can only fit in one lesson per month…but closer to your big day, your schedule is going to be squeezed even further. Brains can only retain a certain amount of information pumped into them when only given short periods of time to learn dance. This then has to soak into the muscle memory before the rest just starts dropping out the other ear.

Practising over a longer period however will ensure the cerebellum (the part of the brain that controls movement) has time to remember different bits of information and start piecing together the jigsaw of the different skills needed to be able to dance e.g. the steps, the posture, the leading/following of the partner. This article explains how we make movement intuitive and permanently fixed in our psyche, so we can relax as those dance steps and strong posture start feeling like second nature. (ironically called practice makes perfect!). No. 1 Reason Why Practice Makes Perfect. This article talks about the benefits of learning over a period of time: The Science Behind How We Learn New Skills

Scheduling your first dance lessons?

By starting earlier there won’t be any last minute panic, stressful, ‘shotgun’ wedding dance lessons, which we see quite often and clients leave maybe even a little less confident about dancing than when they first started. Try reversing the shotgun schedule: more frequent lessons at the start, no less than 4 months in advance. This will mean that wedding planning mania sets in closer to the event, whilst your mind is working overtime thinking of everything else you need to be doing, you only need to manage some last minute polishing and rehearsal sessions with a more relaxed frame of mind.

So remember: plan ahead and plan for first wedding dance success. It’s failsafe.

First Wedding Dance: Safiya & Alan

19/04/201512/02/2020 AlisonLoveofDance

A lovely little photoshoot by photographer and all round good guy to know in Wanstead, Mike Edwards. He captured this shotgun First Dance Lesson with Safiya and Alan, who got married shortly after their lesson.

Check out Mike’s Wanstead and surrounding areas book ‘Shelf Life‘.