You may worry about several factors if you’re investing in a choreographed first dance. Will I be able to dance well in my dress and shoes? What song should I choose? Am I going to fall flat on my face and embarrass myself in front of my family and friends?
We get it – it’s only one of the biggest moments of your life!
Here at Danse L’Amour, we don’t just teach the choreography you see every couple doing on YouTube. We don’t look for precision and perfection in semi-professional students. At Danse L’Amour, we want to nurture practical dance skills and embrace your personality as a couple.
Your first dance is the part of your wedding day that’s the most personal and intimate to you. While there are many ways to showcase your personality and story through your colors, centerpieces, or even the names of your tables, we believe nothing brings us together quite like dance! Dance should be a beautiful expression of your emotions on your wedding day that tells your story as a couple through movement.
That’s why we want to share our tried and true choreography process to help you nail your first dance!
Dance Floor Size
While we want you to book your first dance lessons as soon as possible to maximize your practice time, we always recommend that couples first have an idea of their venue. Particularly, we want to pay attention to the size of your venue.
If you’re having a small, intimate wedding with a small dance floor, you may plow into your guests if your dance includes a big, sweeping lift! For smaller dance floors, we opt for more vertical, smaller lifts and motions, which typically appear more romantic and cozy.
But, if you have a huge dance floor in the space, you may feel swallowed up by the floor sticking to smaller movements. With these dance floors, we have the option to implement big, sweeping movements that will wow a big crowd and take up more of that floor!
Personality
Personality is the most crucial part of choreographing your first dance. Some may say choreographed first dances are tacky, and we’ve all seen the YouTube or TikTok videos of a total “fail” first dance. You don’t want to run the risk of embarrassment or looking “cringe!”
We don’t teach one dance to all our couples and call it a day. We don’t go virality. You can only embarrass yourself if you feel embarrassed doing something that doesn’t feel authentic to YOU!
If you’re typically silly, goofy, and outgoing, it will look forced if you step onto the dance floor with an intimate, laid-back first dance. On the other hand, if you’re more of the romantic type who doesn’t like the center of attention, you may not feel your most confident with an upbeat dance number.
Your first dance is a once-in-a-lifetime moment! Do you want to spend it standing and swaying awkwardly for three minutes?
I thought so! That’s why you need a first dance that’s choreographed for you, really for you.
Read more on the blog about confidence on the dance floor here!
Dance Styles
Don’t worry – you don’t have to be a dance expert to choose a style! When investing in a choreographed first dance, a great instructor recommends a style that first your personality.
While we teach a range of ballroom dance styles at Danse L’Amour, here are some of our first dance favorites to consider!
Looking for options for a Father-Daughter Dance instead? Read more on the blog here!
Rumba
The classic Rumba is perfect for the romantic couple who wants the tempo not too fast, not too slow, but just right! Rumba is an excellent choice for any style of dress.
Hustle
The hustle is for the playful and fun couple that likes to keep it upbeat! This dance style uses sweeping motions that keep you at center stage, making it an excellent choice for the ballroom gown bride!
Foxy
The Foxy is the perfect dance style for the understated, lowkey couple that wants to keep their first dance intimate, romantic, and slow, an excellent choice for fitted dresses!
Did you know that you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to create the moment that fulfills your once-in-a-lifetime vision? We offer low-cost virtual courses by style, with the option to add on a private virtual lesson with our instructors for just $99. Snag yours HERE!
Wedding Dress Styles
One of our most commonly asked questions here at Danse L’Amour: I’m wearing a particular style of dress. Could I still do a choreographed first dance?
The answer is always YES! We always want to highlight the beautiful dress you’ve chosen rather than force you to do movements you don’t feel comfortable doing in your dress.
Tips for Fitted Dresses
Brides with fitted dresses will generally want to stick with vertical motions! Lifts under the booty and dips with flair are often the way to go. These movements sometimes translate to more soft, romantic choreography. But a fitted dress doesn’t mean you can’t have those big, sweeping WOW moments! You can still take up floor space with leans, spins, and arm motions.
Tips for Ballroom Gowns
Brides with ballroom gowns generally want to stick with horizontal movements! Having more room in the legs, we want to create several opportunities for your photographer to catch those gorgeous dress movements, meaning opportunities for twirls, spin lifts, and larger steps! In your choreography, we’ll remind your partner to leave room between you for the dress while keeping intimate moments!
Alternative Options
For any style of dress, we recommend couples practice in advance in their wedding dress and shoes if available. A surprise wardrobe malfunction is the last thing you want on your big day! Practicing in advance allows you to make any adjustments.
There’s also the option of a second dress! While many brides want to stay in their wedding dress all day long, some brides may be more comfortable with a shorter or more moveable second dress. While this isn’t necessary, it’s something to consider within your budget and preference.
Your perfect first dance awaits.
Your perfect dance awaits – just around the corner from dance floor jitters and stage fright! Even if you think you’d never be able to look like the couples on Pinterest, or if it’s been a while since your last cheer practice or dance competition, our instructors are equipped to work with you at any skill level. Our goal is for your dance to FEEL as great as it looks! We believe love stories are best told through dance, and we’d be honored to be a part of yours.
If you want our most transformative experience and personalized support from our expert instructors, we’re ready to help! We currently have locations in Roswell, Marietta, Buckhead, GA, and Nashville, TN. Start the journey here!
Can’t make it in person? You can get the same personalized support from us with virtual lessons from the comfort of your home. Get started today by clicking here!
