Please consider the following when planning your first dance.
1. DRESSES & GOWNS and COIFFURE
This is without a doubt one of the most important considerations that we take into account when we plan your choreography. When it comes to what to wear for your first dance, every one is unique in their desire. Some will wear their wedding gown while others will change clothing for the dance and reception. If you choose to wear your gown, be prepared to discuss with your choreographer/instructor the details of your dress. Length, hems, trains, sleeves and fullness will all effect the style and steps of the dance that will be done. This in no way means that your dance will be less glamorous, but it allows us to take your gown into consideration early in our planning stage.
If you plan to change clothing for your dance and reception, we will also need to know it's general cut and styling. Please let us know early as many details of the dress as possible. We want you to look your best, and we want to create your dance to compliment you in every way possible.
... To enable ease (and safety) of stepping/moving backwards gowns should not drag on the floor or have backs that are longer than the front. If your dress is designed this way, discuss methods of securing the back off of the floor for your dance with your dress supplier.
...If purchasing a dress to change into, consider freedom of movement as well as style. Floor length gowns need room to allow you to take steps. If you can easily stride in it, you can dance in it. Remember to move in all directions, not just forward when testing a dress. The modesty factor is also a consideration that you may want to take if choosing a shorter dress.
...COIFFURE. Ladies, your hair styling may also be a factor where your dance routine is concerned. Let us know if you plan on having your hair piled, or if you will be wearing any headpieces such as a tiarra, as this will effect your over all height in relation to your partner.
2. SHOES
...Wear and practice in the shoes that you plan on dancing in. Different styles and heel heights will effect your dancing. A difference of practicing in a 3/4 inch heel and performing in a 1 inch heel will effect your balance and your height to your partner (case in point...my partner and I have worked on a tango move that involves tapping our toes together behind in the air us as we do a certain figure. One class we were breaking in different shoes, of different heel heights, and while demonstrating this move, a move that we've nailed a thousand times, we missed the contact. A 1/2 inch made the difference between a beautiful move and a total miss!). Your instructor will talk to you about shoes and offer suggestions.
3. VENUE
...When you book of confirm your venue, ask if you can take a 1/2 hour when they are not busy to have a quick rehearsal of your routine. This will allow you to get a feeling of the room, and most importantly, a feel for the floor. It allows you to get your bearings as to the best starting point. It allows you to see how sticky or slick a floor is (a sticky floor isn't dirty, it is a floor that is slow, more difficult to spin or turn on whereas a slick floor is fast, like dancing on ice. This is not something that you want to discover your first time on the floor!). Most places should be happy to allow you a bit of time, or you can use the set up/decorating time to take a spin or two. Remember to bring your music and shoes!
...We will also take into consideration of the general set up of your tables. This tells us where your guests(audience) will be located in relation to the dance floor. There's little sense in having you perform to the DJ or a blank wall! We will also make allowances that your photographer/videographer have the neccessary space to manuver to capture your special dance. Often our clients will have us show up at an event to talk to the Dj and photographer/videographer to let know of any special information regarding music, or poses that may occur, or as in events such as cotillions, where we may have trained 24 dancers in a routine, where the debutante will be located on the floor during different dances.
...Your instructor will inquire about the location of your venue on your first meeting. This allows us a chance to visit it well in advance and get a good idea of the layout and the particulars of the dance floor. Your choreographer takes into account ALL of the aspects of the performance, we don't just show you some steps!
4. OTHER DANCES & PRACTICE
As stated in our wedding packages, we will make every effort to teach you some steps in other dances to allow you to feel good on the floor for the rest of the night. Please bear in mind that this is an option, as some couples will want to spend all of their time perfecting their first dance.
...as you get comfortable you will want to practice your routine on your own. As much as we encourage that, please stop when you reach a point where you are unfamiliar with the steps or have forgotten the routine. It is better to wait for the next lesson than to practice & ingrain something incorrect.
...if you get frustrated on a step that you're working on at home, take five. Realize that everyone learns at their own pace. What seems difficult now will be a breeze in the future. As well, there will be one class where you and your partner will be frustrated, and the previously learned steps will be forgotten and new steps seem impossible to catch onto...don't worry...this is a normal part of the learning curve. This usually happens in your 3rd or 4th class; boom -you hit a wall. Once this drop in the curve is over, your lessons will pick right back up and you'll be dancing again, usually better than before!
...note that our choreography is not carved in stone. There are times when for one reason or another a certain step or figure just doesn't work. Usually a change in the routine can be made on the spot and if somethings not working or seems uncomfortable for you, we'll do our best to make suitable changes.
5. MUSIC SELECTION
On of the first things that we will need to know is the music/song that you will want to dance to. The sooner that we have this information the better. Your choreography begins with dissecting the music, listening to the ups & downs, tempo changes, beat count, personality of the music, and any other factor that makes the music danceable. One song takes hours just to get to the stage where steps are actually put to it. The routine is then put together from the minds eye to paper. Following this it is put to the floor by my partner and me to make sure that everything fits. The dance has spent at least 6 - 10 hours in production before it is even introduced to our clients!
...the longer your song the more choreography you'll have to perfect or the more figures you'll have to repeat. Most dances we prepare are from 1.5 - 2.5 minutes in length. A typical routine on Dancing with the Stars runs 90 seconds. Many couples will start a song, but end their routine before it ends. We usually end with the couple "striking a pose" and have the music fade out. As well, if the song doesn't have a hard ending (ending directly on a single note or phrase) slight errors in timing can be accommodated.
...if you're unsure of the music or dance that you'd like, your instructor will be glad to offer suggestions.
6. FIRST MEETING
We usually arrange to meet with our clients over coffee before you make any commitments. This allows us the opportunity to get to feel comfortable with each other as we will be spending some quality time together. We'll talk about choosing a dance, and music, as well as other subjects that will enable us to prepare the best possible dance routine that we can. Everyone that we meet is unique and we will work with you to create a dance that expresses the importance of your day while allowing your individual personalities to shine through. copyright 2007 g.e.pocha/studio g
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