{"id":20430,"date":"2024-10-24T12:00:57","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T18:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/?p=20430"},"modified":"2024-10-23T13:00:05","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T19:00:05","slug":"6-tips-for-a-magical-stress-free-wedding-dance-guest-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/2024\/10\/24\/6-tips-for-a-magical-stress-free-wedding-dance-guest-post\/","title":{"rendered":"6 TIPS FOR A MAGICAL + STRESS-FREE WEDDING DANCE | GUEST POST"},"content":{"rendered":"

This lovely week here at your favorite wedding blog<\/a>, we are graced with the skilled and wise Audra Billet from New Mexico’s very own Avant Garden Ballroom Academy and Creative Learning<\/a>. And thank goodness, because we know getting ready for your wedding dance can be intimidating. In this guest post, Audra shares 6 absolutely necessary tips for having a magical wedding dance! And as the owner of Avant Garden<\/a>, Audra comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience, having taught thousands of students in Pennsylvania and New Mexico over the last 29 years.<\/p>\n

So, without further adieu, let’s hear from Audra Bille<\/a>t!<\/span><\/p>\n

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From the venue<\/a>, to the food<\/a>, to the cake…to the infinite list of things you need to do to create your perfect wedding<\/a>…how can you even think about learning (and paying for) a complicated wedding dance? Well, if you utilize these six tips, I promise it will not<\/em> be complicated, you will save money, it will be fun, and you will walk away with a useful and wonderful skill that you can enjoy with your\u00a0 new life-long dance partner!<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. Start Early<\/h3>\n

Even as a professional dancer, my first thought after getting engaged was to find a dress, then the venue and food. The wedding dance is something that I started thinking about\u00a0 later. But for those of you without<\/em> dance experience, just remember that it takes a little time to learn a new skill<\/strong>. If you start early, you will have time to explore music, the types of\u00a0 dances that you would like to do, learn the all-important basics, and make changes if necessary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter if you choose the easiest or most complicated dance, is so much better to learn in the beginning of your wedding planning<\/a>, than at the end, when you feel stressed and\u00a0 crunched for time. Learning to dance is a creative and joyful experience that you will\u00a0 remember for the rest of your lives. If you start early, it will be fun and care free!\u00a0 Furthermore, the earlier you start, you can always plan on something simple, but still have\u00a0 time to add on if you want to…if you start late, you will be limited in what you can do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Estimate How Much Time It Will Take<\/h3>\n

Wedding dances can be as simple as learning an entrance, a basic step, maybe one move, and an ending, like a dip. Many couples can learn this in only about three to five lessons.\u00a0 But even for this most basic option<\/strong>, you should start at least three months in advance, so\u00a0 you can practice sufficiently, and have the option to take a few more lessons if necessary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next level<\/strong> would be to add a few more moves, and to improve the styling. This will\u00a0 generally take about five to ten lessons, and is the most popular choice. For this option, starting five to six months in advance is best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The highest level<\/strong> would be to learn an entire dance style from the bottom up, with several\u00a0 moves and advanced styling, or to learn a fully choreographed routine. This option can take\u00a0 up to a year, or more, so you would definitely need to start as early as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Choose a Trained Teacher Who is Proficient in All (or Most) Partner Dances<\/h3>\n

The very first thing you need to do when you are considering your wedding dance<\/a> is to think\u00a0 about some songs that represent you both, as a couple, in your first dance together. This\u00a0 can be almost anything depending on your taste and unique personalities; and it is one of\u00a0 the first things that you should discuss with your teacher. The song that you choose will\u00a0 determine the types of dances that fit the tempo, the beat, and the feeling of the song. Of\u00a0 course, you can also come in with a style of dance that you like, and then get some help\u00a0 with choosing an appropriate song.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A teacher who is trained in all of the major Latin, Ballroom, Swing, and Country dances, will\u00a0 be able to tell you which dances work for specific songs, and will then be able to teach you\u00a0 that dance. If you go to someone who only teaches Swing, or Salsa, or Country, for example, they will not be able to advise you on the best dance<\/a> for you overall. In this case, you may be persuaded into doing a dance, or using a song, that does not fit your style.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, don\u2019t be afraid to ask your prospective teachers about their own training and dance background<\/strong>. There are a lot of people who call themselves dance teachers, who only\u00a0 learned by dancing socially, in group lessons, or from YouTube videos. Truly qualified\u00a0 teachers have hundreds of hours of one-on-one training with other top dancers, and should\u00a0 be experts in the physics and idiosyncrasies of partner dancing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Avoid Doing a Routine<\/h3>\n

Wait, what? I thought that\u2019s what we were doing?! Well, not necessarily. I actually advise all of my wedding students against<\/em> learning a routine. Learning a dance routine can be\u00a0 stressful, time consuming, expensive, and enjoyment of the dance is very short lived. It can also lead to awkward moments if there are timing or other mistakes that lead to the entire\u00a0 dance being off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So what do we do instead? …actually learn<\/em> to dance<\/a>! Ask your teacher to teach you your\u00a0 dance, so that you can lead and follow each other, and have a general understanding of styling. At such a basic level, this is not very hard to do. You will learn the basic step of the\u00a0 dance that you choose, a move or two, fundamental skills like tension, grounding, leading\u00a0 and following, and some basic styling that goes with your particular dance. What is\u00a0 awesome about this method, is that you will not only look amazing at your wedding, but you will also be able to go out together, and use your dancing skills for the rest of your lives!<\/span><\/p>\n

One caveat…if you are committed to taking lessons<\/a> for a long time leading up to your\u00a0 wedding and want it to be a fully choreographed, knock their socks off show, then go for it, and I bow down to you, you baddie<\/strong>!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Come to Your First Lesson Prepared<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t worry, this is an easy one. First, just come in with an idea of at least 3 to 4 songs that\u00a0 you love. Keep in mind that some songs may be a little too fast or too slow to work well, and\u00a0 some songs may not be compatible with the style of dance that you envision. If you are\u00a0 considering doing a classic wedding Waltz, for instance, this dance requires music in a\u00a0 specific \u00be time signature, and only certain songs will work. Again, any teacher trained in all the major partner dances will be able to guide you through this whole process, and suggest\u00a0 new music if necessary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, wear comfortable and supportive footwear. It is not necessary to have professional dance shoes, but you do need to wear shoes that are secure on your feet, and have some flexibility, e.g. no sandals, clogs, or rigid platform shoes. Simple dress shoes, with ties or\u00a0 straps, or even a pair of sneakers will generally work for the first lesson. After that, your <\/span>teacher can advise you if you need something that works a little better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Consider Your Venue and Your Wedding Attire<\/h3>\n

What type of floor will you be dancing on? Is it outside in the grass or sand? Will you have a\u00a0 dance floor? What are its dimensions? Will you be wearing a heavy dress with a train? Super high Stilettos? Cowboy boots?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All of these things can drastically affect the dance that you choose. Many of these things\u00a0 can be accommodated, but be sure to inform your teacher<\/a> about all of the possibilities.\u00a0<\/span>Another thing that you will want to plan on, is to practice your dance in your wedding shoes\u00a0 and in clothing that approximates the scale and restrictions of your wedding day attire. You\u00a0 don\u2019t want to find out, for instance, that your shoes are too slippery to dance in in the\u00a0 middle of your big moment!<\/span><\/p>\n

In conclusion, start early, with enough time to meet your specific goals; choose a qualified and well-rounded teacher<\/a>; don\u2019t worry about doing a routine unless you really want to; start thinking\u00a0 about music; and consider about anything that may affect your dance. Lastly, and most\u00a0 importantly, have fun! For many people, dancing becomes a life-long source of joy, connection, exercise, enrichment, and stress reduction. Enjoy it!<\/span><\/p>\n

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This lovely week here at your favorite wedding blog, we are graced with the skilled and wise Audra Billet from New Mexico’s very own Avant Garden Ballroom Academy and Creative Learning. And thank goodness, because we know getting ready for your wedding dance can be intimidating. In this guest post, Audra shares 6 absolutely necessary […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":20431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2,13,14,16,23,24,4275,27,1,4682,43,48,49,52],"tags":[4684,4685,4691,4690,4696,2877,4693,4692,4698,4694,2876,4688,4697,4695,2409,3677,4683,4686,4687,4689],"class_list":["post-20430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice","category-elopements","category-engagement","category-events","category-local-wedding-businesses","category-marriage","category-new-mexico","category-planning-tips","category-uncategorized","category-wedding-dance","category-wedding-inspiration","category-wedding-planning","category-wedding-receptions","category-wedding-trends","tag-best-dance-teachers-new-mexico","tag-best-wedding-dance-teacher","tag-bride-and-bride-dance","tag-bride-and-groom-dances","tag-choosing-a-dance-teacher","tag-first-dance-lessons","tag-first-dance-wedding-lessons","tag-groom-and-groom-dance","tag-latin-dance","tag-learn-to-dance","tag-new-mexico-wedding-dance","tag-reception-dance","tag-salsa","tag-spousal-wedding-dances","tag-wedding-dance","tag-wedding-dance-lessons-albuquerque","tag-wedding-dance-lessons-rio-rancho","tag-wedding-dance-teacher","tag-wedding-lessons-new-mexico","tag-wedding-reception-dances"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/dance-lesson-photo-for-wedding-dance-article.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20430"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20430\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20435,"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20430\/revisions\/20435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weddingcollectivenm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}