Award Winning Engaging Affairs Event Planning Endorses TWDS!

Award Winning Event Planners at Engaging Affairs surprised us with this lovely review on their blog. We are so flattered that one of their consultant Sara chose TWDS to prepare her and her husband for the most sacred dance of their lives! Here is their blog review:

There is a lot of debate among my couples about whether or not to take dance lessons for their wedding. I'd say most intend to and more than half actually do it. I think dance lessons are a great idea and can be a fun prewedding activity. That being said, if one person is dead-set against it, then dragging them through the lessons will not be fun. Better to stand and sway than to have one person gritting their teeth through the dance.

But if you are both willing to try, then go for it! Guests love when couples have a fun first dance complete with spins and dips. And I love seeing the excitement on couples' faces when they finish their dance and get wild applause.

We love the folks at The Wedding Dance Specialists because, well, they specialize in teaching couples to do a first dance. Even in one lesson, they will have you dancing more smoothly! Our own Sara and her now husband took lessons through The Wedding Dance Specialists and danced like pros. Sara says that they are living proof that anyone can be taught!

I also love that The Wedding Dance Specialists work with you on selecting a first dance song and have a list of appropriate songs on their website with clips so you can listen to a bit of the song. As the folks on American Idol will tell you, song selection is important. There is nothing more awkward than realizing halfway through a first dance that the lyrics are totally inappropriate.

So check out The Wedding Dance Specialists and get dancing!

Here is a link to the Engaging Affairs Bridal Bubbly Blog which is full of creative ideas and great advice on event planning!

Why Learn to Dance?

You’ve made a big investment in many aspects of the wedding day that will only last one day. Learning to dance is a small investment in your relationship creating lifetime memories -- an actual skill useful at future special occasions. Dance lessons are the most fun and romantic time a couple can have during the wedding planning process!  And couples tell us that the First Dance is the most sentimental moment of the reception.

Many couples are realizing the importance of expressing their unity and growing closer through this unique learning experience. They are seizing the opportunity to shine on the dance floor while personalizing their celebration through their own creative expression. For these insightful couples, the First Dance is often the highlight of the reception, and the most vivid wedding memory guests take home with them since actions speak louder than words.

There are lots of aspects of the wedding that can be outsourced - - the bakery, the caterer, the florist, the event planner. There are two vital components that only the couple themselves can execute in order for a wedding to be valid and authentic - - their vows and their First Dance. The public and legally binding vows verbally profess the couple’s intentions to be supportive and loyal to each other. The First Dance is the first marital act that physically proves a couple’s ability to be supportive of one another. By exercising teamwork and patience during private rehearsals and ultimately for public display, the couple “moves as one” on the dance floor and a promise is sealed and delivered.

With a little preparation, you can turn the most sentimental moment into the most memorable moment!

Dance Tip: Posture

Being nervous and insecure tends to show in one's posture. When a couple is dancing in front of a crowd and clinging to each other with their heads down and shoulders rounded, onlookers are reminded of their high school prom. Wedding dresses and tuxedos always look their best when you stand up straight with your shoulders back, neck straight and chin held high. Therefore, whether you are walking down the aisle, exchanging vows during the ceremony, or dancing, maintain an erect posture and look each other in the eye. This not only looks better, but is one of the vital techniques for effective leading and following.

If you need help improving your posture while on the dance floor, let us help you! You'll see the difference even in one lesson! Contact us at (703) 626 - 7016.

Dance Style: Merengue

The Merengue is one of the most popular latin dances and the national dance of the Dominican Republic, and also to some extent, of Haiti. There are two popular versions of the origin of the Merengue. The first story alleges the dance originated with slaves who were chained together and, of necessity, were forced to drag one leg as they cut sugar to the beat of drums. The second says that a great war hero was wounded in the leg during one of the many revolutions in the Dominican Republic. He was welcomed home with a victory celebration and, out of sympathy, everyone dancing felt obligated to limp and drag one foot.

The Merengue is a spot dance, meaning it doesn't move aroundthe dance floor so it is ideally suited to small, crowded dance floors. Merengue is a fun dance with simple steps so it is easy to learn quickly and the "1-2" march-like rhythm makes it a favorite throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and South America. It is the perfect dance to learn for those planning a honeymoon in any of these regions of the world. The Merengue was introduced to the United States in the New Y ork area and like the other Latin dances is here to stay. You can merengue any night of the week in any Latino bar in the area.

Song Examples of Merengue:
"Suavamente" Elvis Crespo
"The Cup Of Life" Mark Anthony
"Lets Get It Started " Black Eyed Peas

Dance Tip: The Dance Floor

‘Traveling’ dances such as Foxtrot, Tango and Waltz require a larger floor, whereas ‘spot’ dances like Rumba and Swing can be danced comfortably in a very small space. Arrange for the MC or DJ to announce that guests should remain along the perimeter to respect your dancing space, maximize everyone’s visibility and allow the photographer and videographer adequate angles for good footage. Below are some dance floor tips:

1. If the site has a wooden or marble floor, make sure to leave a minimum of 10x10 section for dancing. If the reception site is carpeted, usually a portable floor is available for rent.

2. Avoid encouraging guests to toss petals, rice, bird seed or confetti on the dance floor as they can make the floor slippery when dancing. If you want to include this for dramatic effect, orchestrate it as a grand finale gesture and then have the floor swept before further dancing occurs.

3. Make sure that the dance surface is swept and completely dry.

4. Ensure that you have adequate space to dance before approaching the floor for your first dance. Request that the DJ or band director announce, “Please gather along the edge of the dance floor for the couple’s first dance.” Another solution is to pre-arrange for the entire wedding party to subtly hint to your guests where to stand by positioning themselves along each side of the perimeter of the dance floor outlining where the guests should fill in the space. Since many people do not really dance, the assumption is that you don't need any room and the well wishing guests will sometimes crowd around you. Aside from feeling a bit claustraphobic, not enough dancing space can also compromise the quality of your video and photography footage.

Why Learn to Dance? by Deborah Joy Block, National Wedding Dance Expert

You’ve made a big investment in your wedding day. Learning to dance is an important investment in your relationship creating lifetime memories — wonderful for the wedding and a skill useful at future social events.

Dance lessons are the most fun and romantic time you can have during your wedding planning process! Shine on the dance floor and make your first dance the highlight of the reception: SPARKLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

Your wedding album and video will impress when your first dance is well choreographed. We will teach you how to romantically dance as a married couple with dignified decorum avoiding the "high school prom sway" or "bump and grind."

Unlike flowers, cakes, and decorations, you cannot outsource the first dance. You and your loved one will face the music and dance confidently after lessons with us.

The First Dance is your first presentation to the world of your teamwork, partnership, and unity as a married couple.

Shall We Dance?

Movie Review: Shall We Dance?

Watching dance movies can be educational and inspirational at the same time. This movie is certainly not a new release but if you haven't seen it, then it's still new to you right?! This version is a spin-off from the original Japanese version.

Richard Gere stars as John Clark, a man with a wonderful job, charming wife (Susan Sarandon) and loving family who still feels that something is missing in his life. Every evening on his commute home, John sees a beautiful woman (Jennifer Lopez) staring with a lost expression through the window of a dance studio. Haunted by her gaze, John impulsively jumps off the train one night and signs up for dance lessons hoping to meet her.

While John proves just as clumsy as his equally clueless classmates on the dance-floor, he nonetheless falls in love with dancing. Struggling to keep his new obsession from family and co-workers, John feverishly trains for Chicago’s biggest dance competition. His friendship with Paulina blossoms, as his enthusiasm rekindles her lost passion for dance. With his wife becoming suspicious and his secret about to be revealed, John will have to do some fancy footwork to keep his dream going and realize what it is he really yearns for.

If you live in the DC metro area and want to learn how to ballroom dance click here to visit our website.

Choosing An Instructor

What is the difference between a wedding dance specialist and a general ballroom dance teacher? Your goals. One of the problems with selecting a standard dance studio or instructor is that they view wedding couples as "lost leads." This is because the wedding couple has a short term goal - - the wedding, which does not usually lead them to take very many lessons. Keep these facts in mind when you call or go into a studio:

Experience of the instructor: Since wedding couples generally purchase small packages (less than 20) many studios have their most inexperienced instructors teach the wedding couples. Our instructors have been specially trained for the unique needs of wedding couples and are all competition or performance level dancers. Dance lessons are as important as any other service you might hire for your wedding. You have every right to ask how long your instructor has been teaching. Would you want to hire a chauffeur who just moved to the area, got his license last week and has never driven the limo before?

The Teacher: The personality, demeanor, image, teaching style are all important factors to consider when selecting a dance teacher. Just because they are good dancers does not guarantee that they will be good teachers. The teacher must genuinely enjoy working with beginners and ideally have compassion and understanding of the unique pressures that wedding planning involves.

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