Staging a wedding dance? in [2019] – independent lessons (at home), video on how to stage

One of the most touching moments at a wedding is the first dance together of the newlyweds, cementing them as legal spouses. Staging a wedding dance is a popular service, and many turn to professional studios, but even those couples who are far from choreographic art can learn simple movements without the help of teachers, impressing guests at the celebration.

This is quite a difficult task, so you will need to be patient with yourself and your partner, and success can only be achieved with inexhaustible diligence and a positive attitude.

Tradition of the newlyweds' number

Any wedding consists of modern canons and many old customs that have survived to our times in their original or modified form. The first dance of the newlyweds is also a long-standing tradition, which has been found in various interpretations since the times of the ancient world.

Among the Slavs, for example, newlyweds danced within a common round dance, and the first prototypes of the modern wedding waltz arose during the reign of Peter I.

It was the beautifully choreographed wedding dance of the newlyweds during the grand balls that opened the gala evening. Initially, it was a classic waltz, but gradually new variations began to emerge, and now the bride and groom can choose any direction they like.

To some extent, during this stage of the wedding banquet, the newlyweds express gratitude to the guests for their presence at the celebration and warm wishes. However, the main role of the first wedding dance number is the expression of the spouses’ love for each other without words , only with movements and emotions. This is a touching and romantic moment that tells the story of a couple from the moment they met until the wedding.

Interesting! Read about how to decorate and make your wedding dance more vibrant and memorable, as well as which wedding dance to choose – tango or waltz.

How to prepare a speech yourself

Previously, the dance at weddings was classical - the newlyweds danced the waltz, without trying to surprise their guests with complex movements. Nowadays, many people want to make their celebration original, so extraordinary solutions are becoming more and more common. You can make a choice in favor of one dance style or another based on the following points.

Own wishes. The bride and groom can watch recordings of different wedding dance performances to choose the technique they like best.
Characters of future newlyweds. For people with a calm disposition, measured and romantic options are suitable, while bright and liberated individuals can easily perform a fast, fiery and passionate dance.
Physical training. Some dance figures require partners to have at least minimal choreographic skills, and to perform lifts, physical strength is required, both for the groom and the bride.
Time left. Complex movements require a long time to learn. Staging a wedding dance, taking lessons - all this takes time, although the classic waltz is mastered relatively quickly.
Wedding style. It is necessary to ensure that the dance number is in harmony with the overall created atmosphere at the celebration.

A beautifully choreographed wedding dance consists of many nuances. Particular attention should be paid to the physical characteristics of the bride and groom. In particular, you need to pay attention to the difference in height. Ideally, professional partners are selected in such a way that the man is no more than 15 cm taller than the woman, and both are in good physical shape.

The bride and groom rarely meet these standards, so they have to come up with tricks. Depending on all these factors, the production is chosen. The first wedding dance should look beautiful.

Clothes and shoes

During rehearsals and dance performances, immediately put on the shoes that you will be wearing on your wedding day to evaluate the height of the heel and the ease of movement in the shoes. Perhaps it is during the rehearsal that you decide to buy a second pair of shoes - more comfortable for dancing. This, by the way, also applies to the groom.

You should also be careful when choosing clothes. Starting rehearsals in special sports or dance clothes, you should continue them in what you will wear to the wedding. For men, these are trousers and a jacket. It is better for brides to choose a skirt for rehearsals, the length and style of which will match the dress she will wear at the banquet. If the dance is complex, you may need to sew or buy another dress for the dance that will not restrict movement.

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Choreographer

If a man is much taller than a woman, then the dance elements will look harmonious when the partner moves down while the partner remains standing straight. If the bride is taller than the groom, or they are about the same height, then you can use supports in which the girl leans away and the boy stands straight. If rotation of the partner is planned, then it is advisable for the partner to take her in his arms sideways. Lifts and complex techniques are abandoned if the bride has a thicker physique than the groom.

Maria Stoyanova

The Viennese waltz is chosen by those who have done at least a little choreography, even in childhood, because it requires endurance, flexibility and plasticity. Boston is a slow version of the waltz, which is suitable for reserved and romantic people.

For expressive individuals who never sit still in everyday life, passionate Latin American dances are suitable. In this case, you can choose from the following options.

Salsa. This dance combines tenderness and passion. This is the fire, emotions and desire that reign between the newlyweds.
Bachata. The bachata wedding dance routine is similar to salsa, but the movements are more sexy and sensual. Magnetism arises between the partners; they constantly hold hands in a castle so as not to lose the intimacy of the moment.
Paso Doble. It is a dance with strict movements in which the man plays the role of a bullfighter and the woman imitates the red cloth in his hands, matching his movements.
Reggaeton. This is a more modern dance, similar to street dance. Each partner shows their flexibility and ability to move, and then they briefly merge into one, demonstrating the passion that arises.
Rumba. This is a slow and sensual dance, which was originally a wedding dance in Latin America.
Cha-cha-cha. This is the simplest and most playful dance of the entire Latin American program. This is a dance combination of flirting and intimate dialogue with a partner without the help of words.

Another popular wedding dance is the tango, which has different variations - a strict ballroom style, a passionate Argentinean performance, or a Finnish dance that is unusual in its movements. For future newlyweds, staging a tango wedding dance will require more preparation than a waltz, but with the right attitude and diligence, the dance will turn out spectacular and sensual.

For a couple who wants to emphasize tender and warm feelings in their relationship, a foxtrot may be suitable. This is a romantic and elegant dance, characterized by lightness and elegance, softness, grace and freedom of movement, smoothness and agility. Only after repeated training will the bride and groom be able to make the foxtrot the way it was originally intended.

For a celebration in retro, disco or dude style, you can learn one of the dances that were popular in the last century. It can be energetic boogie-woogie, daring rock and roll, crazy Charleston, etc. Future newlyweds can even learn dances from their favorite films of the last century, including black and white ones.

A popular solution lately is a dance mix, which combines several different dances performed to the appropriate music. For example, first the newlyweds dance a classic waltz, then the composition changes, and they pick each other up in an energetic cha-cha-cha, and then perform a sensual tango.

Basic movements

Is it possible to stage a wedding dance at home? Without a professional choreographer, it is difficult for the bride and groom to learn a wedding dance, so to make it easier, you can start with individual basic movements, which will then be combined into a single picture . For example, the basic movement in a waltz is a counterclockwise rotation in a square. On each side of the square there is one large step of both partners and two small ones, while all movements are performed with an even count.

Another simple movement looks like this: the man, continuing to hold his partner with one hand, puts the other behind his back, and at that moment the girl takes the hem of a fluffy dress in her freed hand. Learn about the features of dancing in a dress with a train here. Then the partners take a step towards each other from the right foot and raise their arms up, and then disperse to the starting position, starting with the left foot.

The main movement in tango is a kind of walk. The man holds his partner's hand with one hand and hugs his waist with the other. Then she takes two steps forward with her left foot, and the girl, respectively, takes two steps back with her right. In this case, the second step is not closed, but one leg remains behind the level of the body, followed by two swings back and forth.

Then the man takes one step back, the second to the side and closes the last step, and the woman follows him in the same movements. This is a basic figure, which is then repeated an unlimited number of times.

Interesting!

Duration

It is very important to understand that the first dance is more of a show, because... Dozens of eyes will be looking at you, and the show should not be too long so as not to tire yourself and tire the audience. That is why cut the music for the dance so that its duration is no more than 3 minutes. It should be bright, beautiful and enchanting.

It is important that the dance is within your capabilities. If you decide to stage an original dance, then without special training it will be difficult for you to remember it and perform it without mistakes. Therefore, either take a few lessons from a professional choreographer, or reduce the time as much as possible and abandon very complex movements in order to feel free and calm during the performance.

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Useful videos: examples

How to choreograph a wedding dance yourself? For those who have never done choreography, it is difficult and almost impossible to come up with movements for a wedding dance on their own. You can look for a tutorial on staging a wedding dance. But to avoid difficulties, you can use ready-made solutions from those newlyweds who have already passed this difficult stage.

One of the very successful examples can be seen in the following video: staging a tango wedding dance. The bride and groom organized their own wedding in the style of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, so the girl is wearing a tight black dress with a long slit. The couple dances to Jazmine Sullivan's popular tune "Bust Your Windows."

If the future newlyweds have enough free time before the wedding, then they can learn the classic waltz with lifts that will make it more elegant and interesting. In the video, the couple dances just such a dance to the song “Blind” by the band Hurts, and the surroundings are artificial smoke and imitation snowfall.

Not only classical movements, but also examples from famous films will help you create a dance mix from several compositions. The next video shows the most beautiful wedding dance, the best production of such a mix: the newlyweds first dance a classic waltz to the music of Evgeniy Dog from the film “My Affectionate and Gentle Beast”, then make a link with a lasso movement and perform various dances to popular music, for example, from the film “ Pulp Fiction" to the song "You never can tell" by Chuck Berry, from the movie "The Mask" to the song "Hey Pachuco" by the Royal Crown Revue, etc.

Rehearsals

To stage a special stylized dance, it is advisable to contact a professional: dancer and choreographer. Then you will be provided with a good rehearsal base, mirrors, parquet flooring, the opportunity to make a high-quality video and analyze mistakes.

A professional dancer will tell you the correct position of your arms and legs, make your dance effortless and beautiful, see your strengths and highlight them so that your guests will be delighted! You should start rehearsing in advance - first you need to learn the basics of the chosen style, and only then choreograph the dance itself.

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Additional Tips

When preparing a wedding dance, the bride and groom must give each other good motivation, otherwise even a small disagreement can lead to a quarrel and abandonment of further rehearsals. In addition, the following nuances must be taken into account.

Room. The first dance of the newlyweds should be staged after the location of the celebration has been determined. When choosing certain movements, you need to take into account the size of the banquet hall, the arrangement of tables and chairs, floor covering and ceiling height. When staging a wedding dance at home, you should also take these points into account.
Clothes and shoes. This is easier for the groom, since the suits and shoes feel little different from each other, but the bride is less fortunate. If she has not yet managed to purchase a dress and shoes, but rehearsals have already begun, it is recommended to choose an outfit in which it will be comfortable to dance. It’s better to first buy a dress and shoes and only then choose a dance.
Duration of the dance. Even if the bride and groom have perfect, polished movements, you should not drag out the first dance for more than 2-3 minutes. After this, the guests will begin to get distracted and will be impatiently waiting for the newlyweds to finish.
Music. All movements must be consistent with changes in the composition. A change in the motive or the end of the performer’s phrase indicates that it is desirable to change the dance figure.
Singing along. Some couples prefer to imitate singing while dancing, but from the outside it looks ridiculous. The meaning of dance is to express emotions without words, with just movements.

It is best to start rehearsals 2 months before the wedding, and you can train 1-2 times a week. Once the full picture begins to emerge, it is recommended to record the rehearsals on video, so that you can then sort out the mistakes and determine what looks good and what needs to be worked on.

Shoes and clothes should be selected as similar as possible to wedding clothes. For the first time, you can lay out whatman paper with colored traces on the floor to understand what the steps should be. Gradually, the Whatman paper is removed, and the couple can only hone their movements.

The first dance of the newlyweds is awaited by all guests at the wedding, although it does not last long. Usually this stage is planned for the final part of the evening, so it once again demonstrates the love and tenderness that reigns between the newlyweds. Without the help of professional choreographers, it is difficult for beginners to choreograph a dance, but by working together, the bride and groom are capable of much.

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What to consider when choreographing a dance

Room. First of all, attention is paid to the space that will be allocated for this.
If the area is small, then you won’t be able to waltz along it as needed, moving from side to side. In this case, it is more appropriate to come up with some more compact movements. A dance with high supports, typical of Latin and rock and roll, can be ruined by low ceilings in the room. Thus, the bride will not be able to jump into the groom’s arms, which will lead to not all elements being completed.

Floor. The material from which the floor of the hall is made is also of great importance. It will be very difficult to navigate if it is tiled. In this case, you should think about comfortable shoes without heels, which are not suitable for all dance styles.

If the flooring is parquet, then you can safely take figures from Latin, waltz, and retro. But since it can creak, it is better to rub the shoes of both partners with special compounds. Also, when dancing on it, there is a high risk that the newlyweds will lag behind each other due to poor gliding.

Shoes. It is better to exchange the bride's wedding shoes for a spare, stable pair. These can be ballet shoes, models with wedges or heels.

To avoid injuring your partner due to inexperience, it is better to avoid high heels. You should not choose them even when there is a small difference in height between the newlyweds, so that the partner does not end up taller. In this case, it will be very difficult to perform complex choreographic elements.

Guests. The location of the guests must also be taken into account. If the tables are placed on one side, then it is unacceptable for the couple to turn their backs to the audience. Then the steps should be taken from left to right or in the other direction. When placing them around the entire perimeter of the hall, you need to select circular movements so that everyone can see the bride and groom.

Photo and video shooting. Don’t forget about the work of a videographer with a photographer. In order for them to have the opportunity to capture the heroes of the occasion in an interesting and high-quality manner, they need to know in advance about their location in the banquet hall. But usually photography takes place from the right or left side.

Duration. A wedding dance usually lasts no longer than 2-3 minutes. For untrained performers, spinning on the floor for longer will be difficult - they will experience shortness of breath and begin to sweat. It won’t take long for the wedding dress to deteriorate, the style of which also plays an important role in the staging of the wedding dance.

Cloth. If the outfit is too loose, then you can get tangled in it and fall. It will also be inconvenient to support the groom when the bride needs to be circled and picked up.

However, too narrow long models are not an option, since it will be difficult to move freely around the hall in them. This way you won’t be able to repeat either the graceful swings of your legs or the sharp transitions in a waltz. In this case, the dance risks turning into standing still.

A short wedding dress gives complete freedom of imagination, allowing you to fulfill absolutely all the planned elements.