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First Dance,
First Thought?
by Jillian
Forbath,
Our Wedding Dance
Wedding couple dance instruction is a hot topic these days for brides and
grooms-to-be alike. Not only have the movies been eager to portray their
stunning stars doing tricky tango walks, racy rumba rubbings, and sweet swaying
waltzes but in real life the stars are hiring professional dance instructors to
put that finishing touch on the long-neglected first dance for their own mega
weddings.
The
first dance is not often the “first thought” of the very busy bride with the
very long to-do list! The bride has got so much to keep track of that the first
dance duties these days are actually being taken over by the groom. After all
it is the groom that leads the dance so it is not surprising that he should want
to lead something special and elegant to show off his lovely new bride!
What follows is a brief interview between Orange
County professional ballroom dance instructor, Jillian Forbath of Our Wedding
Dance, who specializes in wedding couple instruction -- and bride and
groom-to-be Michael and Gloria.
***
Jillian: Welcome, I’m
so glad to meet you both and I’m happy you could come today to watch one of my
lessons. What did you think?
Gloria: I think it
looks like fun. I’ve always wanted to dance and this seems like a good excuse
to learn! Maybe we can even learn some salsa or swing!!
Jillian: Your first
dance is a good opportunity to learn the life-long skill of couple’s dancing.
This is something the two of you can do together all your married life – on your
honeymoon, on a cruise, for that corporate Christmas party, or just for fun on a
Friday or Saturday night at your local night club. Yes, I’ve had a lot of
wedding couples learn the basics of salsa, swing, or cha-cha in their wedding
package instruction for a special wow! at their receptions.
Michael: I don’t
really dance – at least, not like this, will I be able to do it?
Jillian: I tell all my
grooms-to-be that this is going to be very liberating for them! By that I mean
that the man leads the steps and choreographs to the music what he would like to
do. Often the men turn out to enjoy the lessons even more than their eager
ladies since they are in control! And of course you can rest assured that there
is practically nothing we ladies like to do more than dance: you’re going to be
gaining lots of brownie points!
Gloria: We’ve watched
your couple tonight and they seem so good already; I think over the phone, you
said they were on their third lesson? Michael and I would like to know how you
start teaching us our first dance and can we look that good in just a few
lessons?
Jillian: Yes, Becky
and Darryl are coming right along and they’re having a great time doing it. In
fact they give each other “high fives” every time they get a step right!!
To start the process, I work
with the man to help him to see that he is in control of the lead and work with
the lady to help her to feel comfortable following his lead. The lady needs to
dance on her own and really move out of his way so that the man may dance on his
own as well.
We get out on the floor right
away and start learning the basic elements of dance; walking steps. Next I work
on the dance frame because it is very important that the dancing couple learn to
keep their posture and work together in their frame. Then we learn tips and
tricks so the couple can successfully keep from stepping on each other’s toes.
If you are willing to put in some time practicing the steps I give you, you will
experience wonderful results in a relatively short amount of time.
Michael: Wow, this
sounds great – she does everything I tell her to?
Gloria: Michael!!
Jillian: Well… I’m
talking about on the dance floor. (wink)
Michael: Darn! What
if we don’t have a lot of time – our wedding is just three weeks away.
Jillian: How much time
you put into your lessons determines your comfort level on the dance floor the
day of your wedding reception. If you have three weeks we’ll use three weeks,
if you have three months; even better, we’ll use three months. Feeling
confident and capable on the dance floor can come about fairly quickly with some
simple steps and practice. Of course becoming absolutely proficient is a
wonderful long term goal as well as a fun and healthful one!
Gloria and Michael:
Ok, we’re ready, when do we start?
Jillian: Let me look
at my book and schedule you a convenient time to accommodate your very busy
pre-wedding and work schedules. I’m available evenings and weekends as well as
during the day and work out of this lovely art deco ballroom in Newport Beach.
How about tomorrow night at 7pm?
Michael: Great! What
do we bring?
Jillian: Please wear
shoes similar to the ones you’ll be wearing for your first dance and bring your
first dance music on cd. If you don’t have a song we’ll toss around some titles
and listen to some of my music, but I’d prefer you to choose your song since
then it will have special meaning to you both. After all, your first dance is
your very own expression of your love for each other as husband and wife!!
***
Jillian can be contacted at
(949) 400-7347. Her website is
http://www.ourweddingdance.comand her email address is
jillian@ourweddingdance.com Our Wedding Dance
has first dance packages to fit every budget that range from 3 - 10 hours of
instruction to several months as well as a 30 minute instructional video tape
for purchase over the internet.
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