The first dance at a wedding is often one of the most awaited parts of the big event. It’s the chance for the wedding party to relax from the more formal order of the day and for the wedding guests to kick-start the fun.
However, many couples feel nervous and embarrassed about their first dance. From the thought of rocking side to side, staring at the floor or looking at bored guests, the expectation to perform, for some, can start to spoil the excitement of the big day. With guests keenly watching, you want to get it just right. And, it’s perfectly possible that, with some preparation, the wedding dance can become one of the most enjoyable parts of your wedding.
Here’s how you can move from fear to fun!
The pressures of a first dance can be overwhelming for many people, whether they have little or lots of dance experience or even if they normally have bags of confidence. But three small tips can help to get you through it:
Remember, your guests are on your side – focus on enjoying yourselves
Practice makes perfect – learn your dance, let your muscle memory take over and don’t think too hard on the day
Work to your own level – work to a level of choreography that is manageable and comfortable for you.
Do your dance your way
Dancing should capture the joy and celebration of your wedding day. It can be surrounded by loved ones watching you, or it can include your wedding guests. It can be a traditional style dance or it can be a flashmob.
People are very different and so your wedding dance should reflect you and your personality. In other cultures too, wedding dance traditions can take a very different approach. For the traditional Jewish wedding dance, guests dance around the bride, using items such as signs, banners, costumes, confetti, and jump ropes made of table napkins.
Scottish wedding reception parties kick off with the bride and groom dancing a traditional reel. The bride’s second dance is reserved for the person of the highest rank amongst the guests and by the third dance, the newlywed couple are typically joined by their wedding guests. A Sword Dance is usually performed as the last dance and guests then gather in a circle and sing the well known, traditional song, Auld Lang Syne.
Let our team of professional dance artists help…
Whether you have any cultural customs or family traditions, you’d like to follow… or you’d like to have a huge influence on your own choreographed piece, Ludus Dance can help put you in the spotlight, in your way.
Find out more about our bespoke wedding dance packages.
Ludus Dance offers a spacious and light 7 x 15 m mirrored studio space, as well as a smaller, more intimate second studio space measuring 6 x 6.5 m. Built in 1759, this Grade II listed building historically provided a venue for balls and concerts for Lancaster’s elite and raised money to support the adjoining Almshouses.
