1. Shock and amaze your family and friends who never knew you were able to dance.

2. Spend romantic, quality time with your fiance during the sometimes stressful wedding planning process.

3. Your First Dance will be something that’s remembered and talked about for years to come.

4. Dancing will be something you can share for the rest of your lives together.

5. Dance lessons provide exercise and can help you shed pounds before the wedding!

For more information about Wedding Dance Lessons in Orange County, visit: http://www.bellaballroom.com. Call us at 949-287-4149 or email: info@bellaballroom.com

Orange County Wedding Dance with Bella Ballroom!

This is a very fun article about finding your perfect first dance song for your wedding:

Photo: G.E. Massana 

Wedding Songs: How to Find Your Song

Got a first dance game plan? Here’s how to select a slow dance that suits your style.

DANCING TO A DIFFERENT DRUMMER: THE NEW FIRST DANCE

Gone are the days of rocking back and forth for wedding dances. Perhaps inspired by “Dancing with the Stars,” couples today are learning more intricate routines for first dances to wow guests and express themselves.

The first dance is important because it kicks off the second part of the wedding, explained Hayes Kolb, owner of the San Jose-based Sugar Rhythm Dance, who teaches couples in their homes throughout the Bay Area. Couples can use their song and dance to set the tone of the reception, as well as to show off for friends and family.

“I truly believe that if the couple takes the time to learn a dance … it’s a gift back to the guests,” Kolb said.

Typically, couples choose a song a few months before the wedding and bring it to a dance instructor who choreographs steps for them. They practice several times before the wedding to make sure the details are flawless from the walk-on to the dramatic conclusion.

Most first dances are waltzes, fox-trots or rumbas because those are the dances that suit popular love songs, according to Kolb.

“People enjoy dancing to the standard dances because they want to dance to a song that will be around for years,” he said.

Such songs include Big Band classics, jazz numbers and soul music. 

The waltz, fox-trot and rumba are also easy to learn. All three have simple basic steps plus many variations that can give the dance a special flair, such as twirls, spins and dips.

Some couples decide to buck the trend, however, and opt for an upbeat cha-cha or a dramatic Argentine Tango. Kolb currently is teaching one couple a complete Paso Doble, or Spanish bullfighters’ routine, for their wedding in Spain. Another couple wanted to learn an Argentine Tango with an extreme death-drop dip at the end.

“It brought the crowd to its feet,” Kolb said.

Couples in recent years have attempted to fool their guests into thinking they were doing just another slow dance, then break dramatically into a waltz or cha-cha, he added.

Some couples may worry that a choreographed dance routine might look stilted, said Christine Blanton, owner of Renaissance Ballroom in San Francisco.

“Couples don’t want to look too stiff and choreographed and ballroomy,” Blanton said. “They want to be more relaxed and have fun.”

One way to prevent stiffness is to focus on style rather than memorizing footwork, said Frank DeFelice of Crystal Ballroom in San Jose.

“We put a lot of emphasis on appearance and style, not just steps. People should be able to express their personalities, not just rock back and forth,” he said.

Ideally, couples begin lessons three months prior to their wedding date, DeFelice said. Kolb said he’s worked with couples who started a week before their wedding, but agrees that more time is better.

“It is an art, and art takes a little bit of time to do well,” he said.

Blanton suggested that couples choose an easy dance like a fox-trot unless they have plenty of time to practice or previous dance experience.

Kolb and Blanton warned against brides putting too much pressure on their fiances.

“Girls can dance, and they want to show off at their wedding, but their grooms (might) never have danced,” Blanton said. “Remember, you can dance, but you’re asking your poor fiance to dance something he’s never danced before.”

Kolb added that keeping it simple is key to relieving stress before the wedding.

“You could take some of the most basic patterns, but if you’re smiling and your feet are in the right place, you’re looking good,” he said.

Written by Megan Rowe- Special to the Town Crier

4/8/2009

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) – AP

WASHINGTON — Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough aren’t engaged, but the country singer admits that performing with his girlfriend on “Dancing With The Stars” could be good preparation for a wedding day dance.

Wicks and Hough have been dating for nine months and are paired together on the show. On Tuesday’s episode, after the pair finished their dance, he got down on one knee, sparking a bit of engagement buzz – show host Samantha Harris even asked Wicks if he had anything to announce to the audience (he said no).

While the two might not be planning a wedding, when asked in a recent interview if he considered “Dancing With the Stars” good training for a nuptial dance, he said: “I don’t need to go on a show to train with her, but I don’t fight that question at all.”

Wicks said before the ABC competition, the only wedding dance staple he knew was the electric slide.

“When you go to weddings, and you hear ‘It’s Electric,’ I’m that guy. I go out there. I start it off,” he said.

But not anymore.

Wicks has now performed a waltz, a salsa, a foxtrot, a lindy hop and a Viennese waltz on the show with Hough.

The singer calls himself “a total goof ball,” but said both he and Hough are taking this competition very seriously. Hough has already won “Dancing With The Stars” twice with other celebrity partners.

“This time it’s a little more personal,” Wicks said. “We’ve got a lot riding on this. I want to prove to her that I can do this, and I think, vice versa.”

And Wicks admits that the exposure he’s getting on the show is a huge opportunity to win over new fans.

“Let’s face it, a lot of people have no idea who I am,” said Wicks. “So this is a great way to say, ‘Hey, this is what I do. I hope you like my music, and I hope you like the way I can try to dance.’”

–Orange County Wedding Dance–

5 Reasons to Take Dance Lessons for your Wedding:

1.     Shock and amaze your family and friends who never knew you were able to dance.

2.     This will be your first time in the spotlight as a couple.

3.     Your dance will be something that’s remembered and talked about for years to come.

4.     Dancing is something you will share for the rest of your lives together.

5.     Be a Princess and her Prince Charming. 

Welcome to the Orange County Wedding Dance blog!

My name is Jennelle Wax and I am the proud owner of Bella Ballroom Dance Studio in beautiful Orange County, California. http://www.bellaballroom.com. Our studio is the premier place for Wedding Dancing in Orange County!

I’ve created this blog to share my experiences as a dancing instructor and studio owner. I’ll be posting fun articles and videos, tips, my teaching experiences, and answering questions about Wedding Dances and Ballroom and Latin dancing in Orange County, Southern California and beyond! This will include tips and advice, articles, information about salsa dance lessons in Orange County, wedding dance lessons, swing dancing, tango lessons, Dancing with the Stars, and more! I’ll be sharing advice based on my many years as a dancing instructor in Orange County. This is to be a resource to both experienced dancers and to those who have never stepped foot on a dance floor (and maybe feel they or their potential partners have “two-left-feet.”) I’ll be making frequent updates, so check back often!

Thanks for visiting Orange County Wedding Dance!