Wedding Dance Series Part 1: Pick the Best Dance Style for Your Wedding Song
If you want to pick the best dance style for your wedding song, there’s a lot to consider.
Whether it be your first dance, parent dance, or bridal party routine, consider these things when making your decisions:
First, make sure you know ALL possible options.
You’d be surprised at how creative you can get with matching a dance style to your wedding song. Some Afro-Latin dance styles are great for both popular music and their specific cultural music. Some examples would be Bachata, Kizomba, and Cha Cha. They’ll be a great match as long as the song is slow to medium tempo and in 4/4 timing.
Waltz songs have a 3/4 time signature and might lead you to believe that your options are limited to Waltz only. However, that is not the case! Hesitation Canter timing can be used to adapt dances with “Quick Quick Slow” rhythms to Waltz music.
At Urbanity, we have dance instructors trained in Ballroom, the Afro-Latin styles, and everything in between so you’ll have all possible partner dance styles presented to you!
Second, consider what you’ll dance most with your partner in the future.
Your wedding dance training doesn’t have to be limited to just your wedding dance. Learning to partner dance is a skill you’ll be able to use for the rest of your life! You can use it as a date night out, or date night in with candle light and no shoes! It can also create an opportunity to show off at your company Christmas party or other weddings! You can even use dance as way to exercise together.
Ask your dance instructor how each dance style is used socially, what type of music the dance is usually danced to, and what settings is the dance style appropriate for.
Third, know the vibe you want.
There’s a tendency to resort to generic song suitability when picking a dance style for your Wedding dance. This can make the experience impersonal and not as fun. If you want to pick the best dance style for you, it’s important to consider your personalities and the vibe of your event as well! The best way to do this is to know the descriptors, or the “vibe”, that each dance style represents. For example:
- Waltz = elegant, romantic, and sweeping.
- Foxtrot = old-school “jazzy” feel.
- Brazilian Zouk to John Legend’s “All of Me” = flowy and sensual.
- Brazilian Zouk to “Let’s Get Married” by Jagged Edge = urban and edgy.
Schedule a free 15 minute consultation with our wedding program specialist! During your virtual meeting, we will discuss your wedding song options and what dance styles make a great match. We will present video examples for each dance style and answer any questions you have. We look forward to getting to learn more about you and your Wedding Dance Vision!