Sooo what are your New Year’s resolutions?

… Maybe get married?

… Maybe get some dance lessons?

… Maybe have a fun and romantic first dance?

Thought so

Happy 2012!

Trends for 2012 include keeping that guest list small, going “green” and having the wedding that says “you” all over it…

What better way to say “you” than having a first dance that showcases you and your new spouse dancing to the song that is totally “you”?

Well, if you’ve got that resolution then the time to start is NOW!

A couple of dance lessons getting you both into the lead and follow of it will go a long way toward helping you to feel “oh-so-comfortable” on the dance floor in front of all your nearest and dearest.

Remember first dances can be anything you like them to be… from a friendly twirl and sway combo to a romantic dip and cuddle medley with a sweet kiss here and there.

You can make the dancing go to the song or make the song go to your dancing!

You can showcase the extrovert of the two of you or you can “just dance” and let everyone watch how you smile and have fun with each other.

Whatever you like is whatever we can do.

“Just dance!”

Contact me today to find out more about dance lessons and what you can learn to your special song.  I’ve got lots of song suggestions on my website and in my iPod so don’t hesitate to tell me what you’re imagining and we’ll make it happen.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2012!

Fondly, Jillian

Visit my FaceBook for some fun 2012 trends… “nude” shoes and bouquets are in and of course vintage weddings and “good night stations”…

Happy New Year from Jillian!

It seems like it was just yesterday and I was thinking about presents and cookies and getting my December wedding couples happily on their way to wedded bliss and dreamy dances!

2011 is here!

The start of a new decade and we’re experiencing some cold, cold weather.

So, what better time then now to get that blood flowing and get out on the dance floor and do some dancing to get ready for your 2011 wedding.

I’ve got a couple right now getting married January 22nd and they’re well on their way to a fabulous wedding dance of rumba and tango complete with an awesome dress and long stemmed rose!

Another father/daughter dynamic duo just graduated with a beautiful waltz that will have all the ladies in their crowd reaching for their hankies and the gentlemen green with envy .

One of my December couples decided to even pantomime some of their awesome song with romantic gestures to each other as well as some hot swing and foxtrot moves.  (Their song was “Lucky” by Jason Mraz.)

Lots of brides… and grooms… are getting into the spirit and contacting me about their Spring and Summer weddings right now.

Don’t leave that first dance until the last minute.

Go ahead and take the plunge and email me at Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com and ask me about your song choice or choices and tell me a little bit about what you’re imagining for your beautiful first dance.

Time flies when you’re planning a wedding and before you know it the big day is just around the corner.

With over ten years of experience in the wedding dance choreography business and over, shall I admit to this??? , thirty years as a dancer – you can bet I’ve got a lot of ideas.

Happy Wedding Planning and can’t wait to email with you and start brainstorming about your first dance!

Jillian

OurWeddingDance.com

ArgentineTangoWeddingDance.com

BallroomDanceWithJillian.com

**

PS:  Ok, I can’t resist – here are some of the goodies I baked over the holiday!

Homemade Gingerbread Houses!

]]> http://ourweddingdance.com/wp/2011/01/05/2011-is-here/feed/ 0 http://ourweddingdance.com/wp/2010/05/18/youre-timeless-to-me/ http://ourweddingdance.com/wp/2010/05/18/youre-timeless-to-me/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 20:38:45 +0000 admin http://ourweddingdance.com/wp/?p=369 Every now and then I get a couple who really wants to do something different!

Sandra and Mike were just such a couple.

Read on to find out about their dream first dance.

They loved the song You’re Timeless to Me from the musical Hairspray and decided to adapt the lyrics of it to their relationship and the year 2010, record themselves singing it and come to me to choreograph and block moves and dancing to this almost five minute ditty.

Click here to see this fabulously funny rendition of it on YouTube from the movie with Christopher Walken and John Travolta.

Well, needless to say, after about ten or so rehearsals and a heap of practicing they were absolutely show-stopping!

They mimed movement to the lyrics of their song and in the middle of it danced a full foxtrot, tango AND waltz with zesty abandon.

They said they nailed it and I believe it from all the fun and hard work we put into the practicing.

Here’s their testimonial and a partial video of their amazing 2nd first dance! on their happiest day ever.

**

Jillian!

We had to get back to you to tell you how our dances [they also did a regular first dance to At Last - can you believe it?] went on Saturday!

WE NAILED IT!

We did not mess up at all!  They were beautiful!  What a surprise the second dance was to our guests!  They were in awe!  We can’t wait to see it on video!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

It was all because of you we did so well to entertain our guests.  I wish you could have been there!  Rose was great getting that chair on the dance floor for Mike and then removing it.

People were in shock that the CD was us singing!  Once we find out how to send you some pics our friends took of us dancing we will send them!  The nun surprise was fantastic!

It was the perfect wedding!

It was a dream wedding.

Thank you so very much!  Hope to see you soon!

Sandra and Mike

Sandra & Mike

***

Happy Almost June!

Call Jillian at 949.400.7347 for 1st Dance Lessons

Visit Our Wedding Dance for more information.

Two words that conjure up images of lots of people, lots of noise and lots of choices!

Is a wedding show good for you to attend?  I believe it is but first let me qualify that.

Having been a participant at over 25 wedding shows in the Orange County area during my many years as a wedding dance instructor I can tell you from experience they are not all created equal!

There are gigantic ones at the Anaheim Convention Center all the way down to intimate ones at various wedding reception venues all over Orange and LA Counties and the Inland Empire.

In fact this Sunday, February 28th from 11am-3pm I’ll be dancing at a lovely local complementary wedding show in San Clemente, 111 Avenida Vista Montana San Clemente, Ca 92672.  Visit this link for more information.

Some are expensive to get into, others are free.  Some feel super high end, others feel home town and local.  Some are run by conglomerates who do three to six shows a year in several counties and even many states and others are offered by reception venues and cater to brides and grooms who have already decided to use their services.

Whatever the show, you’re sure to find lots of cake, food samples and vendors of every type to satisfy your wedding planning needs and maybe even a fashion show or two.

But be prepared…

Bring a large bag since the show might not provide one for you to collect paperwork and you don’t want to be balancing a lot stuff as you walk around and sample food.

Some really on-the-go brides and grooms even bring their own address labels complete with their wedding date on them so if they want to fill-out a raffle ticket or info card for a vendor they don’t have to waste time and tire themselves out writing but just stick one of their labels instead. 

Definitely wear comfortable shoes.  You will be walking and standing a lot.  Keep in mind too, if you’re bringing along your groom his comfort as well.  I see more and more grooms coming to wedding shows and I always try to make them feel especially welcome and not like they just stepped into a “girls only” sector.

If you are just getting started in this great big task of putting on a wedding (read that – you’re a year away from your big day) you might want to attend what I call the “overall picture” wedding show.

This show is usually fairly large about seven dollars or less per person for entrance and held in a local hotel.  Be sure to take a look at the vendor list in advance and see where the vendors are based out of and what kind of web sites they have.  You can tell a lot about a vendor from their web site and also the testimonials listed on it.

Often you can call a vendor listed on that particular wedding show list and they might have a few free tickets available for the show they’ll be at and they can send you some or leave them at the door.

Keep in mind, if the show has a lot of vendors based out of your area that might not be a good show for you to attend if you’re looking for local people so you don’t have to drive too far for consultations and follow-ups.

During the early planning stages you want to attend shows that will give you the maximum amount of knowledge for your time spent researching.  Other considerations include how big your wedding and reception are going to be and what your budget is for them.

If you know you’re having an intimate ceremony and reception for under a hundred you don’t need to go to a giant wedding show.  In fact you might only go to a wedding show in this case just for the fun of it.

Yes, guys – wedding shows can be fun.  Where else will everyone be really nice to you because you’re getting married and ply you with goodies and cake to eat and freebies and coupons to take home??  Just think of all the brownie points you’ll get to use when you need to have guys poker night or game practice. 

At any rate, I’ve only just touched on the giant area of wedding shows here. I’ll post more later on this year so check back often to see what’s up!

Email me at Jillian@OurWeddingDance.com if you have questions.

You can also visit my wedding show page on my web site to see more of my experiences at wedding shows.

Jillian at the Richard Nixon Library Wedding Show

Are you having your reception for 95 in an intimate setting?

Does the restaurant where your reception will be not want to give up any floor from the tables for dancing?

Don’t despair…

You can still have a gorgeous first dance that is perfect for you both even though you don’t have a 20′ x 20′ dance floor!

I’ve heard a lot of my couples say they can’t do anything for a first dance because their floor is 8′ by 8′ or even 4′ by 4′ or really long and super, super skinny.

But you can do a dance on even the most postage stamp or lap pool size of floors.

It just takes a little creativity!

In fact a lot of my grooms have come away from their dance lessons for an intimate sized first dance saying that they’re glad their floor is going to be small.  There’s less expectation for a dance that moves around like a race or any crazy Dancing With The Stars lifts and dips.

You can do a rumba or swing.

Or some very small foxtroting or waltzing steps and some twirls and dips in place.

Your guests will really feel like you’ve involved them since they’re so close and don’t forget probably no one will be looking at your feet!

Below is a picture of a wonderful bride and groom I had who just got married October 4th on the Newport Princess in Newport’s harbor.  Needless to say they didn’t have a lot of space! 

Hear what the bride’s mom said,

Hi Jill, The wedding was fabulous.  What a party!  Jen and Darrell were gorgeous.  Thanks so much for teaching them how to dance, they did great.  I hope you enjoy the picture!  Sincerely, Diana

Jennifer and Darrell first danced on an intimate dance floor on the Newport Princess!

“I think they were trying to do the box step.”

“She had this forced smile on her face .”

“He was counting the whole time.”

So what’s the deal with the box and why do so many couples try to learn it for their wedding?

Well, for one thing the box is a very universal dance step and the building block for many other steps.  For another, the box is quite versatile.  You can time it different ways for different dances and give it different looks.

Examples:

1)  Waltz: 1, 2, 3  1, 2, 3 where the beats all get equal time with your steps; most often a 3/4 timing 

2)  Foxtrot: Slow Quick Quick, Slow Quick Quick where a Slow is equal to two counts and a Quick to one count; hence your 4/4 timing

3)  Rumba: Same timing as Foxtrot but with a compressed frame and movement and some sexy Latin hips for the ladies

With one simple step you could conceivably dance to three different types of music at your reception – “Come Away With Me” (waltz), “Feelin Good” (foxtrot) and “The Girl From Ipanema” (rumba)!

So what can you do if you want to try the box?

Well, first off wear the proper shoes to dance in.  By that I mean leave the tennis shoes on the basketball court and the flip flops at the beach.  Try learning the box in leather soled shoes that will flow smoothly over the dance floor.

Second, give yourself some time to learn, make mistakes and even look kind of silly as you sort this whole left foot, right foot thing out.  Trying to learn to dance in a few hours only works on TV and even there I’ll let you in on a big secret – they’re practicing 24/7 with every bigwig in the business before their stunning debuts!

Third, practice thinking about walking not dancing.  We all know how to walk, right?  So use those knees and ankles and swing your legs from your hip joints – just like when you walk down the street.

With a little time, patience and practice your box step can look like second nature and everyone will think you’ve been doing it all your life when they see you dancing your first dance. 

You had the mega wedding and now you know all the mistakes and pitfalls to avoid. 

Probably 45% of my couples over the years were on their second time around and loving it!

“This time I’m going to wear better shoes”.

“I won’t worry so much”.

“We’ll have a smaller guest list”.

“And a first dance.”

If you’re getting married for the second time why not go for that first dance?    Now you’re older and wiser and wouldn’t it be great to do something to sort of show off to the guests that says we’re a couple who just dances?

Email me with your song thoughts and I can help you come up with some wonderful foxtrot, swing, rumba, waltz or even a little hustle or salsa! 

Right now I’ve got a wonderful couple using a Frank Sinatra song I don’t get very often…

“Then Suddenly Love”, Recorded June 17, 1964, Los Angeles.

I never caught stardust that fell from the skies.
I never saw moonlight in anyone’s eyes,
Then suddenly love kicks in the window,
Love knocks down the door.
Love, it sat down and told me,
Lover, what are you waiting for?

I never heard bluebirds, the songs that they sing,
I never get crazy, not even in spring,
Then suddenly love struck me like lightning,
Love it blew up a storm,
Love suddenly grabbed me, and ooh, was it cozy and warm
‘Cause I found you, now I no longer just exist,
Ooh, what a change, it started from the time we kissed,
(And now we hear bluebirds), they hear bluebirds,
(We’re learning that tune) they like that tune,
(And even yon moonlight) all that pretty moonlight

(Comes down about you) Hotdog, them love, it’s still on a heaven,
Love, it gave me a shove,
[Ding dong Ding], I’m a-hearing those [church bells ring]
‘Cause suddenly [love, love, love, love, love. love, love]

And make that second time around a perfect excuse for a great first dance…

BTW,  she and her adorable groom, Jeremy, danced to the waltz You I Have Loved All Along.  We incorporated their standard waltz figures from their days in UCI’s DanceSport into an American waltz routine a la Sean and Mark’s Dancing With The Stars winning routine to the same song!

What a show!  Spin turns, heel turns, flip flops, paddy cakes, pivots, A-lines, shadow turns, tango cortes and tango flicks adapted to the waltz and a stunning conclusion with switching places, lean, twirls, dips, and the groom down on one knee with the bride backbending over his leg!

Hi Jillian,

Yes, the entire dance was recorded.  We haven’t seen it yet, but are anxious to see how it turned out.  We had to adjust a couple things because of the weight and length of my dress, but it turned out fantastic.  Everyone was jaw-dropping impressed and we got a standing ovation.  Thanks again for all your help in making our first dance so stunning and memorable. ~Dianne

Click below to see Sean and Mark’s routine on the Ellen DeGeneres show that we based our work off of and also to hear the song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiM-12Q_hlc&feature=related

One of my bride and groom couples is from Latvia and Russia originally and they are dancing to the most beautiful waltz I think I’ve ever heard in my life and I have heard a lot of waltzes in my time! 

It is by renown Moldavian composer Eugen Doga and my bride fell in love with it when she saw the movie, My Sweet and Tender Beast, 1978, in Russian.  If you’d like to learn more about Eugen here is his Romanian Wikipedia entry translated into  English:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ro&u=http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_Doga&ei=p0J3Sv-XF5SmMfmPif8H&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=3&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Deugen%2Bdoga%2Bwikipedia%26hl%3Den

I believe it may be called the Love Vals but I’m not sure.  You can see a clip from the movie on YouTube here:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_S7Yc503Oo

It starts out soft and low and then builds to an incredible crescendo and then goes back into a sweetness and finally ends with a whirlwind and an exclamation.

Such fun and challenge for my adventuresome and absolutely adorable couple.  I would say their names but I believe their dance is a surprise so you’ll have to just imagine a gorgeous, long haired reddish brunette with  brown eyes and her very tall and gallant blond knight whirling about the dance floor.

We used a bit of the movie’s choreography where the actress is dancing with her arm around her new husband’s neck holding her train, but then relied heavily on Viennese Waltz classic moves like presses, switching places, and of course face to face and back to back and sweeping runs, twirls and shadow moves.

All very exciting and as the bride exclaimed quite breathlessly after an hour of run-throughs yesterday, “This is quite a workout!”.  And, I might add, all danced in four inch heels!

Their last lesson is this Wednesday and I can’t wait to see it all come together.  What passion!  What a song!  What a first dance!