FIRST DANCE CHARLOTTE

Of course I’m going to say yes, but the truth is, you really can! Here’s why: There are many different types of learning styles. Most people have a preference for one or two styles, but will benefit the most when they learn something through multiple learning styles. My online tutorials utilize the four main learning styles—visual (videos), auditory (voiceovers), reading/writing (written instructions + printable pdf that I encourage you to mark up) and kinesthetic (practice time!)—which enables you to not only learn the steps, but internalize them. Once you learn how to box step using my method, you will probably always know how to box step. If watching the videos is not working, try reading the text first, then re-watch the lesson. If the voiceover is distracting you from watching the steps, mute the video, then turn it back on. If you aren’t understanding a concept by watching or listening, JUST TRY DOING IT. You may learn something about yourself and your partner’s learning styles, just by realizing what aspects of the tutorial make you go “aha!”

I currently have tutorials to about 50 different wedding songs from across genres from pop to country to the classics. I also have father-daughter and mother-son appropriate songs in my custom choreography library. If you can’t find your song, you should enroll in “First Dance 101,” which teaches you how to apply the steps to any song. My goal is to eventually create tutorials to my list of top 100 wedding songs, so if you don’t see your song, it might be in my queue. Whenever possible, I try to make new tutorials to these songs when students request them and if I have enough time to get it done before your wedding.

First Dance 101 is the tutorial that started it all! This tutorial includes five elements that can be applied to ANY song: 1) how to break away from the “prom sway,” 2) how to twirl your partner, 3) footwork to help you move around the floor, 4) how to dip without falling over, and 5) how to put it all together into an easy-to-remember routine. All of my custom choreography tutorials take the foundational aspects of First Dance 101 and apply the steps to specific wedding songs, like Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You by Frankie Valli, At Last by Etta James and The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra. You do not need to enroll in First Dance 101 before tackling a custom choreography tutorial because the First Dance 101 content is included in the custom tutorials.

Most of my choreography tutorials take the average beginner couple about two to three hours to complete, including practice time between steps. If you’ve taken ballroom lessons, or just pick things up quickly, it could take less time. If you like to take your time and work on things slowly, it could take five or six sessions of 30 minutes to an hour to work through it. If you have the time, I recommend focusing on one step/section per practice session. For most tutorials, it will take you a little less than a week to complete if you break it apart into one or two sections per day. If you are a marathon learner or test-crammer, you might set aside several hours on the weekend to learn each step in the course before putting it together into choreography. You’ll still need to practice the dance leading up to your wedding to build muscle memory. Every time you practice you will look and feel more natural and relaxed.

You’ll have access for a year from the date of purchase. You don’t need a year to learn, and most couples do all their learning in a compressed time frame once they feel the pressure of their looming wedding date. But I want you to be able to enroll when it makes sense for you and work on this at your leisure, without worrying about any dates except your wedding date. Wedding planning is stressful! Learning to dance is supposed to be fun!

All of my online tutorials include pre-recorded instructional videos, along with lots of written notes and practice tips, so you can tackle your learning on your own schedule.

In each tutorial there is a link to add on “virtual coaching” if you feel like you need extra help and you won’t be able to take any private lessons. This option allows you to send me pictures and videos and all of your questions, and I will give you feedback via email, voice memo, or video depending on the questions. Just don’t wait until the very last minute to request coaching. I need a few days to respond to the request and to craft my detailed response.

If you are having trouble logging in, try these steps: 1) Go to courses.firstdancecharlotte.com and click Login in the upper right-hand corner of the page. If you are already logged in, your tutorial should be waiting for you in your Dashboard. 2) If you can’t remember your password, or it won’t work, do a password reset. 3) If none of this works and you can’t login for some reason, email me at [email protected] and I’ll see if I can figure it out. For other technical difficulties, please be sure to read the lecture, “The tech behind the tech." If you are still having problems, email me directly and I will try to help you figure it out!

Yes, happily! FYI, there is a short section in each tutorial that offers suggestions for modifying some of the steps based on who wants to lead and who wants to follow. Also, if both partners want to twirl or dip, that can also be easily accomplished just by switching roles while you learn each step. I can also help with those modifications during any private lessons or virtual coaching.