A few weeks ago, I taught at a brilliant ’Hen Do’ in Slough. Over the space of 2 hours, we managed to cram in 3 routines; the 80′s-tastic ‘Fame’ dance, ‘Jai Ho’ (a Bollywood inspired routine from the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’) and ‘Beat It’ by Michael Jackson. The group were great and I was really impressed at how quickly they picked up all the routines. Below is a picture of the ladies at the start of the lesson; dressed in all their fab pink gear!

Last weekend, I did a 2 hour session in Oxford teaching a group of 15 lovely ladies some of the routines from ‘Chicago’; including the ‘Cell Block Tango’. It was a very hot, but fun afternoon and the group did amazingly well at picking up the Charleston-inspired routine!

I have a few more sessions booked in so will update on how they go!

(For more information on Hen Parties, or for a free quote- please call 07868767344)

Camilla was really lovely and a pleasure to work with. She was patient with the public; letting them get photos and autographs and even answering all their questions on the ‘Strictly’ backstage gossip!

Many Thanks Camilla!

I’ve had a very busy weekend teaching over in Oxford at a Hen party who wanted to learn a routine from ‘Chicago’ and then working with a number of wedding guest who wanted to learn Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ to perform at their Wedding reception! Both groups did really well and picked up the routines with ease. I can’t wait to see the videos and see how the dances turned out!

Amongst other things, I have been teaching in Princes Risborough, Windsor, Maidnehead, Woking, Rickmansworth and throughout the Middlesex area, as well doing my usual classes and a number of workshops for ‘Sainsbury’s Active Kids’.

Some current First Wedding Dance song choices include:

* ‘The Snake’- Al Wilson

* ‘Use Somebody’- King’s of Leon

*’Fly Me To The Moon’- Frank Sinatra

*’I'm Yours’- Jason Mraz

* ‘Wonderful Tonight’- Eric Clapton

Below is a link to a YouTube video, the style of which I have had a number of requests for lately:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyqgP6i-bGg

Here are some of their song choices:

• “Rule the World”- Take That
• “Digital Love”- Daft Punk
• “Wherever You Will Go”- The Calling
• “Every Breath You Take”- The Police
• “Truly, Madly, Deeply”-  Savage Garden
• “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head”- Robbie Williams

As we approach the start of the Wedding season, I am looking forward to choreographing  routines that are both traditional and unusual and also seeing which songs people choose to dance to. I will keep updating song choices for anyone who’s stuck for inspiration and will also be posting some more client’s videos in the near future, so you can see their completed routines.

If you need advice on choosing a first dance song, please use the ‘contact me’ page to email me or call 07868767344 and I will be happy to advise you.

• Practice makes perfect! Try and get into the habit of running through the routine a couple of times a week. You don’t need to slave away for hours and hours each night, just a quick practice now and again will really help to polish the steps and improve your confidence when dancing as a couple. If your partner is not available to practice, go over the steps on your own, checking your footwork, arm lines and timing as you go along.
• Get to know your music. Try and link parts of your chosen song to the steps in your routine; for example, make sure you know what moves you should be doing on the various verses, chorus, instrumental etc. Listening to the song and thinking the steps through in your head is always a good way to familiarize yourself with the music.
• Keep counting! Although it seems like a chore, counting along to the music (in your head, or out loud) will help you and your partner keep in time with the song and each other. Once the steps are time, the rest of the routine should fall into place!
• Mirror, mirror on the wall…..Checking arm lines and body alignment in front of  a mirror will greatly improve your posture and that of your partner. If you’re feeling really brave, you may want to video yourselves to correct your arm lines and footwork!
• Dancing in heels. Ladies, if you’re wearing heels on the day, make sure you practice in some of a similar height or wear them for your final run through lesson. To make your bridal shoes more comfortable you may want to ‘break them in’ beforehand; try wearing them around the house with white socks over the top of them, so they don’t become scuffed. If the shoes are slippery, you may want to score the soles with cross-hatch markings to create some grip.
• Confidence is a must! To perform to the best of your ability and wow your guests, you need to smile and be super confident; but most importantly enjoy yourselves! Although you may be feeling nervous, don’t let it show; imagine you’re one of the professional dancers on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and then go out there and do your thing! Remember, your guest don’t know the routine, or the steps which are supposed to be in it, so if you go wrong smile, improvise and they’ll be none the wiser!!

Having previously taken a few dance lessons, they were confident dancing as a couple and already knew some of the basics. They wanted help to choreograph a routine that included some of the steps they had learnt in class, as well as adding new material and bringing in a few different dance styles. We added some Latin, Ballroom and Salsa inspired steps into their Waltz rountine, which resulted in the perfect First Dance!  

They had a five hour package, but also did lots of practising to perfect their routine. The hard work paid off, as the dance looked beautiful and they really ‘wowed’ their guests! They were a pleasure to work with and I am pleased that the dance turned out so well on the day! Well done guys!!

They have kindly let me use a video of their dance so you can see the end result:

Morgan and Jennifer- ‘Come Away With Me’ 

Here are a few of the most popular song choices to give you some ideas:

Take That- ‘Rule the World’

Michael Buble- ‘Everything’

Frank Sinatra- ‘Fly me to the Moon’

Snow Patrol ‘Chasing Cars’

Jack Jonson- ‘Better Together’

……..and some of the more unusal ones I have choreographed in the past:

Queen- ‘Don’t Stop me Now’

Jackson 5- ‘Shake Your Body Down to the Ground’

Kinks- ‘All Day and All of the Night’

Grease- ‘You’re the One that I Want’

……..and a few popular ‘YouTube’ videos if you’re really stuck for inspiration!! (Note: I did not choreograph these!)

‘Baby Got Back’

‘Evolution of Dance’

‘I’ve Had the Time of My Life’

The possibilities are endless………..Good Luck!!!