Like many couples happily anticipating their wedding in one of Oregon's gorgeous landscapes, one of the few things in your wedding planning that you may still be nervous about is your very first wedding dance with your spouse. After all, everyone who loves you both will be watching intently. While this may sound daunting, you can turn this moment into a personal triumph with just a few dance lessons from skilled dance instructors in your local Oregon region. Your family and friends will be left stunned and amazed at what a wonderful, romantic performance the two of you accomplished together.
Country Western and Square Dancing
Oregon's official state dance is the square dance, and for good reason. Oregonians use this organized dance fashion in order to have a good time like true country folk. And no country wedding would be complete without some country western and square dancing. Oregon is chock-full of professional square dancing clubs, but if you're not already an experienced member, there are still a slew of options for you to learn and improve. Check out several online listings of square dancing groups by Oregon city, including specific listings for groups in major areas like the Emerald Empire around Eugene or the
Portland Metro Area. Some square dancers may want to change clothes just before the dance and wear
traditional square dance attire like slacks and boots for the men and fluffy skirts for the ladies. Fret not if you're new to square dancing because just a few basic steps will allow you to have so much fun, you won't really care if you're not getting the fancy footwork yet.
Seeking Dance Instruction in Oregon
More traditional styles of wedding dances include variations of
ballroom dancing, the waltz and traditional Latin dances. If you're an Oregon couple looking to learn the basics of the first dance as husband and wife or parent-child dances, look no further than your local yellow pages or
online listings of dance studios in many Oregon cities. When calling around to
dance studios, make sure to ask if the studio works specifically with couples practicing for their wedding because you'll want an experienced instructor with a teaching structure that will get you looking confident swiftly, even if you needed some lessons at the last minute (which is not recommended). You also have the options of working with a dance club, a professional dance studio with several instructors, or working with
a skilled individual that can give you and your fiancé one-on-one attention.
Beyond the First Dance
Dance instructors that specialize in weddings will also have a slew of additional dance lessons to offer other guests involved in your wedding. For example, consider whether you'd like to coordinate your first dance as husband and wife with a follow-up dance that involves the entire wedding party. In addition, holding a few dance classes ahead of time for your wedding party will give them a chance to meet and become comfortable around each other, especially those who haven't met. Taking it one step further, some wedding dance instructors will actually
come to your wedding when hired to assist the guests with a group dance. This would involve a short "mini-lesson" the instructor would give to the entire group, then let them fill in the dance floor with their old and new moves both. The main benefit of group instruction is that it involves everyone at your reception and, hopefully, everyone join in the fun, which decreases anxiety some often have about being one of the only people on the dance floor. Ask potential dance instructors what additional fees they may have for extra services. Hopefully you can squeeze some dance instruction into your wedding budget because it's a good investment in the heightened fun and joyful ambiance you wish to have at your wedding.
