Dance For You Review | First Wedding Dance Classes, Dubai
Written by on October 8, 2015.
Tagged under: Dance For You, Dubai, First Wedding Dance, Review, dance classes, dance studio
Dance For You Review
I’m the first to admit that I’m not much of a dancer. Well, not in the traditional sense anyway. When I met my husband, he used to joke about how I was always completely happy dancing by myself, in my own little world, but terrible any time it came to dancing with him. Fast forward to our wedding earlier this year, and his comments took on a whole new meaning. Knowing that we would have to dance in front of an audience, it soon became clear that the vision I had of us doing the first dance in my head was not going to match the reality.
We were one of those couples who neglected to think about the first dance until dangerously close to our wedding day. In fact, at the very last minute we even changed our song from the one I had my heart set on to one that was ‘easier’ to dance to. We were lucky, and the dance turned out ok, but I couldn’t help but wonder what could have been had we invested in dance lessons to help prepare us for our big moment.
I was intrigued, therefore, when Dance For You invited my husband and I to their Tecom studio in order to experience a trial lesson, as if we were a couple wanting to learn to dance for our wedding day. A big thanks to Paula Scalco for the photography.
Location
Conveniently located in Grosvenor Business Tower, there is plenty of parking available near the studio. Some of this is on the sand, but I guess we are all used to that in Dubai! As I entered the studio itself, I was immediately struck by how large and bright it was, and the tremendous views that were offered from its 23rd floor vantage point. I can only begin to imagine how incredible it must be to take lessons in the evening as the city lights begin to glow, adding a touch of glamour and romance whilst you busily count steps and ensure that your posture is correct.
Arsesniy, the General Manager, welcomed us to the studio and explained that it is so large because during the first dance brides and grooms usually have the entire dance floor all to themselves. Therefore it’s important that they are taught to make the most of all the space available to them, rather than just sticking to a small portion, and a large dance floor area in which to learn allows them to do this.
The Dance For You studios also have an accommodating reception area and changing facilities, ideal for those who are coming straight from work or even heading out for the evening after their lesson! The whole facility was spotless, creating a perfect atmosphere in which to learn. Around the low window sills were small lights that shone in an array of colours. For our lesson, we just used the white lights, but I could also picture how they would add a unique element during a salsa or disco lesson, alternating in different colours pretty much like the city lights from the windows. Mirrored walls added to the feeling of space and were of course a great help during the lesson itself.
A good quality sound system was playing music of different genres, and I was soon to discover that the studio is well organised, with playlists perfectly matched to each style of dance, meaning that valuable lesson time is not spent hunting for the perfect song.
The lesson
Both my husband and I were very impressed with the friendliness of the staff and their willingness to accommodate us. Prior to the lesson, I had changed the day and time of the class on several occasions due to work commitments. Each time, Dance For You were very prompt in replying to my emails and offered various other options, remaining polite and friendly even though constantly having to rearrange our lesson must have been frustrating.
Our teacher, Martina, was lovely and we both immediately felt very comfortable with her; something that’s so important when learning something new. She explained that couples who are taking lessons in order to prepare for their wedding day are offered various options depending on their timeframe. Some couples already have a first dance song in mind, and the instructor can help them to choreograph a dance for this, whereas other couples might first experiment with different styles of dance, and the tutor can then suggest songs, or even different songs to offer a ‘mash up’ of dance styles.
We began our lesson by learning the basic Salsa steps. Martina was a very hands on instructor who danced with both of us individually in order to demonstrate the moves from the perspective of both the male and female dancer, who take on different roles with the man generally being the leader and the woman following his lead.
I wasn’t really feeling wedding vibes from the Salsa, so we turned our attention to a different style of dance: the Waltz. Personally, I preferred this to Salsa as it was slower and seemed easier to make progress. Once again, we began by learning the basic steps and how they correspond to the music, and we also received instruction on the correct form; from how high to place our arms to where to look, no detail was missed.
We quickly picked up the basic moves and progressed to other beginner steps, such as ‘hesitation’ and ‘lady under arm’. Martina was incredibly patient with us as I kept wanting to lead, and had to learn how to take a back seat, whereas my husband needed a demonstration on how to make his body a frame in order to be a more effective leader.
In a short time, I felt that we had made amazing progress. Having entered the studio knowing nothing, we were now able to put several steps together and convincingly dance to an entire song. What’s more, Martina showed us how to end a dance ‘neatly’, meaning that we could now dance to a song with a similar beat and give a simple yet polished performance.
Both my husband and I agreed that even though our wedding day has passed, dance lessons are a great way to spend quality time together and learn something new whilst having fun. We had a real sense of interaction with each other that you don’t get when at the cinema, for example. In the stressful months leading up to a wedding, dance classes with Dance For You would not only teach you a new skill in time for your first dance; they will also keep you both sane and provide much needed laughter and togetherness at a time when things can get fraught.
Cost and timetable
Dance For You offers specific wedding packages that vary in price depending on how many lessons you buy. To get the best value, it works out cheaper per lesson to buy a greater number of lessons in a pac. Lesson timings are flexible, and the added bonus is that on Wednesday evenings all those who are taking lessons are free to come down to the studio and dance as part of a larger group, with instructors on hand to offer advice.
In an exclusive offer, those who quote BCME can avail 25 % off 5 dance lessons and 4 practice sessions, 30% off 10 dance lessons and 4 practice sessions, 35% off 15 dance lessons and 4 practice sessions and 40% off 21 dance lessons and 8 practice sessions.
All Dance For You students receive a bouquet after completing a course, demonstrating that the studio and its tutors really do care about their students.
If you’re looking for dance lessons in preparation for your wedding, check out Dance For You’s BCME vendor profile here, visit the Dance For You website or call them on +971 4 552 0153. Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Vimeo / Instagram / Google+
Bonus Pictures
In true Bride Club ME style, we just could not resist prettying up this feature with some bonus pictures from the review using the talented photography skills of Paula Scalco Photography and our favourite giant tassel balloons from creative event planners, The French Touch Co. Enjoy!
salsatropical says
Thanks for the update. I really appreciate the efforts you have made for this blog.