As I started planning my wedding, my dad suggested that we all (my parents and my husband-to-be and I) take dance lessons and that it might be fun. In the end, my dad and I and my mom and dad continued with lessons with the instructor, George. We ended up taking lessons for about two months, twice weekly, with George to prepare for my dance with my dad, and my parents have continued to see him since.
Each lesson is approximately 45 minutes and its a private lesson with George. There are no other people in the room so the focus is 100% on you. You can pay as you go or you can purchase a package, which saves you a little bit of money. We weren't sure how many we would want to do, so we did pay as you go. George is able to process payment on the spot with his phone, which made it very easy!
First of all, George is amazing. He's very good at putting you at ease, he makes jokes and has great anecdotes that he sprinkles through every lesson. His method of teaching is straight forward and clear and he's happy to answer any questions you may have. As well, he encouraged us to bring a cell phone to the lesson so we could videotape the new steps he taught us so that we could review while practicing. We did end up using the videos quite often in our own practice at home and found it super helpful.
My dad and I chose a very upbeat song for our first dance together, Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News, and in the beginning, we were very concerned about the speed of the music and whether or not we could keep up. George assured us that we could do it if we practiced and had regular lessons. He was 100% on board the minute he heard the song and immediately, he started choreographing it on the spot. It's amazing to watch his process and how quickly he pulls things together and tailors to your strengths.
And he was right! On my wedding day, we had an absolute blast dancing and everyone was BLOWN AWAY by our steps on the dance floor! People weren't expecting us to bust out a high paced dance and show off, they were all expecting the usual type of first dance. It was also really nice to spend that time with my dad in the lead up to my wedding. It really turned into a very special experience for the both of us - even if you're doing just a regular waltz, it's a great way to spend time with your parent!
If you're thinking about doing a choreographed dance for your wedding, George is the first and only stop you should make on your journey. I was so pleased with how he taught us, how he treated us, how he spoke to us and everything. There was never condescension, never any judgement. He understood that we were new and still learning and adapted his teaching style to our learning style. He answered our incessant questions (there were lots!) and was happy to spend a whole lesson going over a move in detail so that me or my dad could really understand it. You can't go wrong with George! 100% recommend!