What are Popular Dances at Weddings?
Ever wonder what dances you should know at weddings? In this blog post, we are going to talk about a few popular dances at weddings, from popular first dance styles to fun wedding line dances. We've also included some useful tutorial videos to get your started. Enjoy!
First Dance
When you think about wedding first dance, most people imagine a slow, graceful and classy dance, like the waltz. And that's why, many couples assume that they need to learn to waltz for their wedding first dance. But if you have some musical background, you would know that wedding waltz songs are actually quite difficult to come across. Waltz has a 3/4 time signature while most contemporary wedding songs have either a 2/4 or 4/4 time signature. Even though not all wedding songs are "waltzable," there are other styles that are equally elegant, romantic and appropriate for wedding first dances (see below). Plus, you don't have to do a traditional, slow, waltzy wedding dance. You can always spice up your first dance with swing, salsa and even hip hop!
Foxtrot
Foxtrot is a great alternative to Waltz. It is elegant and classic yet you can do the Foxtrot to a lot of Big Band music. Popular foxtrot songs include "The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra, "L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole and "Everything" by Michael Bublé. Check out this simple yet classy Foxtrot first dance routine performed by Duet Dance's students.
Rumba
Rumba is another romantic dance style that is popular for weddings. You can pretty much dance the rumba to a majority of songs that they play at weddings. Some well known first dance songs include "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King, "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green and "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke. To get you started, take a look at the video tutorial for the Rumba basic below.
Waltz
If you are dreaming of a fairytale wedding, waltz would be a good dance style for you. It is one of the most graceful and dreamy ballroom dance styles. Learn how to do a simple wedding waltz routine with our step by step instruction here. Also, check out this "La La Land" inspired wedding waltz routine choreographed by us!
Swing
For those of you who want to do something a little non-traditional for your first dance, Swing would be a great style to get into. You can dance the swing to a variety of big band swing music, country and even pop songs. Here is an example of Swing first dance routine to "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young.
Father Daughter Dance & Mother Son Dance
Similar to the wedding first dance, the father-daughter dance or mother-son dance can be as simple or as elaborate as you'd like. Dancing with the parents is a lovely moment at a wedding and also a fun activity to do before the big day. Below is a sample father-daughter dance choreography and a dance basic tutorial to get you dancing with your parents. Also, check out a blog post on How to DIY your Father-Daughter Dance.
Wedding Line Dances
Line dances are a fantastic way to get everyone on the dance floor at your wedding reception. And to incorporate line dances at your wedding reception, we suggest you let your DJ know how many line dances you’d like to do and which songs you want. DJs are pros when it comes to reading the energy of a crowd and will play a line dance at the best moment in your reception. Ask your DJ to announce the song as a line dance and invite everyone to the floor to give it a try. Also, we recommend telling your wedding party in advance which line dances will be at the reception and sending them a link to the videos below. This way, as soon as the song starts they can rush on to the floor and start dancing right away. They can also serve as models for other dancers to follow along. Have fun dancing at your wedding!
Any other popular wedding dances you can think of? Please share with us!
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Cover photo featuring Duet Dance's students Melissa and Alex by Jill Tiongco Photography.
Duet Dance Studio is a group of friendly dancers who are passionate about helping people and sharing the joy of ballroom dance. Our physical studio is located in Chicago West Bucktown. We offer ballroom dance lessons, wedding dance instruction and private dance parties. Online Wedding Dance Lessons and Skype dance lessons are also available! Dances we teach include Salsa, Swing, Tango, Bachata, Merengue, Waltz and Foxtrot. Sign up for an introductory dance lesson now to get started!