Wedding Dance Survival Tips for the Bride & Groom

Here are some tips/hints for my wedding couples - for both the bride and groom. Its also worth reading through before you start your lessons to get an idea of how to go about choosing a song and what to consider.

Select a suitable song:

With a good easy to hear dance beat. Pick a song that keeps a consistent beat throughout the song. As far as song choice goes - I have a large collection of favourite which we can go through together. Find something that you both enjoy and that suits your personalities. You probably want to dance for about 2 or 2.5 mins for your first dance - not more. Use a CD to practice your first dance, put it on "repeat" and practice, practice, practice.

Start your dance lessons:

About 3 months before your wedding! This will give you enough time to plan, practice, and perfect your dance. It will also allow for unforeseen missed lessons and practice, and will reduce stress.

Make your First Dance photographically interesting so that you will end your wedding day with Video and Still photos you will be proud to show off to friends, family, etc. I can give you some sexy moves, dips, turns, and spins to get memorable photos! Have a good idea of the size and shape your wedding reception dance floor will be so that you can practice and get used to dancing in that amount of space. Plan how and where you are going to start (enter), and end your dance.

I also try and give you choreography to open to the different sections of your audience - so everyone can see her lovely dress and feel part of your dance. Advise your Band leader or DJ how and when you plan to start and end your First Dance. Also let your Photographers know. Plan what will happen when you end your dance. Will you invite everyone onto the dance floor or just your parents and/or grandparents ? Practice is very important (especially for the groom) between dance lessons in order to really feel comfortable and be able to look and feel relaxed on your wedding night.Practice sometimes without the music, especially at the beginning stages, it will help you concentrate on perfecting your steps, and leading or following. Keeping time to the beat of the music is very important - feel the beat! Remember HE leads...SHE follows. (at least when your on the dance floor). He keeps time and dances to the music...she keeps in time with him.

Tips for the Bride:

Relax and let him lead. You probably had to twist his arm a little to get him to agree to take lessons, so encourage him by telling him how well he is doing and how happy your are that he is doing this for you. Do not lean too heavily on his shoulder when dancing, and keep your left hand fingers together and flat on his shoulder blade, that will show off your ring in photos! Check to see if you can comfortably raise your arms in your wedding dress. If you can't, you will not be able to do turns which require you to raise your arms over your head. Check the length of your wedding dress to be sure you can dance and move comfortably in it. You want to be sure its not to long , so that he won't step on it while dancing. Practice with him in a hoop or full slip to test the length of your dress. Ladies, if you are doing a planned dance routine don't get mentally locked into the routine. The most important thing is to relax and follow whatever steps he leads you into. As is life the most important thing to learn is cooperation and flexibility. You're a team now! Practice once or twice in your wedding reception dance shoes. You can cover them with cotton socks or nylons to avoid getting them scuffed or damaged. Ladies, always look diagonally to your right over his right shoulder - if you are doing a ballroom dance), when dancing. This keeps you from blocking his view (he has to see where he's going). This is also important to get your face in the photo's. If you are looking directly at your partner the photographer will not be able to get a shot of your face, especially if your groom is taller than you. Never look down when you are dancing. No matter what happens relax and keep dancing...and follow your partner !


Tips for the Groom:

MEN...you are going to discover that once your get over the initial fear and trauma of taking dance lessons, it can be a lot of fun! The best part is you will learn to lead, take control...and your girl will not only enjoy it, she will actually let you lead! Remember if you don't lead, she will! Also if you don't lead, she can't follow. Remember you are the captain of the ship while you are on the dance floor. Here are some other tips that will help you and your first mate cooperate and become perfect partners on the dance floor and off - Lead her firmly but gently. Your arms are her guide on the dance floor, keep them firm. Look straight ahead (not at your feet), when dancing. Remember you are steering. Believe it or not your feet will work without your looking at them! Listen and keep time to the music. Try to pick a song that has an easy beat to hear. Listen to the song on your own, and if your are doing a dance routing try to visualize what step you are dancing at each part of the song. If you have trouble hearing the beat of the music ask your dance teacher or your partner to help you. Try to practice at least twice a week with your partner. The more you practice the more comfortable you will be...and look on your wedding night. Take each forward step like a comfortable walking step, with your heel hitting the floor first – if doing a ballroom dance. Always try to move counter-clockwise around the dance floor. Become comfortable dancing the steps first, then smoothly combining all the steps and keeping time to the music. Your confidence and lead will improve the most after you are comfortable with the steps. * Remember this is a team effort, the cooperation and teamwork you developed on the dance floor while learning and practicing will serve as a foundation for cooperation and teamwork off the dance floor. Always Remember...Have Fun!

Contrary Body Movement in Ballroom Dancing

Any dancer aiming at a high standard of ballroom dancing must understand the theory and practice of contrary body movement (CBM). CBM is brought about by turning the body slightly, from the hips up, so that the opposite hip and shoulder are turned towards the moving leg. Understanding and applying this cocept on all basic figures will improve the lead and follow and also produce better turning figures (e.g natural spin turn).

The 4 ways that CBM can be used are as follows:

step forward RF, turning L hip and shoulder forward
step forward LF, turning R hip and shoulder forward
step back RF, turning the L hip and shoulder back
step back with LF, turning the R hip and shoulder back

CBM must not be used indiscriminately; it is asomething which should only be used in a natural, effotless manner. Remember that the opposite hip and shoulder should turn as the step is taken, and not afterwards, and, once again, remember that the whole body from the hips up must be turned very slightly. It is a common fault to break at the waist, turning the shoulders only.

You can help teh CBM by allowing the back foot to turn inwards very slightly. Actually it will only be pointing teh way you are facing, but if you think of it as being turned inwards it will help to produce the CBM. There is a natural tendency to turn the back foot out; this must be corrected because it will prevent the hips turning together with the shoulders.

Try to work through some of your figures, thinking about where and when to apply CBM (especially your turning figures...natural, reverse, impetus, telemark, spin turn)

Remember to ask me if you're not sure.

Hope this helps.

John

Improve your Cha Cha and Rumba basic

When dancing your cha cha or rumba one should aim to develop a good neat leg and foot action during your basic movement, working "into" your floor to create the correct hip and leg action. Some beginners struggle to keep their feet in contact with the floor when doing a rumba or cha cha basic, the result being incorrect leg and hip action and often making it difficult to keep proper time. This simple excercise will help you get into the habit of staying "into" your floor, brushing your feet and developing a more controlled basic action in cha cha and rumba.

Some of my private students will be well aware of my sometimes unconventional teaching methods using all sorts of analogies, objects and eccentric behaviour to explain and demonstrate dancing concepts. This time, take two serviettes/tissues or pieces of paper and place them under the balls of each foot (please NOT the expensive napkins that come out only on special occasions!!) . Now try and do a Cha cha and Rumba basic (forward and back) making sure that you don't leave either serviette behind as you move your feet through the floor. This simple excercise will automatically make you brush your feet, straighten and bend your legs at the right time, and make sure that you draw forward and back with the ball, then heel then flat of your foot. You'll probably also find that you will take smaller steps and also get more hip action as you work more "into" your floor.

You can also extend this excercise to your Rumba walks (forward and back), forward walk turns, Alemanas and Spot turns. Try to not look down at your feet when doing this but rather concentrate on working your feet into your floor throughout the movement and keeping a good posture.

Hope this helps.

Yours in dancing,

John

How will you remember your Wedding Dance?

“That first dance together can be very daunting. Let me choreograph a short, effective, and easy to dance routine to your choice of music and impress your guests”

As part of my offering I specialise in Wedding Choreography for couples to prepare them for that special opening dance. From the gentle romantic Waltz, to some passionate Tango and Rumba or maybe a bit of Salsa or Swing to heat the floor up - I work with couples to make their opening wedding dance a reflection of their personalities, song choice, and feelings for each other with personalised tuition. I can also recommend suitable wedding dance songs and choreograph to special requests. Learning to dance is also a skill that can stay with you all your life.

I am very aware how hectic things can get closer to your big day, so I normally recommend that couples start to prepare up to 3 months before hand.

Contact me, jvhamman@gmail.com, to find our more about my wedding dance programs.

Some testimonials from newlyweds:

WE BLEW THEM ALL AWAY!!!!! It was awesome! Everybody was amazed with the routine! No one knew we were going for lessons, so it was a great surprise for everyone and they truly enjoyed it.

I can’t thank you enough John!

~ Jack and Marida Strauss

"John spent a lot of time with us helping us to choose a song that suited our level of experience (none!) and our personalities. He then choreographed a dance for us and it ended up looking really good on the night! We had 8 lessons and each one brought more laughs and fun than the previous one. I would really recommend the lessons - not only does it give you confidence for the dance, but it was a really great experience for the two of us which we enjoyed immensely!"

~ Bern and Michelle

Rise and Fall in Waltz... a practical tip

It is important when dancing the Waltz to feel the music through its lilting rise-and-fall, moving as one unit with your partner. However, before you can move as one unit with your partner, you must master the rise-and-fall by yourself. Let’s try a practice exercise.

Begin standing upright with your feet together, toes pointing forward. Imagine that you are standing in front of a clothesline. The goal is to go underneath it without ducking or bending at the waist. As you step forward with your left foot “one,” you must bend at the knees to clear the clothesline. You are now beyond it, so you can straighten your knees and step with your right foot to the side “two” and draw your feet together “3.”Repeat this in a succession “1-2-3, down-up-up” to grow more comfortable with the “rise and fall” of the Waltz.

Hope this helps,

John

Bridal Fair at Kelvin Grove

The John Hamman School of Ballroom dancing partook in the recent bridal fair at Kelvin Grove. My lovely partner Annaelle and I took a few complete beginner volunteers onto the floor and had them dancing the basics to the cha cha and foxtrot within minutes. I'd also like add that its was a wonderfully organised affair and many thanks to Kelvin Grove for giving us the time and space to strut our stuff. This is what an innocent onlooking exhibitor had to say...

"DANCE BABY, DANCE! If you're like me, you can't string 3 steps together (which is why I take photographs and leave the dancing to the pros). But if you'd like to look pretty close to a pro (guys, you'll impress mom-in-law 10-0), then give John Hamman a call. He took a mate of mine (whose a worse dancer by the way) and made him look fairly good inside just one song! John will teach you ballroom favourites like the Waltz, Quickstep, Slow Foxtrot and Tango brilliantly. Oh, did I mention the Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Salsa and Jive? Oh yes please! I liked the part about him offering Absolute Beginner classes! Niiiice! Of course, if you're an advanced dancer, he'll coach you too. Want him (and believe me, you do) then contact him here: jvhamman@gmail.com One last thing, word has it that some of his lessons are at Kelvin Grove. Last thought – if you want me to take some of photographs of your dance lessons and include them in your wedding album, take it as a given."

by Warren Buffet - wedding and portrait photographer

Hold each other like you mean it!

To improve ones ballroom dancing students should focus on fundamentals. All great golfers are aware of the importance of the setup as it writes the script for the swing. Jack Nicklaus (a very successful golfing legend) said, "If you setup correctly, there’s a good chance you’ll hit a reasonable shot, even if you make a mediocre swing. If you setup to the ball poorly, you’ll hit a lousy shot even if you make the greatest swing in the world."

Similarly, good ballroom (standard) dancers spend time polishing their posture, poise and hold before even taking a step. Good footwork with a poor hold and starting setup will not produce aesthetically pleasing dancing and will in turn limit your ability to do the steps properly.

If you cannot hold your partner properly, you cannot dance properly. The hold must be seen as firm and purposeful, leading and guiding the lady as she is being presented to the audience.
Let’s start with poise. Both man and lady dancer must stand in a natural upright position with knees slightly flexed. The man will have his body inclined forward from the feet braced at the waist with shoulders relaxed. His body weight will be over the balls of his feet with feet flat. The only difference in poise between the man and lady is that the lady must be poised backwards from the waist (but don’t over exaggerate this). Remember to be faced diagonally to each other at address (man’s right toe in line with lady’s right toe).

I like to raise my left hand first to hold the lady's right hand as she walks towards me at the beginning of the dance. This left hand connection with the lady is vitally important in dancing. This important connection enables the man to draw the lady towards him to create a proper dance hold. It is a dynamic connection. It is not static and it is never a rigid connection. The man’s left hand will hold the lady’s right hand between the thumb and first finger, the other fingers closed over the right side of her hand. The left wrist must not bend; there should be a straight unbroken line between the elbow and the hand. The palm of the hand facing diagonally to the floor, the upper part of the left arm should slope downwards slightly, the arm bent sharply at the elbow with the forearm slanting upwards from the elbow to the hand. The hand being held just above the height of his left ear, the forearm inclined very slightly outwards from the body.

After the lady is gently drawn and guided towards the man, she must be in balance as she stands in front of him. At this stage the lady must be very slightly to the man’s right side. The next vital connection is the man's right hand on the lady's back. The man’s right hand is placed just below her left shoulder blade with the fingers neatly grouped together. The upper part of the right arm should slope down downwards from the shoulder to the elbow then downwards from the elbow to the hand in a straight line.

The Lady will place her left arm lightly on the man’s right arm, the fingers grouped neatly in the centre of the arm just below the right shoulder. The right arm will slope very slightly downwards from the shoulder to the elbow, then upwards from the elbow slanting forward towards the man’s left hand. The fingers will fold lightly over the man’s left hand between his thumb and first finger.

And now you’re ready to take your first step! It sounds like a lot to remember, but it’s vitally important and relevant in all the standard dances (Waltz, Quickstep, Slow foxtrot and Viennese Waltz) excepting the Tango, and will lead to better dancing all round.

Happy dancing,

John

John Hamman writes...

“If you can walk, you can dance”


How many of you have been watching the cult TV show, “Strictly Come Dancing” every week, and saying to yourself, “I’d really like to do that sometime…” Well now’s the time, and you can do right it here at Kelvin Grove!

It’s a fine thing to be able to dance well – to move comfortably and rhythmically with a partner to music you both enjoy. There is nothing nicer than to look forward to an evening of dance with confidence. What a terrifying prospect to be asked to a dance not knowing how to stand and hold a partner or do the steps. Think of all the opportunities missed?

Dancing is as natural as walking. Done properly you can dance all evening without being exhausted. What a wonderful and social way to exercise. Indirectly through dance, we acquire charm, poise and yes –even discipline. Above all, the emphasis is on a fun way of acquiring this social skill, which plays such an important part of our lives. Which other sport would stay with us throughout our lives to be used as an international language? There is no age limit.

The social, mental, physical and emotional benefits of ballroom dancing are well documented. Ballroom and Latin dancing can raise the heart rate anywhere from 80 – 120 BPM (more for some of us). Sustained in 2 minute bursts over a 45-minute period, it will build not only your heart’s strength, but its endurance too. Dancing uses the perfect blend of isometric and isotonic resistance (the 2 ingredients to muscle toning). This is perfect for building beautiful tone in the muscles without building heavy muscle mass (a big concern for women). According to the American Journal of Medicine, the best way to avoid arthritis and remedy current joint discomfort is to continue to use the joints in a controlled manner. The beautiful rise and fall of the waltz demonstrates this beautifully. What better way to do this than ballroom dancing. Dancing also improves your posture, which gives you a more confident appearance and a better sense of balance.

No matter what you do in life, you’ve got to take a break sometime. B&L dancing provides a temporary escape from the cares of the world and their pressures. A few hours a week of dancing gives you freedom, enjoyment and in turn leads to improved performance in other areas of life such as work or studies.

So, with that in mind, it’s time to take your first step. Come along to one of my FREE introductory classes at the club (call to find out when the next one is). My promise to you - I’ll have you dancing the basics to 8 dances within 12 classes! I teach all the ballroom favourites like the waltz, quickstep, foxtrot and tango as well as the sultry latin dances including the cha cha, rumba, salsa, jive and more. I also offer private tuition, ladies latin fitness classes, kiddie’s classes and more.

Yours in dancing,

John Hamman

Ballroom Dancing at Schools

I offer Ballroom dancing at schools as a Extra Curricular, in preparation for Matric balls or as an official school Sport.

I am currently busy with Ballroom dancing programmes at Camps Bay High and St Josephs Marist College in Rondebosch.

Teaching kids/young adults to dance goes way beyond footwork! The benefits of ballroom dancing are well documented and the physical, mental and emotional gains from dancing are especially important to kids/young adults as they prepare themselves for adulthood.

When offering it as a sport, I can begin to prepare students for the possibility of competing in dancesport competions. The younger they start the better! Kids can enter ballroom competitions as young as 6 years old and could grow into fine dancers as they progress. This option requires some discussion with the school and parents involved too.

Physical benefits:

Ballroom dancing is a great cardiovascular workout that keeps the children fit and trim

Builds muscle tone and improves coordination, balance and posture leading to a moreconfident appearance and attitude

Mental and emotional benefits:

Improved charm, discipline and social grace

Improved confidence and self-esteem

Release their true personality

Better communication skills

Teamwork as they need to work together with a partner

A respect for the opposite sex

contact John, 072 203 6581, for more information on his Schools programmes