Couple of the month: Joetta and Bruce

In this article cycle, we will post interviews with some of our wedding couples to help you better understand the preparation process as well as what to expect from the dance on the big day. You can see the dance video at the end of the article!

Dance style: Dirty Dancing routine from the movie
Song: (I’ve Had) Time of your life
Amount of Lessons: 25

1. How did you pick a song for your first dance?

I always wanted to do the routine from the last scene in the movie Dirty Dancing for my wedding dance, so song choice was easy.

2. What was the most important requirement for your wedding dance?

That it was different from the usually boring slow dance to a love song that everyone does. We wanted to really surprise and wow our guests.

3. How many months in advance did you start? Did you have dance experience before?

We started 6 months in advance with a different instructor at a different studio, but we didn’t like the way they were teaching us. It was about 4 months in advance when we started with Olga. We had to cram as many sessions as we could because it’s a really complicated dance we wanted. I had taken a beginner salsa class years before, my husband had no prior experience.

4. What was the biggest challenge for you preparing the dance and how did you overcome it?

Trying to get down all the techniques while also remembering all the steps. Overcame it with lots of practice.

5. Did you feel comfortable on the dance floor on the day of the wedding?

Yes. I and my husband snuck up to the dance floor to practice a few times while the guests were at cocktail hour. It really helped! We were nervous before we got up there, but after so much practice we felt confident once we got on the floor.

6. Tell our future couples what to expect from the wedding dance on the day of!

Everyone will be cheering and taking pics and videos. Just stay focused on what you gotta do. It can be disorienting dancing in a space you haven’t practiced, so if you can, I recommend sneaking away during cocktail hour to get a quick dress rehearsal in before the guests come in.

7. How did you feel after the performance on the day of?

Amazing! Everyone was raving about the dance. It was the highlight of the wedding.

8. What advice can you give to the couples?

If you want to do something complicated, start early and practice a lot. All your hard work will pay off, and your guests will be amazed.

9. Are you going to dance after the wedding? 🙂

Probably not. But it was a fun experience we’ll always remember.

You can see an extract from the dance below:

Photos from the wedding day are by David Hershy.

Book your dance lesson here.