Kristina Tkac & Nic Palmer had taken some dance lessons before but need some help making something special for there wedding. Luckily, they went with adventures in dance and thusly made a rely flashy Foxtrot. The song they had decided on was “Your love Keeps me lifting” by Jackie Wilson. With the help of Bill and a lot of hard work and brainstorming they swept there crowd away on September 19^th. They later retired to their honeymoon in Granada Spain.

Nervous couple ties the not with a dance

Katie Radcliffe & Adam Littrell were a bit timid to come into the studio. They had a wedding coming up fast and needed to learn how to dance and weren’t sure they had enough time. But thanks to some dedication and a bit of practice they mad there first dance something special. They decided with their instructor William to do a Box to the wedding version of “When the Right one Comes along”. Then on September 19^th they Owned there first dance wowing both the crowd and themselves. William couldn’t be prouder of them and their accomplishment.

Wedding Couple fulfill their wedding dreams

Kayla Lipscomb is a Courtroom analyst and Ryan Cooley is a Avionic Tech. While they did come to us with no dance experience, they soon discovered a love for dance that they themselves didn’t know they had.  With the help of Holly, they pulled together a Box step at their reception that wowed every gest in attendance. May their song “What if’s” by Kane Brown forever be in their hearts. Following there massive success they retired to a honeymoon in Disneyland, now that there dreams had come true.

September Couple Nails there wedding dance

Both Justin Dearden a Technologist asset manager and Karla Lopez a Registered Nurse were bound and determined to nail there first dance on September 19^th and succeeded in leaps and bounds. This couple has the guts and will to accomplish whatever they set their minds to and Thusly decided to do a Merengue and Viennese waltz to “You’re the Reason” and “Suavamente”. With some help from Holly they shook up their reception at Baldoria on the Water.

Dancers Swing into a new life as husband and bride

Perrin Spalletta & Margaret Jones were planning for their wedding on September 14^th, luckily, they had the forethought to schedule some dance classes well ahead of time. They had picked there first song and walked the floor of the studio ready to learn and build a wonderful first dance. After some thought and testing with a couple of different options with Holly they decided on a Single Time Swing and began their path to success. When the time came, and the music glided across the floor they danced wondrously to their song “All I need” by Awolnation amid their smiling relatives and dear friends at Strawberry Creek Ranch in Granby Colorado.

Build Dealer and Orthodontist Move to there own sound

Rachel Levine & Andrew DesGranges were a bit hesitant at first to learn their first dance. With Rachel working in orthodontics and Andrew working at a Builds Dealership they wondered if dancing was at all something made for them. However, with the help of Holly and an understanding of what it takes to learn a new skill they put together something special for their wedding on September 7^th. They performed a Box for there wedding party to their song “Love is Everything”. Not a single person was not moved that night at The Barn in Evergreen Colorado.

Couple is Moved beyond steps in their first dance

Mike Don Moyer & Teri Mordick at long last planned to get married on September 13^th. They had done their research and decided that Adventures in dance would be the perfect place to take their first timid steps into the dancing world. With help of Holly they found themselves moved beyond steps, touched beyond leads and above all ells madly in love with each other and there dancing. Together they built a beautiful Box for their wedding day. When the magical day come at the Strawberry Creek Ranch not a single person in the crowd had a dry eye throughout their whole dance.

Family of Dancers leave their audience in awe at there wedding

Trevor Wages a Civil Engineer & Hannah Stafford a Physicians Assistant went above and beyond for there first dance. They not only Danced with each other, Hanna danced with her Father and Trevor with his mother. This Family is truly a close one, we have been so pleased to work with them. They had decided with William to do a Foxtrot to their song “I will Follow you” by Toulouse. That night at the mountain View Ranch not a single person was Expecting the sheer spectacle of this amazing dancing Family.

Shy family runs the Ballroom

Amanda Heiser & Ryan Lizarraga’s wedding was fast approaching and they rely wanted to dance together for their wedding. This couple and their family Committed and together not only built a dance for the Bride and Groom but for their respective parents as well. With the help of William, the couple built a romantic Foxtrot to their song “I will Follow you” by Toulouse. That magical Day on August 25^th the crowd was astounded by how hard this family worked to make their wedding something very special.

Doctor and Rocket Engineer take their dance to the moon

Sarah Mann a Doctor & Brad Appel a Rocket Engineer were a bit timid to take off for their first dance. So they enlisted the help of Adventures in Dance to get their 2 left feet from here to the moon. They had decided that “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young was going to be the perfect song and with some help from Holly they made a beautiful Foxtrot. Together they worked hard and practiced harder to be prepared for their wedding on September 22^nd.

Father Daughter dance leaves the crowd in tears

Both Jessica & Rick Erjavec were bound and determined to build their Father daughter dance by September 20^th. With some help from Holly they build a dance that left not one dry eye at the wedding at The Sanctuary Golf course. They decided on a Country Western 2 step to their song “Because You Loved me”. We loved every moment teaching this wonderful Daddy Daughter pairing and hope they continue to have happy memories together as a Family.

Excited couple leave there wedding speechless

Austin Kipp & Shelby Riley were simply ecstatic at the thought of getting to do a first dance for their wedding. Through a lot of time, effort and a bit of help here and there they put together a marvelous first dance. With the help of William and some good old-fashioned elbow grease they put together something truly special for their wedding on September 29^th. They Performed a marvelous Box for their family and friends to their song “Speechless” by Dan and Shay in the beautiful Boulder Colorado.

Cozy December Couple blows their wedding away

Alex Telleria & Lisette Corrales decided it was important to make a plan for their first dance. So, they took the time to come into Adventures in dance to work with Holly to design a dance to fit them and their dream wedding. They chose the song “Flor Palida” by Marc Anthony to work on their Special Day. By December 6^th they were ready to rock their reception at Mount Dara Florida. Having accomplished their goals, they retired to their honeymoon in Asia where they could rest and relax for 6 months.

Lovely November Wedding

Dancing on Saturday November 23^rd, Jessica Gutierrez & Ryan O’Quin danced the night away, whisking their audience to a world of romance. This lovely couple danced a romantic Mix of dances for their wedding. Holly Tomazin Loved teaching the romantic couple for their official wedding. They traveled Guatemala for a lovely honeymoon given their great success. 

The post Fall First Dance Graduates at Adventures in Dance first appeared on Adventures In Dance.

Top wedding tradition
on Holly’s Hot Wedding Tips

WEDDING DANCE instruction

Weddings are full of something old, and something new. Many wedding traditions are being re-imagined for today. Traditions like cutting the cake, or the bride being escorted down the aisle by her father are traditions most often kept. But what is the top wedding tradition that couples keep? The first dance!

According to a Wedding Wire survey 92% of couples choose to do a first dance. That makes the first dance the most important wedding tradition to keep.  Of the couples surveyed, one in four couples choose a country western song to dance to.

History of the first dance wedding tradition

Wedding dances can be traced to antiquity. The Kalamatianos (link) or Greek kerchief dance features in my big fat Greek wedding was one of the earliest wedding dances. Since then the first dance has been included at formal gatherings to respect the guest of honor. At a wedding the bride and groom are the guests of honor.

During the Victorian era, the Waltz (link) became the most popular dance to begin any ball. Disney capitalized on this tradition by giving many of his princesses’ waltzes. Just think of Sleeping beauty (link), Beauty and the Beast (link), and of course Cinderella (link). Today the first dance is the first embrace as man and wife in your public profession of your undying love for one another.

First Dance Types

WEDDING DANCE Coaching

With the advent of social media, trends can catch on like wild fire. The traditional Waltz is still the most requested wedding dance. This time-honored tradition is an elegant choice. Next are Foxtrots (link), then in order Rumba (link), the Night club two step (link), and swing (link).

New wedding dance tradition

Can’t decide on only one dance? Mashups are a fun way to shake up a party. Many couples are opting to start with a slow song then cut midway into something upbeat with a change of song. Mashups are great, however they take twice as long as a single dance to learn (link). This is because you are learning more than one style of dance and need transitions from one song to the next. For those adventuresome souls, every moment is worth it.

About Holly

Holly has been teaching wedding couples to dance for over 3 decades. She loves to tailor each wedding dance to her client’s strengths to help them achieve their dancing dreams. Her team of talented teachers shares her passion to make the learning fun and painless. You can find out about her wedding special here (link).

Holly Collins-Tomazin
WEDDING DANCE instruction
DANCE LESSONS.
author of
Holly’s hot wedding tips, 
Historically Accurate Princess Dances,
The Knot best wedding dance Winner,
Winner of top 50 Dance Blogs
Champion Ballroom Dancer & Coach
owner of
Adventures in Dance
720-276-0562
info@adventuresindance.com
www.adventuresindance.com
For dance tips,
join my email

The post Top wedding tradition first appeared on Adventures In Dance.

Love is an amazing thing and when a couple decides to share a love together and celebrate it, it’s even more amazing. Joanie and Kelsey are one of our few lesbian couples and we were so excited to teach them! Our teachers couldn’t have been more happy to teach them how to dance Foxtrot to their chosen song “Better Place”. We hope they continue to dance with happy feet through life!

For more dance tips or for personal wedding dance coaching in Denver and Littleton, join my email or contact:

Holly Collins

WEDDING DANCE instruction
DANCE LESSONS.
author of
Holly’s hot wedding tips, 
Historically Accurate Princess Dances,
Winner of the Knot best wedding dance,
Winner of top 50 Dance Blogs
Champion Ballroom Dancer & Coach
owner of
Adventures in Dance
720-276-0562
info@adventuresindance.com
www.adventuresindance.com

The post Joanie Ryan & Kelsey Hatley Sweep Each Other off their feet with Wedding Dance. first appeared on Adventures In Dance.

Weddings are ever evolving and it’s exciting because we’ll never know what people will think of next. Take Marti and Monica for example, they our one of our first lesbian wedding graduates! We couldn’t be happier too, as this amazing couple danced with joy all the way to their wedding! Monica and Marti learned a Foxtrot to their chosen song “Perfect” and I can say with absolute certainty that we all went, “awwww” at the studio when they first came to dance. Now they’re off on an exciting new life together and we just can’t wait to see where they dance off to next!

For more dance tips or for personal wedding dance coaching in Denver and Littleton, join my email or contact:

Holly Collins

WEDDING DANCE instruction
DANCE LESSONS.
author of
Holly’s hot wedding tips, 
Historically Accurate Princess Dances,
Winner of the Knot best wedding dance,
Winner of top 50 Dance Blogs
Champion Ballroom Dancer & Coach
owner of
Adventures in Dance
720-276-0562
info@adventuresindance.com
www.adventuresindance.com

The post Marti Anzai & Monica Wheat dance with joy. first appeared on Adventures In Dance.

Announcing the bride and groom

It is not every day I get to go to a wedding. I teach wedding dance for about 448 weddings a summer, but I do not go to many of them. When my student Ryan and Joy invited us, I jumped on the opportunity to attend their wedding.

It was a beautiful October afternoon with the sun shining at our backs as they exchanged vows at the school for culinary arts at Denver University. Guests went upstairs at the conclusion of the ceremony to dine on appetizers and chit chat as they took their formal photos.

At the conclusion of photos everyone was ushered downstairs to their assigned tables for dinner. After a delightful meal and moving toasts, Ryan and Joy pushed back some tables and set up for their first dance.

Party at wedding

A hush fell over the room as the first notes of the Carmen Tango played over the speakers. Joys skirt flew around her as she spun into the first move. With conviction they swirled around the room with their one of a kind Tango.  They had spent 6 months perfecting their first dance so they could surprise their guests. As Joy spun into a drop for the end the crowd exploded, then jumped to their feet as she spun into a second dip and kiss for their grand finale.

After such a super first dance, guests could not wait to join the lovely couple on the floor. Excitement filled the air and everyone jumped up to dance and party to the end of the night. It was made very memorable by this super first dance. I was proud to have been there to see their hard work bear beautiful fruit.

For more dance tips, join my email
or for personal wedding dance coaching, or adult dance classes and lessons in the front range contact:

Holly Collins

Adventures in Dance
720-276-0562
info@adventuresindance.com
www.adventuresindance.com

The post Wedding Adventure with Craig and Holly first appeared on Adventures In Dance.

Dancing on the street wedding

How many lessons (link) will it take me to learn to dance for my wedding? This is a very important question when it comes to fitting your dancing to you. Each person has unique learning styles, abilities, and time available to work on leaning a new skill. Here is the best question to ask yourself as you plan on leaning to dance for your wedding.

How good do I want to look and feel?

This sets the expectations for how much time it will take you. Here are some statistics. According to Malcom Gladwell to be an expert is 10,000 hours. That is how many hours it took Tony Dovolani  on dancing with the stars to perfect his dancing, and he is still working at it today. So what about the stars they teach? Each star spends 40 hours a week, and  244 hours on their dancing in the course of 8 weeks, or about 8 hrs. a day. Ok, so you may not have the time for that. Experts recommend that wedding couples start 3-6 months in advance of their wedding.

Let’s look at how much time some real wedding couples spent on their dancing:

More than a year (many years of experience)

Cinderella

Steve & Rita

One year in advance:

These couples worked on their first dance, and how to dance all night long

Ryan & Joy

Dirty dancing-Mike and Lori

Six months in advance,

these couples had time to work on fun first dance mixups with multiple dances

Gus & Sierra

Leslie and Malaci

Ed and Monika

Lainey & Ryan

Three months in advance,

These couples concentrated on leaning just their first dance.

Hannah & Aaron

Cassandra

Shannon & Ian

Aloyna and Ryan

In conclusion, the only way to carnage hall is with practice, practice, practice. So there is no shortcut in leaning (dancing in a hurry). Make time for yourself so you can look and feel your best for your first dance.

Click for WEDDING DANCE instruction or DANCE LESSONS. For more dance tips, join my email
For personal wedding dance instruction, coaching or adult dance classes and lessons in Littleton located South of Denver, North of Highlands Ranch, West of Cherry Hills & Greenwood Village, East of Ken Caryl,
contact:

Holly Collins
WEDDING DANCE instruction
DANCE LESSONS.
author of
Holly’s hot wedding tips, 
Historically Accurate Princess Dances,
The Knot best wedding dance Winner,
Winner of top 50 Dance Blogs
Champion Ballroom Dancer & Coach
owner of
Adventures in Dance
720-276-0562
info@adventuresindance.com
www.adventuresindance.com
For dance tips,
join my email

The post How many dance lessons do I need to dance for my wedding? On Holly’s Hot Wedding Tips first appeared on Adventures In Dance.

Mark West and Linda Sharpe West

Couple: Mark West and Linda Sharpe West
From: Castle Rock
Wedding Date: May 30^th
Venue: Blackstone Country Club
Wedding Colors: Pink and Gray
Song: “Open Arms,” Journey.” Smooth,” Santana.
Dance: First dance mixup, Waltz to Cha cha segue
Special notes: Mark and Linda started working on their dancing a year before their wedding. We were there for their engagement at Tony P’s in Denver, then we had the privilege of working with them on two fun showcase numbers and their first dance. They had so much fun dancing with their guests all night long. Mark was grabbing ladies to dance with him right and left, including his photographer.

For more dance tips, join my email
or for personal wedding dance instruction, coaching or adult dance classes and lessons in Littleton

Craig and Linda Dancing

located South of Denver, North of Highlands Ranch, West of Cherry Hills & Greenwood Village, East of Ken Caryl,
contact:

Adult dance classes for wedding first dance ballroom lesson special at Advenutures in Dance

Holly Collins

Adventures in Dance
720-276-0562
info@adventuresindance.com
www.adventuresindance.com

The post Mark West and Linda Sharpe West Wedding Dance Graduates at Adventures in Dance spring 2015 first appeared on Adventures In Dance.

Popular Social and Wedding Dance

The Merengue is a fun and easy Latin one step. This is a popular dance at the local clubs in Denver, like Los Cabos, and La Rumba. This fun little dance from the Dominican Republic can liven up any event.

History:

The name Merengue can refer to the sugary treat made with whipped eggs, or the dance. Both are a real treat. The Merengue originated in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and is the national dance of the Dominican Republic.  It is said to have begun with the slaves to the Dominican Republic in 1898. The rumor from Haiti is that it was based on the action of the shackled slaves as they kept cadence with their music. In the Dominican Republic the legend is that they did not want to embarrass their beloved prince/general who was injured and danced with a limp, so everyone danced the same way. What we know for sure is that it came to America in the 1950’s.

Characteristics:

Merengue is danced with a dominant left foot lead and pronounced Cuban motion. It is danced with small steps in a closed dance position to fast music. The music is usually in 2/4 time at a rate of 120-160 beats per minute. This is a fun and easy one step dance that is all the rage at the salsa clubs.

Overview:

1. This is a fun and easy dance
2. popular Latin dance at the local clubs
3. pronounced Cuban motion
4. danced with small steps
5. 2/4 time music
6. 120-160 beats per minute.
7. a real treat

For more dance tips, join my email
or for personal wedding dance instruction, coaching or adult dance classes and lessons south of Denver, north of Highlands Ranch, east of Greenwood Village, west of Ken Caryl,
in Littleton contact:

Holly Collins
WEDDING DANCE instruction
DANCE LESSONS.
author of
Holly’s hot wedding tips, 
Historically Accurate Princess Dances,
Winner of:
The Knot Hall of Fame best wedding dance instruction,
top 50 Dance Blogs
Champion Ballroom Dancer & Coach
owner of
Adventures in Dance
720-276-0562
info@adventuresindance.com
www.adventuresindance.com
For dance tips,
join my email

The post Merengue-A Popular Social and Wedding Dance first appeared on Adventures In Dance.

www 09 blues girls dancing west coast Swing

The West coast swing, is a creative and interpretive swing dance. This is a partnership dance that leaves room for both dancers to insert their own ideas and movements.  This is a good dance for creative and expressive individuals.

History:

The West Coast Swing is descended from the lindy hop. It was first noted as the, “Sophisticated Swing” in 1938 and many of the big bands recorded songs about this swing. By 1947 Arthur Murray was sending his staff out to document all the varieties of swing. One of his staff on the west coast, Lauré Haile, documented the western swing. Her work was published in 1951 for the Arthur Murray studios. At this point most of the wild moves and tricks of the Lindy hop fell out of popularity in the ballrooms. This was sped up by the Federal excise tax on dance halls in 1944. After this many people turned to the television to find the latest dance moves. You can see the early West Coast swing in the movie, “Hot Rod Gang.” Some people claim that the slotted movement of the West Coast swing came out of the films like this one where producers were asking the dancers to dance in a slot to keep them on the camera. Others claim it became slotted because there were so many students at the clubs crowding in to learn that the teachers put them all in slots to fit them all in.

In 1961 Skippy Blair recommended that the Western Swing be renamed the West coast swing to avoid confusion with Country swing, and by the late 1960’s the name West Coast Swing had stuck. In this same time, the original coaster step was replaced with the anchor step. By 1988 the West Coast Swing was named the state dance for California, and it still rules there today

Characteristics:
The West Coast Swing is a slotted swing using compression and release between the partners. The west coast swing is one of the few partnership dances that encourages improvisation. Its open hold allows each partner the space to improvise while staying connected with each other. The West Coast swing begins with a walk on 1,2 instead of the rock step like in the swing. The patterns are done to both 6 count and 8 count sequences. West Coast swing music is in 4/4 time and can range from very slow to very fast. The standard tempo for West coast Swing is 102-128 beats per minute.  It can be danced to Big band, Jazz, Blues, Rock & Roll, and contemporary music.  West coast swing is often called a dancers dance, drawing on the vast experience to create moves on the fly. Truly a fun dance to put your creative energy into.

West Coast Swing Overview:

1. Sophisticated Swing
2. a creative and interpretive swing dance
3. a slotted swing
4. using compression and release
5. begins with a walk on 1,2
6. music is in 4/4 time
7. very slow to very fast
8. danced to Big band, Jazz, Blues, Rock & Roll, and contemporary music
9. a dancers dance

For more dance tips, join my email
or for personal wedding dance instruction, coaching or adult dance classes and lessons south of Denver, north of Highlands Ranch, east of Greenwood Village, west of Ken Caryl,
in Littleton contact:

Holly Collins
WEDDING DANCE instruction
DANCE LESSONS.
author of
Holly’s hot wedding tips, 
Historically Accurate Princess Dances,
Winner of:
The Knot Hall of Fame best wedding dance instruction,
top 50 Dance Blogs
Champion Ballroom Dancer & Coach
owner of
Adventures in Dance
720-276-0562
info@adventuresindance.com
www.adventuresindance.com
For dance tips,
join my email

The post West Coast Swing-A Popular Social and Wedding Dance first appeared on Adventures In Dance.

dancers in 50’s swing costumes

Jump, Jive and Wail, is a popular swing song, and also happens to be a good description for the international Jive. The most lively and light interpretation of swing. This European interpretation of the American swing is a great dance for all occasions!

History

The international Jive is the European version of the jitterbug. It was brought to Europe in 1937 in advance of the war. In 1938 even Glen Miller tried to introduce his own kind of Jive with his song,”Doin the Jive.” Just before WWII, around 1942 “Boogie Woogie” was introduced with recurring 8 beat figures. This dance looked like a wild frenzy of indescribable movements, with patterns like pecking and leap-frog. The lindy hop was barred from many halls until the war broke out and a flood of Americans brought it back in full force.

Miss Bradley and Mr. Moore then worked out an attractive Jive, and taught it in the west end of England. Spontaneous movement was replaced with technique and a greater understanding of movement emerged in Europe coming out of the war in 1944.  By 1968 this happy and bouncy dance became the 5^th Latin dance in international ballroom competitions.

Dance Structure

The Jive is a fast and fun dance. In competition it is danced to 4/4 time music as fast as 178 beats per minute, but can be slowed down to a range of 128-160 beats per minute. The Jive is characterized by swinging hips and lifted knees. The figures are comprised of fall-away rocks and chasses. The basic rhythm is a syncopated 1, 2, 3a4, 5a6.  This is a light and fun dance to grace any social gathering.

Jive Overview:

1. Jive is a fast and fun dance
2. European interpretation of the American swing
3. Danced with technique and a greater understanding of movement
4. Jive is characterized by swinging hips and lifted knees
5. it is danced to 4/4 time music as fast as 178
6. can be slowed down to a range of 128-160 beats per minute
7. basic rhythm is a syncopated 1, 2, 3a4, 5a6
8. A fun dance to grace any social gathering

For more dance tips, join my email
or for personal wedding dance instruction, coaching or adult dance classes and lessons south of Denver, north of Highlands Ranch, east of Greenwood Village, west of Ken Caryl,
in Littleton contact:

Holly Collins
WEDDING DANCE instruction
DANCE LESSONS.
author of
Holly’s hot wedding tips, 
Historically Accurate Princess Dances,
Winner of:
The Knot Hall of Fame best wedding dance instruction,
top 50 Dance Blogs
Champion Ballroom Dancer & Coach
owner of
Adventures in Dance
720-276-0562
info@adventuresindance.com
www.adventuresindance.com
For dance tips,
join my email

The post International Latin Jive-a popular dance for Social and Wedding Dance first appeared on Adventures In Dance.