First Dance thoughts

Prenderb

Hi folks, just thinking about first dance stuff. I'm not the worlds best dancer, but I'd be reasonably confident with a waltz. Well, maybe a short waltz. But nonetheless, I'd be better doing that than just doing the circular hug that usually passes as a slow dance. Anyway, I digress.

Can anyone suggest a good, maybe modernish waltz that would fit? Was thinking blue danube (she loves it) but it's a) very long b) got no lyrics, and c) is quite bloody quick!

Something Rat Packy style or like that maybe, but nothing too sickly luvvy duvvy in some of the modern gear.

I was thinking of I Can't Help....falling in love, by Elvis, but I've already done that. Fallen in love, that is.

kingofslaves

try these, second one is Tom Jones and The Chieftains

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEMBs4ERZI0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrxPJRv2Fr4

Mind you this would be pretty good to enter the room with !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8pz8yq_xPQ

Toots

Myself and husband did a quickstep for our first dance. It's a sequence dance, meaning that there's a certain number of steps and you just repeat them as you go around the dance floor. My husband has two left feet and had never danced before in his life but he found this grand. His granny is a ballroom dancing teacher so we had lessons and we enjoyed them so much we kept them up. The song we had was 'How Long Will I Love You' by the Waterboys. Our reasons for picking this were several-fold, we wanted an 'original' first dance song, we really liked this song, and very importantly, it's nice and short!!

For our second dance we did a sweetheart waltz, my sister (chief bridesmaid) and her partner joined us, because they'd done the dance classes too. The sweetheart waltz is a lovely one, and again it's a sequence dance so it's easy enough to learn the steps, and they're just repeated over and over, so if you lose your place it's easy to start over again.

Personally, I find the modern waltz very difficult, don't ask me why, but I tend to get so far and then get very confused! I think it's because there are so many turns, you can get a bit disoriented.

Can't Help Falling In Love would work for the sweetheart waltz, or even just for a regular waltz 'change step' (forward, to the side and close, then back to the side and close) because there is an actual 'ballroom' version of it, although it doesn't sound as good as the actual song. We tried the waltz to the actual song, but it was very very difficult to keep time, because the waltz has a steady 1,2,3 1,2,3 beat whereas the song doesn't. The ballroom version has no lyrics and does keep that time.

Would taking a few classes be an option for you? If so, what I'd recommend is picking out a couple of songs that you both like, go to the class and let the teacher suggest a dance that would fit the song, as opposed to trying to fit the song to the dance. If you go in and explain that you're both amateurs and want to be able to move around the floor a bit for the first dance, rather than hovering in the centre, they should be well able to help you, they get requests like this all the time

Best of luck with all the prep!

sweetie

Prenderb wrote: »

Something Rat Packy style or like that maybe, but nothing too sickly luvvy duvvy in some of the modern gear.

my wife and I had 'I've got you under my skin' - We had done a couple of swing dancing classes beforehand but they weren't really necessary. I see a lot of first dances and very few people put on a show (or are expected to!) Just be yourselves and enjoy the moment.

Prenderb

Thanks all, going to go with I've ogt you Under my Skin! Hope its ok...

ana_conda

What about ...The Way You Look Tonight by Tony Bennett?

Nice and slow so if your not too hot at dancing it give's you time. It's not soppy and it's very classy. It's short too, only 3 min so your not on the floor too long.

For the dancing part I would suggest working in a few twirls and dips that always goes down well with the crowd and if you have a videographer it looks great on video.... esp. if it's put to slow mo. Ye can just practices this at home.

You don't have to be Fred Astaire but your right to put some effort in. Nothing looks worse for a first as the 'teenage disco waddle' (as I like to call it)

janbaby

I really like the Muse version of Feeling good

Prenderb

And what about band playing versus playing it off the CD/mp3?

sweetie

Prenderb wrote: »

Thanks all, going to go with I've ogt you Under my Skin! Hope its ok...

great choice!

Prenderb wrote: »

And what about band playing versus playing it off the CD/mp3?

Depends on your band. We had a swing band an specifically chose that song so they could perform it. I see many first dances and would say its 50/50 on cd versus band. I personally think if you have a band its better that they play it if they can.

Prenderb

We went with the CD version of I've got you under my skin. Good choice - easy for others to join in with so we weren't left alone for too long! Also easy for the band to follow on from and set the night up for lots of dancing!