I love my wife.
Seed of interest in partner dancing planted
My wedding first dance was a long time in the making. It went as far back as 14 years to ACJC (Anglo-Chinese Junior College) when a physical education (PE) teacher first taught my class a couple dance during PE.
Even though it was a one-off Rock and Roll lesson, I knew I had to dance with my future wife when whoever-she-is and I get married.
Related:
Wifey had no dance background
As much as I danced all throughout my three years in NUS (National University of Singapore), my wife did not.
I myself mostly danced the Latin dances, which are fundamentally different from the Tango my wife and I danced on the day we wedded.
My proficiency is also limited to group performances, as incompetence are best concealed in group settings! I attended club-organised practice sessions only, unlike my peers who booked private technique classes for competitive dancing.
How noobish it can be
Before one is intimidated by the grandiosity of ballroom dancing, this video is of us scraping through our routine for the first time in closed hold, and without music.
We had to memorise our individual parts by practising solo for four evenings before commencing to practise awkwardly as one.
from elsewhere: Côtoie Designs
Wedding gift ideas for a friend
Considerations to fulfilling our dream wedding first dance
Our wedding banquet revolved around our dance item, and these were our core considerations:
- Suitable venue for the dance
- Determining the dance type
- Finding the perfect gown for my wife
A grand venue and a pompous gown should mask our incompetence keke… just kidding.
Instead, our first dance has to rise to the occasion.
Wedding banquet venue
It was imperative that our dance floor be expansive. Our guests must also be comfortably seated with ample space for every individual despite the size of our dance floor.
The Straits Room at The Fullerton Hotel fit the bill. In addition to its size, its beautiful original colonial era, barrel shaped ceiling adorned with crystal chandeliers offered a most suitable mood and atmosphere for our wedding dance. The architecture was also magnificent.
We quickly reserved every dance platform available at Fullerton. Altogether, they would span four 12-seater tables right in the middle of our ballroom.
Had another couple danced on the same day and time as us, the resultant petty dance floor would have diminished the grandeur we sought. Hence, there was urgency in confirming the venue and hence the dance floor with Fullerton Hotel.
Go to:
Latin dances unsuitable
With the venue, mood and atmosphere in order, my wife and I had to decide on the dance. The typical wedding dances are the Latin ballroom dances and the standard ballroom dances.
In brief, wifey and I eventually settled for a Standard dance. This is because I would likely overshadow wifey due to an imbalance in Latin dance experience.
Second, by age 30+, we both have a bit of a belly. We can always tailor fitting Latin dance costumes, but the tiny waist, guy’s included, makes all the difference visually. Any belly severely takes away from it.
Third, Latin dance attire are inappropriate for black tie events. They are also less than desirable for immediate photo taking with our beloved guests.
A latin dance costume is an infinitely more glorious version of the red performance costume worn by my then latin dance partner (leftmost lady). Please youtube “blackpool pro latin” for the proper representation of professional costumes.
In summary, latin costumes, no matter how professional they may be, would require wifey and I to change out of them, and that would have broken the momentum and flow of our banquet.
The Tango
Waltz is the obvious wedding dance choice. However, while there are couples who look lovingly into each other’s eyes, wifey and I would just laugh at each other LOL. Therefore, something fun would better capture our chemistry than a romantic one.
Furthermore, the Waltz is a slow dance and any unwanted movements are obvious. One can see my arms flying all over the place:
So, the Tango it is. With the rose in the gentleman’s mouth keke. And to that one tango music that would have likely popped into one’s mind:
La Cumparsita
Standard dances have obvious merits. guests untrained in dance would subconsciously be able to, in principle, associate the standard dances with a formal event. I hope.
The perfect gown
The gown had to be appropriate for walking down the aisle as well as to be able to deliver functions for our wedding dance. Wifey’s dance dress is absolutely perfect as a wedding gown in our photos:
Not too cheesy, not too dated, not too costumy. Contrast this dress with the following dresses that we explored at various studios and gown shops. Many of these
To be continued in page 2…
Keching 