We’re ready to start learning our bridal dance, should we attend group classes?

You’ve been to a few dance studios for your complimentary first lesson. The prices are different and what’s included varies just as much. One studio encourages you to take advantage of group classes and the other studio doesn’t even offer them… what should you do?

The investment

In previous posts we’ve talked about the cost of dance lessons and how to land at the value proposition. One thing you need to decide on is your investment in the bridal dance. Is this something you want to spend money on to be used only once? Or would you prefer to extract as much value from your lessons as you can, and make it something that lasts a lifetime?

A possible way to view your wedding dance lessons is similar to a short course you would complete for work or to advance your career. You would be spending anywhere between $500 to $3,000 for such course and would naturally expect it to be of use for years to come.

Looking at your wedding dance this way has a range of advantages, apart from the extra value you will get out of your lessons from the simple change in mindset.

Learn faster

Contrary to popular belief, actually learning multiple dances speeds up the learning process compared to learning a single dance style. Our brain works in mysterious ways, and we can have that light bulb moment when we dance too.

Having trouble mastering an underarm turn in the Waltz? Try it in the Rumba, then go back to the Waltz… Not happy with your crossover breaks in your Rumba? Work on them in your Cha Cha and watch how they improve almost immediately.

Spend more valuable time with your partner

Dance lessons as the new date night. Your lessons are a great opportunity for you to spend dedicated time together without all those other distractions. Just to two of you working in absolute partnership.

Through dance you’ll also get many opportunities to learn new things about your partner, that otherwise may have taken years to find out.

Make it worth it

If dance lessons start out as a chore, or are something you don’t initially enjoy, why not turn it into a skill that you can use over and over again? As mentioned earlier, attending the group classes will accelerate your learning, but they will also add to your repertoire. Depending on the studio, you’ll have the opportunity to learn at least four other dances, which will mean there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be able to dance to most types of music.

With this extra dance ability you’ll be able to cut the rug the entire night at your reception. Wouldn’t be great to be able to get up and have some fun with confidence regardless of the song or who you’re dancing with?

Don’t suffer stage fright

It’s one thing to perfect your wedding dance during your private lessons. It’s another thing to dance it perfectly while you have hundreds of eyes watching your every move. Dancing in a group class will increase your confidence by getting you used to dancing while other people are around. This is great preparation for your wedding day, where you’ll now feel much more confident and look natural.

There are cost benefits as well

Let’s say you attended Studio A and took 1 private lesson per week, 1 group class per week and attended 2 socials during your program. That would work out at $68.57 every time you had a class. Compare that with Studio B where you’ll only get your 6 private lessons and it will cost $100 each time.

Start sooner rather than later

Regardless of what you decide, the most important thing is to start your dance lessons as early as you can. Most studios offer a complimentary first lesson, so take advantage of that to find out how many lessons you’ll need, and then you can plan backwards from your wedding. Plus you’ll be under no obligation – so go for it.