Welcome to DanceTime News, a series of dance articles focusing on social partner dance genres including the history, technique, kinesiology and psychology of social partner dancing. Pattie combines expertise in dance and writing to share this blog with you.
Father daughter dance songs are written and sung to celebrate the special bond between fathers and daughters. These songs are perfect for the father-daughter wedding dance at wedding receptions.
In recent times, there are also, "Daddy-Daughter Dances," at schools and "Purity Balls," held by some faiths, where father-daughter dance songs are popular. Still, father-daughter dance songs hold a special significance father's and daughers at the bride and groom's wedding day reception.
Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle 1997, Ballad (Slow dance)
Father daughter dance songs are written and performed by many famous songwriters and singers including: Steven Curtis Chapman, Beyonce, John Mayer, Paul Simon, Ben Folds, Beatles, Tim McGraw and many others. There are hundreds of father-daughter dance songs to choose from when trying to decide on a song for the very special father-daughter wedding dance, or a daddy-daughter dance or purity ball.
The Women's Journal "The Tradition of the Father-Daughter Dance"
Wikipedia "Father-daughter dance"
wiseGEEK "What is a Father Daughter Dance?"
About the Author
Pattie Wells
hails from San Diego, California where she writes article and video blogs for
her world dance resource website at DanceTime.com.
Also, Pattie is working on several writing projects including her new website
at PattieWells.com, a novel in linked
stories and a poetry manuscript titled Fire In Rain. In addition, she continues to teach a limited
number of private dance
lessons in San Diego including dance lessons
for weddings.
DanceTime has culled 25 of the best first dance wedding songs from across the web. These songs were selected by dancers for their great tempos and rhythms featuring an ensemble of brilliant artists. The descriptions of these first dance wedding songs include thetype of wedding dance stylethat best fits the songs. All of these first dance wedding songs are perfect for the bride and groom's first dance.
All Of Meby John Legend has a slow tempo that is a perfect rhythm for a nightclub two step or classic slow dance. It has a contemporary, romantic sound that makes it very popular among the first dance wedding songs. Since the optimal time for a wedding first dance averages three minutes, you might want to cut this song to less than three minutes or fade it out!
A Thousand Yearsby Christina Perri is beautiful, romantic song that has poetic lyrics and a lilting melody filled with rises and then falls. The lyrics, " I have loved you for a thousand years...I'll love you for a thousand years," are perfect words for a bride and groom to dance to at their wedding first dance. The rhythm is a fast three beat waltz, referred to as Viennese tempo (see Waltz Dance Styles).
The wedding dance lessons can be the start to a great partnership, where couples learn how to work together and overcome obstacles, to practice tolerance, kindness, patience and learn to cherish the success of one's partner, as well as, one's own success. The way couples learn together on wedding dance lessons is a good prediction in accomplishing goals together in the future. The wedding first dance is an essential part of a successful wedding and a wonderful start to a successful marriage.
1. How far in advance to start the wedding dance lessons (San Diego)?
(A choreographed routine to "Thinking Outloud" by Ed Sheeran)
The wedding day first dance is a special part of the wedding reception. It is a good idea to start thinking what you want to do for it about 6 months in advance, however, many couples are very busy during this time and wait until a few weeks before the wedding day. If you want a simple, just dancing with no routine and no choreography then it is okay to wait until weeks before, but if you are thinking of doing a routine, especially a choreographed routine then we recommend starting months before your special day! First, pick a few songs that you love; samples of Wedding First Dance Songs.
2. What is a the difference between a routine without choreography and a routine with choreography?
(Mash-up Choreographed Routine Wedding Dance)
A routine is series of movements sometimes called patterns or pattern sequences that are performed sequentially, e.g.step pattern a then b, c, d, etc. The couple dances the sequence to their song. In a choreographed routine, the pattern sequence is designed to be danced to a particular piece of music; the bride and groom's song.
Different design styles for the Wedding dance routine.
Basic: a slow dance, easy to learn, low stress
Lyrical:dance fits the words, for meaningful words in song
Partial Routine: some routine sequences, some choreography
Full Routine (unchoreographed): a complete routine sequence
Full Routine (choreographed): a complete routine choreographed
Newcomers to dance require more dance lessons to feel comfortable dancing their wedding dance routine. There is an extra step of learning some basic dance fundamentals like lead/follow technique, timing and the elements of the particular dance genre you choose. For example, if you don't currently know the basics for the waltz, then you need to spend a few lessons learning some basics before starting a routine in the waltz.
4. How many dance lessons total should we take to prepare for our wedding?
Generally, couples take between 5 to 20 wedding dance lessons depending on if they want to simply get through the dance, for instance, just do a little slow dancing or if they want a fully choreographed routine. On rare occasions, couples want to do a complicated mash-up and they are newcomers to dance, in which case, they may need to start 6 months ahead of time and may require 2 lessons a week. However, this is not the norm.
5. How many dance lessons should we take weekly to prepare for our wedding day dance?
Generally, wedding couples should take a minimum of one lesson weekly and two lessons weekly is better, especially in the beginning to learn the patterns and techniques for a routine. Once the routine is learned there is a period of practice and polish when a couple may go down to one lesson a week.
6. How many dance lessons for the father-daughter dance and/or the mother-son dance?
Here is a video of an incredible mother-son wedding day dance routine that would take most people 25-40 dance lessons, staring 6 months in advance and two lessons weekly to master, unless the mother and son were already experienced dancers.
Normally, these are not very elaborate routines since these should not outshine the bride and groom's wedding day first dance. On occasion, the father-daughter or mother-son choose to do a choreographed routine to a favorite song, in which case, the same things hold true as for the bride and groom dance routine. Often, the parent-child wedding dance is a simple slow dance, with a few turns including an entrance and exit. Consider sharing a package of wedding dance lessons for the various dances that will be done at the wedding like:
Wedding day first dance
Father-daughter dance
Mother-son dance at wedding reception
Wedding party group dance
Dancing at wedding receptions
This Father-daughter wedding day dance routine is very impressive, this is a lot of hard work for many months to master!
7. Does the wedding couple have to take all the dance lessons together?
We recommend they do most of the wedding lessons together but occasionally the bride or groom may want a few extra lessons on a particular movement they find challenging, for instance, they may want to do some extra work on the leading or following. Individual lessons might include some extra time spent on learning to turn, spin, lead/follow or spotting, which is a way to diminish getting dizzy while doing turns.
8. Does the size of the dance floor matter?
The wedding reception hall size, particularly the part that is used for the wedding dances, is relevant as it determines the type of dance genre that is possible for the wedding dances. For example, waltz and foxtrot are designed for larger rooms, whereas, rumba, nightclub two step and swing are designed for smaller rooms. Here are some approximate dimensions to consider when choosing a wedding reception dance space.
Small space, e.g. 20x20
Medium space, e.g. 30x40
Large space, 40x40 or more
9. Do we need a dance background or musical training to learn the wedding first dance?
No, these things make it possible to take fewer dance lessons since people with dance background will master a routine faster and hear the beats of the music without having to learn this on the lessons. The majority of couples that take wedding dance lessons are not dancers or musicians and are still able to learn to dance everything from a simple slow dance to a complex mash-up routine with no problem.
10. How do we hear the beats to the wedding first dance song?
Listening for and hearing the beats is something that is covered in wedding dance lessons so the bride and groom will be able to dance on time to the beats of the music. It is a good idea to choose a song that has a strong beat that is easy to distinguish if one is a stranger to listening to the beats in music.
Headline news for culture, entertainment & arts news: Kizomba Dancing Goes Viral in Latin dance clubs worldwide and recently in the United States too. In fact, Kizomba dancing has been popular in Africa, Portugal and many other European countries for five years and is now skyrocketing in popularity in the United States. Dancers all over the west are asking, "What is the kizomba?"
(Felicien & Isabelle kizomba show @ Kizomba Feeling 2015)
What is the kizomba?
TheKizomba danceis a sensual dance that originated in Luanda, Angola in West Africa in the 1980's evolving from an older dance called "semba." Kizomba songs are often sung in Portuguese, which is one reason that it became so popular in Lusophone countries that were Portuguese colonized by Portugal like Brazil, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor and Macau (Portuguese speaking countries) first.
(Fernanda Andrea & Manuele Poggia Kizomba "Don't You Know")
In the last five years, the kizomba has spread all over West Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. There are kizomba festivals this year (2015) in Hungary, United Arab Emirates, Estonia, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia, United Kingdom, Croatia, Greece, Denmark, Malta, Lebanon, Italy, Portugal, France, India, Mexico, South Africa, Slovenia, Hong Kong, Belarus, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Serbia, Egypt and the United States.
Pattie Wells
hails from San Diego, California where she writes article and video blogs for
her world dance resource website at DanceTime.com.
Also, Pattie is working on several writing projects including her new website
at PattieWells.com, a novel in linked
stories and a poetry manuscript titled Fire In Rain. In addition, she continues to teach a limited
number of private dance
lessons in San Diego including dance lessons
for weddings.
DanceTime Global culled dozens of West Coast Swing videos from 2013 & 2014 to find these West Coast swing performers and competitors. The dancers represent many different countries from around the world including Brazil, England, France, Canada, Australia, Russia and the United States (read about West Coast Swing here).
Benji Schwimmer & Torri Smith
Benji Schwimmer is a 9-time US Open Swing dance champion, and winner of the season 2 of Fox channel show So you Think You Can Dance and the Feather Award. His choreography and artistic directing include American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, America's Got Talent, MTV, HBO, and numerous other ventures. His acting credits include Lifetime's Holiday Spin, Leading Ladies, Love N'Dancing, and Full House. Currently, he competes and performs with his partner, Torri Smith. Torri Smith has been dancing since she was 3 years old with concentrations in ballet, jazz and tap. She was introduced to West Coast swing as a child and began competing at the age of seven. Her early awards include Young American Division and Young Adult divisions. She also competed in International Latin, winning the Junior II division in 2005. She partnered with Brennar Goree to win titles in the US Open Young Adult division and won the National Shag Dance Championships' as Best Overall Juniors. She has won 1st place in the US Open Swing Championships showcase division with her partner Benji Schwimmer numerous times, and in the 2010 Classic division with Brennar.
Ben McHenry travels in the West Coast Swing circuit competing, performing and teaching worldwide with his partner, Cameo Cross. They are among the top dozen West Coast Swing competitors globally, and recently placed 3rd in the US Open Classic division.
Cameo Cross graduated from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Dance then joined the River North Dance Company in Chicago. Her parents are National Swing Champions and Cameo won the National Junior Swing Championship in 1996. She has continued competing on the West Coast Swing circuit and is a recent US Open Swing Champion. She has trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, tap, and swing dance. Currently, she is traveling in the swing circuit and competing with her partner, Ben McHenry.
Both a Champion Lindy Hopper and a Champion West Coast Swing Dancer, Ben Morris began swing dancing at the age of 12 and is now a 2 time World Swing Dance Champion, 3 time U.S. Open Swing Dance Champion, Spirit of Lindy Hop award winner, a California Swing Dance Hall of Fame award winner, and a featured dancer in the movie Love N’ Dancing and the LeAnn Rimes Music Video “Swingin.” A graduate of UCLA, he currently lives in Orange County, California, running his weekly dance Swingin the Blues and regularly guest teaching at several local colleges during the week. On the weekends, Ben travels all over the world both by himself and with his partner Jennifer Deluca, to teach, compete, judge, and perform. He is known for his fun dance style, infectious personality, and enjoyable workshops. Jennifer DeLuca began dancing at the age of 5, studying under the Royal Academy of Ballet until the age of 13. After a complicated foot operation that forced her to give up Ballet, she followed a new path to ballroom dancing. Soon after transitioning to partner dancing, she was introduced to West Coast Swing and never looked back. She has gone on to share her love of swing dance with fans across the globe, inspiring dancers around the world with her funky yet graceful style. Jennifer is now a Champion West Coast Swing Dancer, having won several Classic division titles and having taken 2nd place in the 2007 NASDE Tour. She travels globally, teaching, judging, competing and performing alongside her partner, Ben Morris, as well as conducting her own line of ladies' styling and movement intensives. Although abroad most weekends for work, Jennifer enjoys her weekdays at home in Orlando, FL with her husband, taking a special interest in end of life care and currently volunteering for a local Hospice Care Organization when the time allows.
Clint Glasgow is from the Gold Coast of Australia, where he is among the most successful Modern Jive Leaders and West Coast Swing competitors. He is the current Australian Open Champion in the Adv/Allstar J&J and Classic Divisions. He was a finalist with Mackenzie Goodmanson in the US Open and SwingDiego competitions 2012-2013, as well as 2013 Pro-Am division champion with Elysia Somerfield. He was the first Australian to finish in the top 20 male leaders in the National Association of Swing Dance Events (NASDE) rankings and achieved the highest placement (2nd place) for an Australian in the NASDE classic division.
In 2014, Clint placed in the top five in Allstar J&J at Seattle Easter Swing, Swing Diego Open Strictly & Adv/Allstar J&J, Classic at the SwingTime in the Rockies, Open Classic & Adv/Allstar J&J in the Australian Open and at the US Open Allstar J&J. He is the principal of Anarchy WCS on the Gold Coast and event director for the longest running WCS event in Australia, the Best of the Best WCS. He has won numerous awards in Modern Jive and travelled across the globe teaching, competing, judging, performing, and choreographing. Mackenzie Goodmanson started dancing at a young age, growing up in the world of gymnastics. Her parents were both gymnastics coaches. Mackenzie was drawn by rhythmic gymnastics, which includes dance training. In college, she studied many forms of dance including ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, and eventually West Coast Swing; training with Arjay Centeno. In recent years, she has partnered with Clint Glasgow and competed in various West Coast swing competitions worldwide. She also started a Teen Swing for juniors in West Coast Swing training class to encourage young people to get involved in West Coast Swing. She hope to establish a junior performance team to compete at various West Coast Swing events and one day the US Open.
Diego Borges lives in Fortaleza, Brazil. He graduated from the Federal University of Ceara, earning a degree in Physical Education, and received a Masters in Teaching Dance from Faculdade Nordeste. Diego was the first Brazilian to win an official WCS competition (at Swing Diego) and is the only Brazilian WCS lead to compete at the Champion level. Along with his dance partner, Jessica Pacheco, he promotes the Brazilian Open Swing competition. He travels globally, teaching, performing and competing in West Coast Swing.
Jessica Pacheco lives in Fortaleza, Brazil, and has studied Accounting at the Federal University of Ceara. She is one of the best known West Coast Swing dancers from Brazil that competes globally. She has placed or won in numerous WCS competitions around the world. Currently, she is an Allstar West Coast Swing competitor, and won the US Open Allstar J&J in 2013 with her partner Diego Borges. They travel worldwide, teaching, performing and competing in West Coast Swing, Zouk, and other Brazilian dance genres.
Gary McIntyre is a UCWDC World Champion, and toured with the original Broadway show, Swing, as dance captain. He was a choreographer for the film Brokeback Mountain, a dance double to the lead actor in Love 'n Dancing, and also appeared as a dancer in the movie Shall We Dance. Susan Kirklin is a U.S. Open Swing and Cabaret Champion, and has won many awards in Country Western, Ballroom dance, and West Coast Swing.
Together they compete, perform, and teach in three different dance arenas: Country Western, Ballroom, and West Coast Swing. They have been finalists in World Professional Smooth dance, UCWDC Classic Masters World Champions, and West Coast Swing Classic and Show division champions. They travel in the West Coast Swing circuit and have won too many awards to list them all here, but here are a few: In 2013, America's Classic Champions, US Open Swing Dance Cabaret Champions, US Open Swing Dance Team Division Champions and many more awards going back to 2008 and beyond.
Jordan Frisbee & Tatiana Mollmann have been a successful partnership for nine years. They are 11-Time US Open Champions, 6-time NASDE Champions, and Multi-Grand National Champions, as well as dominating the Classic Division throughout the past 6 years. At the UCWDC World's event they were given the Star Award for the Couple with the Most Impact on Swing, and Jordan won Best Swing Choreographer. They have won Swing Couple of the Year for 5 years straight.
Jordan & Tatiana won Fox TV's, 30 Seconds to Fame, appeared twice on CBS TV's Star Search, danced in the motion picture The Polar Express, won America's Best Dance Couple on ABC TV's Good Morning America, and had speaking roles and danced in the movie Love N' Dancing.
They travel 47 weekends per year, competing and teaching packed workshops all across the United States and Internationally. They are Certified Teachers in the Golden State Dance Teacher's Association.
Kris Swearingen's passion for performing started at a young age. At 14, he began acting at the Kansas City Renaissance festival. He continued acting through high school and as a senior he had a role in a West Side Story production. During this period he was introduced to West Coast Swing dancing. Kris also earned a degree from Emporia State University for teaching High School and Middle School English. Kris uses his expertise in the world of education and his extensive training from the world's greatest West Coast Swing dancers in his teaching. He attended his first West Coast event in March of 2007. Since then he has taught, competed and performed in competitions nationally. Some awards include: NASDE JnJ Tour Champion 2013, SwingDiego Open Strictly and Adv/Allstar JnJ Champion, Grand Nationals Adv/Allstar JnJ Champion, and Swingtime in the Rockies Allstar JnJ Champion. Rebecca Ludwick started dancing at the age of two, training formally in ballet, jazz, and modern dance. She has taught and performed professionally for the last ten years with the Washington National Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera and most recently with the Kanye West tour. Eventually, she was introduced to the West Coast Swing and now performs, teaches, and competes across the United States in the Champion/All Star division and in Classic with her partner, Kris Swearingen. They have won numerous awards including the Golden Ticket Tour Finals Champion, and Swingdiego Adv/Allstar JnJ Champion.
Kyle Redd and Sarah Vann Drake are 5 time NASDE Champions, hold 11 US Open Titles and are 8 time Grand National Champions. As a partnership, they have been teaching, competing, performing, judging, and choreographing all over the world for 12 years. They are the only couple to hold a US Open Swing Dance Championship title in both the “Showcase” and “Classic” divisions. Kyle Redd and Sarah Vann Drake have dedicated their lives to promoting and passing on the art of West Coast Swing. Their energetic and enthusiastic teaching style has been entertaining audiences since 1997. Over the years, Kyle and Sarah have brought a unique and light hearted style to this ever-changing dance.
Lee Easton & Fabienne Henshall live and work together in Enfield, N. London. They have been dancing together for 6 years. Both Lee and Fab started dancing at a young age and have a wide background in many different styles of dance. They feel that West Coast Swing is the best fit for all of their dance knowledge and skills. They have won 15 World Championship titles and more recently were finalists at the US Open Swing Dance Championships in 2010 through 2014. They teach, perform, judge, choreograph, coach, emcee, deejay, and have been instrumental in developing West Coast Swing worldwide.
Maxence Martin Perso lives in Paris, France. He has studied banking at the Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier Business School and travels the world competing and performing in the West Coast Swing circuit as an Allstar/Champion. He has won many awards at various competitions worldwide.
Virginie Grondin lives in Lyon, France. She studied at Saint Exupery, Universite Lyon and travels globally competing and performing in the West Coast Swing circuit in the Allstar Champion division.
Myles Munroe and Tessa Cunningham Munroe are Canada’s West Coast Swing Champions and the highest ranked international dancers on the NASDE circuit, consistently placing 1st or 2nd in the Showcase division and placing 2nd at the US Open from 2011-2013. Myles 26 years of diverse dance training includes 6 UCWDC World Championship titles, and Tessa brings a professional coaching career to the partnership, with university degrees in both Kinesiology and Education. As performers, they are known for their cutting-edge, artistic choreography, innovative and high-risk acrobatics, and enviable musical expression. They are ambassadors for modern, authentic West Coast Swing: teaching, judging, performing and competing 40+ weekends a year, all over the world.
Kellese Key is an energy consultant for National 1 Energy and President of Swank: The Ultimate Partner Dance Workout program. She lives in Frisco, Texas and competes, performs and teaches West Coast Swing. Kellese travels globally, spreading her passion for West Coast Swing, and has partnered with many amazing leads like Benji Schwimmer.
(See bio above for Diego Borges)
Generally, the West Coast Swing dancers on our list either competed or performed at well-known West Coast Swing festivals across the globe. Naturally, we had to be able to find a dance video on YouTube and some information about the dancers online to be included on this list. We probably left out some that could have included and perhaps included some that others might question, nonetheless, this is just a sample of the hundreds of amazing West Coast Swing dancers who compete and perform around the world.
DanceTime's Article "A Quick Guide to West Coast Swing Technique" includes some great videos on rolling count, contra body movement, one-track walking, action-reaction and tips to recognizing downbeats & upbeats!
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