Create A Memorable Wedding Dance That Will Keep Your Guests Talking!
Whether you have taken dance lessons in the past or have “two-left feet” and have never been to a class before, we can help you create a wedding dance that will help make your wedding night special.
The Wedding Package
5 Hours of private lessons with Toronto Dance Salsa’s Wedding Choreographer Evan Carmichael
Review of salsa moves so you can dance an entire song together and look good doing it
Selection of an appropriate introduction move to the dance
Selection of an appropriate ending move to the dance (typically a dip)
Help in selecting the right song to make the dance memorable and entertaining
Cost: $400 per couple ($25 off regular $425 pricing)
Private lessons are also available outside of the Wedding Package at a rate of $85/ hour.
To learn more contact Evan at [email protected]
Subject: We can’t thank you enough
Hi Evan!
I’m so sorry I didn’t have a chance to send this before we left for our honeymoon! The salsa dance went AMAZING!!! We have never danced it better! We hit every mark and everyone loved it!!!! For the whole night, our guests kept on coming up to us and telling us that we could have been on “Dancing with the Stars!” We haven’t seen the video or any photos yet – but as soon as we have them, I promise to bring them over. You outdid yourself! Thank you so much for all of your patience with us!
Thank you again for everything,
Rachel and Steve
Subject: Thank You!
Hi Evan!
How are you? We hope you’ve had a fantastic summer! Andrew and I really enjoyed our salsa lessons with you earlier this year and our wedding first dance was a HIT! We had so many compliments and everyone was very impressed! Thank you for all of your time, energy and patience! You were great to work with and helped us achieve a dance that I’m pretty sure we will never forget!
Thank you again for all of your help – we couldn’t have done it without you!
always,
Nadira and Andrew
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we pick our wedding song?
Most couples pick their wedding song based on the following criteria:
Tempo: Is the song too fast and is difficult to keep up with the music?
Length: Is the song longer than four minutes? It can be difficult to keep the crowd engaged and for you to remember a longer routine. Many salsa songs are over five minutes long but remember, you can always cut the song short and fade the music out.
Accents: Are there noticeable accents in the music that you can highlight with your dance moves?
Beat: Is the beat of the song easy to pick up easily so you can keep on time throughout the song?
Engaging: Is the song going to get your audience excited?
Love: Do you love the song? If you really love the music you’ll enjoy it much better! After all, it is your wedding!
What song do you recommend for a salsa wedding?
Dejame un beso – Salsa Kids – One of my favourite wedding songs is Dejame un beso by Salsa Kids. It starts off like a slow dance so you can fake people out and make it look like you don’t have anything special planned and just slow dance on the spot. Then at the 44 second mark there is a big bang and it goes into salsa which can be a big surprise for the audience. It’s also a short song – it’s just under four minutes but 44 seconds at the start are slow dancing so you only have 3:15 of salsa and you won’t have to end the song short. The pace of the song isn’t too fast so you can complete the moves on time. The song also has good accents to highlight and has a romantic flavour to it. Finally, it ends with a big bang which is perfect for a dip ending.
La vida es un carnival – Celia Cruz – Another popular salsa wedding song is La Vida Es Un Carnival by Celia Cruz. It is one of the most popular salsa songs of all time and Celia Cruz is a legendary salsa performer. The song itself is very energetic and has many accents which can be highlighted in a wedding dance. The beat is also easy to pick up which will help keep you on time. It is on the fast side, however, so you will need to practice getting comfortable with the speed. There are also many versions of the song and some are quite lengthy. Try to find one that is under four minutes so you have a manageable amount of time to work with. The trumpet blast ending is perfect for a show stopping dip or lift.
How long in advance do we need to prepare?
Couples typically prepare two to three months in advance of the big day. The more time you have to practice the more comfortable you will feel and the more moves can be built into the routine. While we have helped couples prepare as late as a few weeks before the wedding, you should plan for two to three months ahead to get the best results.
What if we have “two left feet”?
At Toronto Dance Salsa we specialize in turning two left feet beginners into salsa dancers. We’ve helped many couples who have never had any dance experience and gave them a wedding dance choreography that worked for them. As we like to say, if you can walk, you can salsa!
Do we need to choreograph the entire song?
No. I typically discourage couples from trying to choreograph the whole song. The reason is, if you fall off track and forget a move somewhere in the routine it will be very difficult to catch back up. You want to start by choreographing how you are going to start and finish the song as those are the most important parts. Then you want to look at which are the most featured accents in the song, a series of trumpet blasts for example, and choreograph moves to fit the accents. You always want to leave yourself a few basics before a major accent is coming up to allow yourself to prepare for it. You audience won’t notice if you miss a turn pattern but if you are early or late on a major accent or the ending it will stand out.
How should we perform to the audience?
You always want to perform so that you are facing the audience. Most of the time the audience is on one, two, or three sides of the dance floor with the DJ on the other side. If your audience is only in front of you then you want to try and face them as much as possible. If you have your guests on multiple sides then remember that the worst view is of your backs. Always try to plan your moves so that your back is to the DJ. This is most important for the beginning, the end, and the highlighted accents that you have chosen to fit the song. For each accented move make sure you plan your positioning so your back is to the DJ and the audience has the best view possible. This might mean doing a cross body lead prior to the key move so you can position yourselves properly.
What’s the best way to prepare for the wedding dance?
There is no substitute for practice. It’s like riding a bike – the more you practice, the better you will be. Try to practice together as much as possible as well as on your own. Take a few minutes every day to quickly run through the routine in your head and imagine that your partner is with you. Then when you practice together you will be much more prepared and you will remember your part. I also encourage students to bring a camera with video capabilities to the private lessons so they can go home and watch the routine we learned over again. You typically learn so much in each private lesson that if you do not practice and record it, you will not remember everything.
What else can we do to prepare?
I often recommend to couples that they write all the moves they know on big pieces of paper and put it up on the wall so they can refer to it as they practice. It’s easy to fall into the trap of doing the same move over and over again – especially when you are nervous and dancing in front of a crowd. Practice going through every move you know with the list on the wall so that you will have the variety you need to make the dance look amazing. I also suggest to couples that they listen to their wedding song as frequently as possible (in the car, in the shower, at work – wherever you can) so that you become familiar with the song and all of its details. You may find other areas in the song that you want to accent in your dance and it will also help you make the dance as smooth as possible when you actually come down to performing it for your guests.
I have a big wedding dress – can we still do a salsa routine?
Having a big wedding dress does limit some of the moves that you can do but you can still do a full salsa wedding dance that will leave your audience amazed. Make sure to tell your choreographer about the dress in advance so that the routine can be planned around the dress. If you have an underskirt that is the length of your dress it can also help to practice in it so you can get comfortable with the motions. Other considerations for the women are your shoes and your hair. If you’re going to be dancing in heels then make sure to practice in heels (or at least on your toes) so you get the same sensation. For your hair, is it going to be up or down? The answer can impact some of the styling moves that you can do in your dance routine. The more information you can give your choreographer, the better the dance can be prepared for your wedding.
What if I have a hard time finding the beat of the song?
This is a common concern with many men who are learning salsa. As leaders the men need to know the timing of the song as well as prepare for the moves and guide the dance. The first suggestion is to pick a song where the beat is easy to pick up. Some have very pronounced rhythms and others are much more difficult to catch. Make your lives easier by choosing a song that you can grasp quickly. The second suggestion is to listen to the song as much as possible and try to count out the beat. Stop counting half way through and then try to get back on track. Can you do it? If not then you need to listen to the song more often until you get the hang of it. When it comes to your wedding day you don’t want to be thinking about the song, you want to be thinking about the dance and making each other look as good as possible. The last suggestion is for the ladies. Remember ladies that this is a team effort. If you find that your partner is having a hard time finding the beat, do your best to help him get back on track. If you are more musical and can pick up the rhythms more easily, let him know where the “one” in the song is so you can have a flawless dance.
Create A Memorable Wedding Dance That Will Keep Your Guests Talking!
Whether you have taken dance lessons in the past or have “two-left feet” and have never been to a class before, we can help you create a wedding dance that will help make your wedding night special.
The Wedding Package
5 Hours of private lessons with Toronto Dance Salsa’s Wedding Choreographer Evan Carmichael
Review of salsa moves so you can dance an entire song together and look good doing it
Selection of an appropriate introduction move to the dance
Selection of an appropriate ending move to the dance (typically a dip)
Help in selecting the right song to make the dance memorable and entertaining
Cost: $400 per couple ($25 off regular $425 pricing)
Private lessons are also available outside of the Wedding Package at a rate of $85/ hour.
