Do you want to look forward to your wedding dance, instead of dreading it or feeling stressed out about it?
Do you want to look like you know what you are doing and not like you are at your first prom?
Do you want to be able to twirl or dip gracefully without worrying about the dress, the music, the lights, or everyone staring at you?
Do you want your wedding dance to look natural and feel relaxed, instead of looking forced, awkward or overly formal?
Do you want to know what to do and when to do it so you don’t have to think or stress out during your wedding dance?
Do you want to have AMAZING photos and videos of your first dance that you can look back on fondly and share proudly with the world?
(You didn’t invest in that fantastic photographer or videographer for nothing, right?!)
Do you want your wedding dance to feel special, but don’t want to spend Every. Single. Night. trying to teach yourself complicated moves from YouTube or TikTok?
Do you want to be able to tell the story about your beautiful and special wedding dance to your future kids, grandkids, friends etc. with pride and joy, instead of with embarrassment or regret?
Yes? Come join me on the dance floor.
And when I say dance floor, I mean your living room, kitchen, patio, etc. (wink)
What does it mean to
Look Natural & Feel Relaxed?
No awkward “Prom Sways” here.
And no overly complicated, stuffy, “ballroom” moves either.
Just the steps that look and feel the most natural.
And so easy to learn, that you’ll feel more confident within the first 20 minutes of learning. Seriously.
This. Is How. We Do It.
Check out the video below for a quick overview of what you’ll learn and how you’ll learn it when you enroll in an online tutorial.
Now, let’s figure out
Which Tutorial Is Right For You?
the OG: first dance 101
This tutorial teaches you the basics of a simple, romantic and relaxed first dance so you can look and feel confident right away. With moves that are applicable to ANY song, you’ll break away from the dreaded “prom sway,” learn how to slow dance properly, twirl your partner, move around the floor, dip without falling over, and most importantly, put it all together to create a simple, romantic and photo-worthy first dance.
Can be adapted for father-daughter, mother-son, and same-sex couples.
Level: Beginner | Time: Approximately 2 hours | Cost: $149
custom choreography: 50+ popular wedding songs
Each custom choreography tutorial includes all the steps and techniques from the First Dance 101 tutorial, as well as choreography to specific first dance songs, like “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, “Beyond” by Leon Bridges and “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra. Includes a special section that shows you exactly how to put the steps together to the music. Tutorials available span all genres of music, and are easy to learn and remember, even for absolute beginners.
Choose from my growing library of 50+ popular first dance songs, father-daughter and mother-son songs. Includes modifications for same-sex couples.
Level: Beginner | Time: 2-5 hours depending on the tutorial | Cost: $149-$197
be·gin·ner
noun
a person just starting to learn a skill or take part in an activity
If “beginner” describes you as a dancer, you are in the right place! All of my tutorials CAN and HAVE BEEN learned and performed by absolute beginner dancers.
That means, even if you’ve never danced a day in your life, you can learn a beautiful first dance that you will be proud to perform on your wedding day.
And if you have danced before, you’ll still learn my secrets to looking and feeling natural and relaxed, so you can be totally in the moment, and also score amazing photos and videos.
In all of my online tutorials,
You’ll Learn “How To”…While Also Having Fun.
look & feel natural
No awkward "prom swaying" allowed! You'll learn how to hold your partner like a proper adult, and move to the music with comfort and ease. Most importantly, you’ll learn all my tricks for looking and FEELING more natural while you do it.
effortless spins & twirls
No one wants to feel yanked around while trying to twirl. I'll break it down step by step and show you how to spin and twirl smoothly and gracefully. Your guests will think you've been dancing together like this for years!
picture perfect moments
Don't let your photography or videography investment go to waste. You’ll learn all of my favorite steps that make beginners look like pros. And because my online wedding dances are so easy to learn, you’ll be smiling, laughing and having fun—which make the best photos.
make memories together
Learning to dance together strengthens your bond as a couple and is a stress-free way to reconnect during sometimes—ok, always—stressful wedding planning. If I said it once, I’ll say it again: wedding planning is stressful. Period. Learning to dance is the fun part.
What makes these tutorials
Different From Other Online Dance Programs
Let’s get real for a moment. There are many online wedding dance tutorials available on the Internet and it’s hard to know which one is going to be worth your time or money.
Though many online tutorials claim to be beginner-friendly, the simple truth is that the majority are not. Most other programs just teach choreography, without first teaching the steps and techniques that make up the choreography. (?!?)
This is quite literally a recipe for disaster, unless you have a background in ballroom dance. You don’t? Neither does my husband who dances with me in my videos.
Unlike other online wedding dance programs, I don’t throw you into the deep end learning a choreographed routine that uses complicated steps you’ve never been exposed to in your life and you’ll probably never use again.
Instead, we start at the very beginning and learn each step and technique individually before putting it together into a final routine. The only steps I include are ones that look and feel the most natural and that can be learned easily and quickly without needing additional in-person coaching.
The result is that once you learn how to do each step on its own, the choreography is a breeze to put together and you’ll have the skills to improvise if you want or need to. The whole thing won’t come crashing down if you have one little misstep. Phew!
TLDR: Using my proven methods that have helped over 2,000 beginner couples learn to dance for their wedding, you’ll be able to relax and actually enjoy your wedding dance, even if you’ve never danced a day in your life.
Plus, I’ll be there with you—virtually—every step of the way…
Meet Alex
Hey there! I’m Alex — award-winning wedding dance instructor, wife, and my favorite role: mother to two darling girls and future dancers (I hope!)
That’s me over there. Dancing with my husband, who is not a professional dancer, btw. Teaching online lessons. On my first day of ballet class (age 3). Leader of the preschool tap dance pack… I was probably destined to end up as a dance teacher from Day 1.
I’ve been teaching wedding dance lessons since 2014 and I absolutely love what I do. To help you express your love through dance, to be a tiny part of your wedding day, is one of my greatest joys. If I can help you look like you know what you are doing during your wedding dances while also taking the stress away from the process, I’ve done my job.
Over the years, I’ve taught 2,000+ beginner couples how to dance, IRL and online. And I still firmly believe anyone can learn to dance for their wedding with a little bit of time and effort.
Bring on the beginners and your two left feet! I can’t wait to show you how fun this can be.
At last! (Sing it, Etta!)
You CAN learn a [simple, classic, fun, romantic, photo-worthy, memorable] wedding dance.
In a few short hours. With no prior experience.
Absolute beginners and two left feet welcome.
Here’s a library where you are encouraged
To Dance, To Laugh & To Have Fun
Click on an image below to learn more about that particular tutorial and to watch a preview of the dance you’ll learn when you enroll.
When you enroll,
You’ll Learn:
How to hold each other properly, and not like you are at your first prom;
How to move to your music, and look more natural while you do it;
How to do basic footwork that moves you around the floor;
How to twirl gracefully;
How to dip without falling over;
And how to put it all together into a beginner-friendly, simple, classic, romantic, or fun choreographed routine that won’t have you stressing out about forgetting a step, doing it wrong, stepping on the dress, or whatever else you fear.
Is this right for me?
This Is Perfect For You If…
You want to learn a classic, natural-looking wedding dance that isn’t stuffy or overcomplicated;
You don’t have a lot of time or a huge budget to devote to private lessons;
You are nervous or anxious about looking or feeling awkward;
You want to be able to “be in the moment” and have fun, instead of thinking, counting or stressing;
You currently live in a different state, province or country than your dance partner, but still want to be able to prepare for your wedding dance.
Join 2,000+ beginner couples who have experienced a
Beautiful & Stress-Free Wedding Dance
Frequently Asked Questions:
Online Tutorials
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Of course I’m going to say yes, but the truth is, you really can! Here’s why:
There are many different types of learning styles. Most people have a preference for one or two styles, but will benefit the most when they learn something through multiple learning styles. My online tutorials utilize the four main learning styles—visual (videos), auditory (voiceovers), reading/writing (written instructions + printable pdf that I encourage you to mark up) and kinesthetic (practice time!)—which enables you to not only learn the steps, but internalize them. Once you learn how to box step using my method, you will probably always know how to box step.
If watching the videos is not working, try reading the text first, then re-watch the lesson. If the voiceover is distracting you from watching the steps, mute the video, then turn it back on. If you aren’t understanding a concept by watching or listening, JUST TRY DOING IT. You may learn something about yourself and your partner’s learning styles, just by realizing what aspects of the tutorial make you go “aha!”
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You’ll have access for a year from the date of purchase.
You don’t need a year to learn, and most couples do all their learning in a compressed time frame once they feel the pressure of their looming wedding date.
But I want you to be able to enroll when it makes sense for you and work on this at your leisure, without worrying about any dates except your wedding date. Wedding planning is stressful! Learning to dance is supposed to be fun!
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I currently have tutorials to about 50 different wedding songs from across genres from pop to country to the classics. I also have father-daughter and mother-son appropriate songs in my custom choreography library. If you can’t find your song, you should enroll in “First Dance 101,” which teaches you how to apply the steps to any song.
My goal is to eventually create tutorials to my curated list of top 100 wedding songs, so if you don’t see your song, it might be in my queue. Whenever possible, I try to make new tutorials to these songs when students request them and if I have enough time to get it done before your wedding.
You can request a custom choreography tutorial here.
Often when couples request tutorials, I am able to suggest a tutorial that already exists and I can help you apply the steps from the tutorial to you song via a choreography guide.
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All of my online tutorials include pre-recorded instructional videos, along with lots of written notes and practice tips, so you can tackle your learning on your own schedule.
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In each tutorial there is a link to add on “virtual coaching” if you feel like you need extra help and you won’t be able to take any private lessons.
This option allows you to send me pictures and videos and all of your questions, and I will give you feedback via email, voice memo, or video depending on the questions.
Just don’t wait until the very last minute to request coaching. I need a few days to respond to the request and to craft my detailed response.
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If you are having trouble logging in, try these steps:
1) Go to https://firstdancecharlotte.teachable.com/ and click Login in the upper right hand corner of the page. If you are already logged in, your tutorial should be waiting for you under the My Tutorials tab.
2) If you can’t remember your password, or it won’t work, do a password reset.
3) If none of this works and you can’t login for some reason, email me at alex@firstdancecharlotte.com and I’ll see if I can figure it out.
For other technical difficulties, please be sure to read the lecture, “Technical stuff to help you make the most of your online learning experience.” If you are still having problems, email me directly and I will try to help you figure it out!
Thank you to the following lovely students for sharing their beautiful photos with me that I’ve featured on this page.
Photo Credits: “Look & Feel Natural:” Carly & Ryan by @stephaniebaileyphotography | “Effortless Spins & Twirls:” Erika & Emily by @korrileighphotography | “Picture Perfect Moments:” Allison & Zach by @stephkeeganphoto | “Make Memories Together:” Tameka & Jeremy by @william_avery_photography.