Yes! The majority of couples I teach are absolute beginners, meaning they do not have any prior dance experience.

All of my local lesson packages include access to one of my beginner-friendly online tutorials that will expose you to foundational basics before your private lessons.

At any subsequent in-person lessons, I will tailor the lessons to your skill level and what you’re hoping to accomplish, so you can feel comfortable on the dance floor.

Whether you want to simply break free from the dreaded "prom sway" or learn a spectacular routine to wow your family and friends, your lessons are customized to you as a couple. 

Many couples are surprised to find they are actually pretty good at dancing together - they just needed a little instruction!

I specialize in teaching anything related to wedding dances, including the first dance, the father-daughter dance, and the mother-son dance, and any variation of these customary dances. For example, I plan on doing a mother-daughter dance with my daughters when they get married—if they let me!—because I don’t have sons and I want to participate in the tradition in some way.

Typically, I don’t have space in my calendar for couples who want to take general partner dancing lessons, like you might do at a traditional ballroom studio. However, I will sometimes work with parents of a first dance couple who want to learn or brush up on some general partner dancing techniques for the reception.

I can teach just about any style of dance. For a simple, classic wedding dance, you may learn a variety of styles including a traditional ballroom dance (Foxtrot, Waltz, Rumba, etc.) and/or social dance styles (Swing, Salsa, Carolina Shag, etc.) Sometimes the style of dance is dictated by the music you choose, but most wedding dances I teach/choreograph include the most natural-looking steps from different styles of dance.

Because of my dance background, I am also able to teach and choreograph mashup dances inspired by dances from music videos, movies or musical theater to trending dances on TikTok. Tell me what you envision on my Get Started form and we'll make it happen.

Yes, you can purchase a gift certificate for an online tutorial.

If you are also hoping to pay for private lessons, the recipients will still need to book private lessons through my booking calendar.

Details about this process are spelled out on the Gift Certificates page of my website.

We can certainly try! It is helpful to have an idea of what you are hoping to learn so be sure to include a link when you fill out the Get Started form.

Yes, happily!

FYI, there is a short section in each tutorial that offers suggestions for modifying some of the steps based on who wants to lead and who wants to follow. Also, if both partners want to twirl or dip, that can also be easily accomplished just by switching roles while you learn each step. I can also help with those modifications during any private lessons or virtual coaching.

First Dance Charlotte is located at 3626 Country Club Drive in Charlotte, NC. My dance studio is located inside my home and accessed via a separate entrance. It has hardwood floors, a seating area, lots of plants and is very bright and airy.

My hours vary depending on the day. You will be able to see all of my openings when you submit a Get Started form and receive a link to my booking calendar.

I typically have regular lesson times available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between the hours of 10 am and 5:45 pm. I sometimes open Saturday spots during peak wedding season once all my daytime spots have been booked.

I realize this schedule may require you to take time off work and I so honor your willingness to do that in order to learn from me! I will always do my best to make the absolute most of our time together.

My calendar is only open for booking about six months in advance, but it’s never too early to submit your information through my Get Started form. Once I have your information in my contact system, I’ll be able to reach out when it’s time for you to book lessons your lessons.

Many couples begin their private lessons two to three months before their wedding, but you can certainly begin earlier and space out your lessons over several months. And if you are in the home stretch before your wedding (six weeks or less), and you haven’t booked lessons, don’t freak out! You still have lots of time to learn a dance!

Because all of my packages including access to an online tutorial that teaches you the basics of a simple, classic, first dance, you may only need one lesson to receive feedback and polish your dance. If you put in the work BEFORE your lesson, I promise you’ll see the results.

Lessons are 60 minutes long. The last ten minutes of the lesson is usually dedicated to reviewing what we've learned and filming the steps on one of your phones so you have a practice video to use in between lessons. Most couples find this to be incredibly helpful for memory and to see how far they've come. 

Wear whatever clothing you are comfortable in. Smooth-soled shoes are the best option, e.g. Toms, flats, Converse, dress shoes, low heels, wedges and sandals, but only if they are strappy and stay on your feet. Please, no flip flops! Running/exercise sneakers are fine, but they tend to be kind of grippy and hard to spin in, so that’s something to consider.

I recommend practicing in your wedding shoes and a long, formal dress (for those wearing a gown) and a suit jacket (for those wearing a suit) during at least one lesson.

I will provide your music unless you are dancing to a mashup song, in which case you’ll need to send me the file of the edited song so I can play it on my speakers. If a band is playing your song, and they have a recording you can practice to, please bring it or email me the file.

My packages include access to one of my online tutorials because I believe it makes the learning process more efficient and ultimately more affordable. This is because we are able to focus the in-person time on the things that make your dance more memorable, versus having to spend the first two or three lessons on fundamentals.

I would encourage you to be open-minded about my hybrid learning process. It has worked for hundreds of couples and even the most hesitant learners tell me that they felt so much more confident going into the first lesson having worked on the basics in advance.

That being said, if you decide you don’t want to do the online tutorial, that’s fine! You’ll have access to it either way, and of course, I would encourage you to at least spend a few minutes exploring it. But if you really don’t want to do it, you certainly do not have to. You may want to book more lessons than you think you need, since my lesson amounts are based on the assumption that you have at least been exposed to the basics before coming in for your first lesson.

This is a really common situation and I would love to help you if I can.

You have a couple options:

1) You can enroll in an online tutorial and learn separately with your respective partners as the “stand-in.” This is kind of a two or three-for-one deal. For example, “Dad” goes through the tutorial with “Mom” and “Daughter” learns with her future spouse. Then when you have a chance to be together, even if it’s not until the week of the wedding, you can just do one or two practice sessions, and it should be like you’ve been dancing together the whole time.

2) If you can arrange a time for the out-of-town partner to be in town, and it aligns with my schedule, you are welcome to book the private follow-up lessons. Sometimes this will need to be on a weekend, so please explain your situation on the Get Started form. It is usually helpful to have a longer lead time for this scenario, so don’t wait to reach out.

The process for booking lessons is super easy. Submit your information on my Get Started page, and you’ll receive an email with a link to my booking calendar. Book the amount of lessons that works for your schedule and your budget (I offer packages of one to five lessons). Once you book your lessons you will receive an invoice via email. A 50% deposit is due within 72 hours to hold your lessons on my calendar. The remainder is due in 30 days or at the first lesson, whichever comes first. Learn more about available packages and pricing.

Cancellation Policy

If you decide you do not want to take lessons after you book them, but before you pay a deposit, please simply email me and let me know. I will then be able to cancel the lessons and release them for others to book.

If you’ve already paid a deposit or paid in full, you may cancel the lessons and receive a full refund, minus the cost of the online tutorial, up to 30 days in advance of the lesson(s) you want to cancel.

Rescheduling Policy

When you book your lessons, you are committing to attend the dates/times you’ve chosen. Because all of my students are working within a similar compressed timeline leading up to their wedding date, available lesson slots are limited and are generally filled months in advance. For this reason, last minute reschedules are difficult to fill and typically result in a business loss.

You may reschedule lessons up to one week in advance of the scheduled time without a fee.

If you need to reschedule your lesson within one week of your scheduled time, a $50 rescheduling fee will be invoiced if you are able to book a new lesson. This fee partially covers the loss of the last-minute rescheduled lesson time that is now difficult to fill. In some cases, you may have to forfeit your lesson completely if there are no available times.

I understand that emergencies sometimes happen. If a last-minute emergency occurs, please email me as soon as possible and we can discuss the situation and hopefully find a solution that works for everyone.

If I have to reschedule a lesson due to an issue on my end, I will work with you to find a suitable make-up time that works for both of us. If we can’t find a time, I will refund you for the missed lesson.

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!”

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 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.

First Dance 101 is the tutorial that started it all! This tutorial includes five elements that can be applied to ANY song: 1) how to break away from the “prom sway,” 2) how to twirl your partner, 3) footwork to help you move around the floor, 4) how to dip without falling over, and 5) how to put it all together into an easy-to-remember routine.

All of my custom choreography tutorials take the foundational aspects of First Dance 101 and apply the steps to specific wedding songs, like Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You by Frankie Valli, At Last by Etta James and The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra. You do not need to enroll in First Dance 101 before tackling a custom choreography tutorial because the First Dance 101 content is included in the custom tutorials.

Most of my choreography tutorials take the average beginner couple about two to three hours to complete, including practice time between steps. If you’ve taken ballroom lessons, or just pick things up quickly, it could take less time. If you like to take your time and work on things slowly, it could take five or six sessions of 30 minutes to an hour to work through it.

If you have the time, I recommend focusing on one step/section per practice session. For most tutorials, it will take you a little less than a week to complete if you break it apart into one or two sections per day.

If you are a marathon learner or test-crammer, you might set aside several hours on the weekend to learn each step in the course before putting it together into choreography. You’ll still need to practice the dance leading up to your wedding to build muscle memory. Every time you practice you will look and feel more natural and relaxed.

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!

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.

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.

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!