WEDDING DANCE LESSONS - LEARN TO DANCE LONDON with Hannah Emily Beal

Kelly + Richard Strange - FIRST DANCE ROUTINE LONDON

2011-11-27T04:43:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit late posting this one as it was back in August/ September, and I slap my wrists as Richard and Kelly were a lovely and v cool couple to teach. It was a delight to teach Richard Strange who had natural flair and an understanding of rhythm from working in the music industry and Kelly who was a natural dancer. Most importantly they had a real ease dancing with each other which was lovely to watch. Richard and Kelly wanted to learn their dance in one day so we did a 3hr lesson and then a 1hr lesson a couple of weeks later once they'd got to grips with the routine. As you can see they look amazing and did the routine proud! WELL DONE. Hx

Shereen and Harry's First Dance 'THE CURE - LOVECATS!'

2011-11-27T04:23:00.000-08:00

Shereen and Harry (well mainly Harry - twisting Shereen's arm) came to me asking for a dance to The Cure - Lovecats. Its a song I love so I was keen to start on the choreography. They learnt the dance in one day (a 3 hour lesson) and by the end of it they had a full routine to go away and practice. They opted also for a 1hr brush up lesson a couple of weeks later once they had time to practice together. On their first lesson they were timid to begin with... but 10mins later they were leaping (esp Harry) around the room, adding in a bit of experimental improvisation here and there for fun! Lovely couple to teach and thank you for such a lovely photo from your big day. Hx

Lucy & Atif's First Dance

2011-08-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

One of the loveliest couples I've had the pleasure to teach. Lucy and Atif wanted something a bit more modern and a dance they would have fun with. Both had natural rhythm so they learnt the steps quickly and put their own style into the dance. They told me they're wedding day was amazing - and by the look of the photos, I believe them. They might send a video so watch this space!

Zaynab and Oli's Dance - AMAZING song....

2011-06-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here are Zaynab & Oli performing their first dance to Belinder Carlisle! Such a brilliant song choice - I had lots of fun with the choreography! They just wanted to start the party and get everyone on the dance floor...they did really well! Such a great couple - I wish them all the best for the future. (The vid was too big to upload - such a shame as I've had to cut it down loads!) x

rob and mira's first dance - London 2011

2011-05-03T00:46:00.000-07:00

Here are Rob and Mira performing their first dance routine to Adele. They traveled all the way from Birmingham to learn their routine which was taught in the Clapham studio I use. They chose to learn the whole routine it in one day (approx 5 hours... inc a lunch break of course!!)
They did really well and it was a joy to work with such a considerate and passionate couple, I wish them all the best! x

FIRST DANCE SONGS - WHAT TO DANCE TO?

2011-01-26T03:45:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, not all of us have had that memorable romantic moment with our other half when a song was playing away in the background- therefore when it comes to choosing a song for your first dance - we're all a bit lost!!
BUT DON'T PANIC! I've been teaching first dances for years, from big routines to simple step work; here are my '10 top first dance songs' to help you out a bit!:

1) Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares for Me (For the vintage style wedding)
2) Andy Williams - Can't take my eyes off of you (slow but breaks into a faster tempo)
3) Guns and Roses - Sweet Child of Mine (One in which you'd really have to go for it!)
4) Feist - 1,2,3,4 (Quirky, different and romantic)
5) Frank Sinatra - The way you look tonight (Classic)
6) Bloc Party - This Modern Love (Different, rock n roll and upbeat)
7) Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love (V cool)
8) Aerosmith - Dont Wanna Lose A Thing (Romantic rock)
9) Michael Buble - Everything (Romantic dance)
10) Dean Martin - Sway (Retro rumba, v sexy dance)

Hope you find the one your looking for!

Debenhams Wedding Fair - London THIS WEEKEND!

2011-01-26T03:15:00.001-08:00

Hello all!
I have been asked by the wedding organisers at

'Debenhams Oxford Street London' to run a stall at their

wedding fair this weekend! (29th + 30th Jan 2011)
Its a great opportunity for those of you thinking about learning a first dance or having dance lessons to come down, meet me and discuss how I can help you.
Chanel are doing makeup tutorials, a beautiful florist will be there demonstrating their wedding bouquets, a wedding string orchestra and a fashion show at 1.00 and 2.00pm.
Come down and say hello!

Hannah x
http://www.debenhamsweddings.com/

Helen and Tim's First Dance - Nov 2010

2010-12-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

Helen and Tim wanted something totally different for their first dance, a really cheesy, fun, way out there dance to get the party started...so they chose Guns n' Roses - Sweet Child of Mine!! It was a really fun piece for me to choreograph for them. For Tim it was 'the cheesier the better'. They both wanted everyone to have the best time on their big day and the photos show that they achieved just that! Congratulations Helen and Tim.

Rich and Katherine's Wedding Dance

2010-09-15T03:48:00.000-07:00

These two were a complete joy to teach. Rich asked his local pub if we could use their function room and their local church hall to practice the dance (which was great!). Rich and Katherine were really committed and practiced loads, which is why their routine turned out to be so slick and impressive. They chose the song "Sway" which as a song needs passion - something they have tons of! As you can see they had loads of fun, which is what its all about. Congratulations and a MASSIVE Well Done!! Thanks for a lovely comment:

"We have just got back from our honeymoon, and we wanted to let you know that our first dance was so much fun! So we owe you a massive thank you for teaching us the moves to "sway" - it was exactly what we had hoped for and helped make the whole day such an amazing experience.

To be honest before we had lessons we (well, I) were unsure whether to learn a routine for the first dance, but now we could not imagine doing a slow shuffle in front of everyone! Loads of people could not believe we had only had 4 lessons... but we told them we had a great teacher!"

Bhav & Mitul's First Dance London

2010-08-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

Bhav and Mitul were a great couple to teach. They picked 'Baby I'm Amazed By You' by Bryan Adams which suited them really well as they were both totally loved up!(hehe they'll hate me for writing that!) I had fun teaching them their dance, they were really determined and in all - a really lovely couple! I wish them all the best for the future.

Here are some photos of their dance that they sent to me shortly after their wedding. They both look amazing:

Anna & Mike. First Dance London, Tooting.

2010-06-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Anna and Mike didn't have long before their wedding so we just had a couple of lessons. Anna and Mike were really committed and a lovely couple to teach. They were complete beginners and did really well practicing before each lesson. I hear they are really enjoying married life and had an amazing wedding day. Thank you for such lovely feedback! x

“Hannah was just fantastic! From beginning to end she made us feel really comfortable even though we had no idea when it came to co-ordinating any dance moves. We emailed Hannah our song and she turned up at the first appointment ready with the dance routine – it made us both feel so much more comfortable during our first dance, and was much nicer than just shuffling side to side on the dance floor! Thank you for putting together such a fun dance routine for us” Anna and Mike.

Julie & Davids Wedding Dance

2010-06-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

JULIE & DAVID'S FIRST DANCE
Click to watch!

Julie and David were a very cool couple to teach. I taught them their first dance in their home in Earls Court. They were beginners, new to dance and wanted a routine that had an edge and difference. They wanted something with a upbeat feel - their choice of song was a Block Party track. We had four lessons together then they made their way to New York for their wedding. Their friends and family (who were totally unaware that they would be doing a dance) hit the dance floor straight after. I loved working with these two, we had lots of fun .They may even have some more lessons with me just for fun, so watch this space!
Congratulations to you both! xx

"We cannot be more pleased with how our dance came out. People are still talking about it. We couldn't stop smiling the whole time! Hanna has a way of just knowing what you want and creating it; her intuition. And that intuition, along with Hannah's amazing dance and choreography skills, plus her friendly and patient manner made for some fun dance lessons.
We got married in NY as we are American, and over there, couples do their first dance right after the ceremony....they get introduced to the reception and they immediately start their dance. Well, we feel that our dance wasn't only fun for us to do, but really set the tone for the whole evening. When our guests saw how much fun we were having, they just let themselves go and had fun! Thank you Hannah for helping us make such a wonderful memory, one that we will never forget!"
Julie and David
Earls Court London

Gina and Morgans First Dance - Finsbury Park

2010-04-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

First dance tuition - Gina & Morgan.
Finsbury Park, London.

Gina and Morgan classed themselves as having 'two left feet' at the beginning of our lessons, but they had more rhythm than they realised! After moving the sofa and table to create lots of space, we were ready to go. Gina and Morgan chose 'Let There be Love' by Nat King Cole for their first dance. We completed the dance in only a couple of lessons and they danced brilliantly together!!

Kim and Pauls First Dance. Clapham.

2010-04-23T02:25:00.000-07:00

Kim and Paul's First Dance - Clapham, London

Kim and Paul were a very relaxed, cool couple to teach. They were put in touch with me from a past couple I taught - Matt and Katherine. They wanted a first dance to a contemporary, up-lifting song. I loved their choice of music and they picked up the routine quickly. In the end we had three lessons together and the dance looked great! I was so pleased with the result and really hope they are enjoying married life!

"The dance went well, the crowd were wowed! Thanks for your help, will recommend you to others!"

Paul Lemon.

Marianne & Martins First Dance - Isleworth

2009-06-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

Marianne and Martin married in April 09

Marianne and Martin didn't have long to learn a dance before their big day but we managed to squeeze in two lessons. They worked hard practicing at home leading up to the day and managed to surprise and wow their friends and family with a nice, romantic, crowd pleasing routine. A lovely couple who I thoroughly enjoyed teaching. I hope you are both loving married life!!

Testimonial:
"Hannah had been recommended to us by friends. We went to her for a few lessons before our wedding as we were dreading the first dance! It was so worth doing the lessons beforehand. We felt much more confident and actually ended up enjoying rather than dreading our first dance! We had a lot of fun doing the lessons and we really surprised our friends and family on the day with the piece that Hannah had personally choreographed for our chosen song "It had to be you". I would have no hesitation recommending Hannah as a fantastic dance teacher."

Michelle & Matt's First Dance - Balham

2009-02-25T04:37:00.000-08:00

Michelle and Matt Married August 2008

Michelle and Matt were a delight to teach. They chose a simple yet effective routine for their first dance. As we were limited for space in their house we ended up rehearsing the routine in their garden which was lovely with the sun beaming down on us. Michelle and Matt's routine was romantically slow and totally suited them. I hope you are both well, it was a pleasure to teach you both! x

Testimonial:

"One of the favourite parts of the entire wedding for all our guests (and especially our mums!) was our first dance. They were totally shocked and the whoops and crys we could hear as we danced I will never forget. We loved it and even got the lift perfect!Thank you so much Hannah for your amazing dancing lessons. We never thought we could achieve what we did and we are so proud of ourselves but more than that is we really enjoyed doing it and our lessons with you.Thanks for all your patience and your skill I just hope I can find an excuse to get Matt to agree to another routine!" Michelle and Matt.

Matt and Katherine's First Dance - Tooting

2009-02-25T04:05:00.000-08:00

Matt and Katherine Married on 4th May 2008

Matt and Katherine chose "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen for their first dance, so their routine was fast with plenty of spins and a cute lift here and there. Matt and Katherine had lots of fun learning their first dance which definitely showed by their constant beaming grins!

Matt and Katherine said they were very nervous before they took to the floor but when they heard every ones cheers and "woops!" they really got into it and made the dance floor their own (with Matt finishing the routine with an unannounced knee slide to K's feet! Very brave - Rock on Matt!) Congrats Matt and Katherine!!

Lucy and Daves First Dance - Tooting Bec

2009-02-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

Lucy and Dave Married in June 2008

Music is a big part of Dave and Lucy's life, so for their first dance they re-mixed their own song. Starting romantically slow, then braking out into a break beat number really surprising the crowd! I taught Lucy and Dave in their home in Tooting - London. Because of their sudden change in musical style I was able to choreograph from a slow, simple, romantic routine into a faster, lively fun routine. Hope you are both doing well! X

Testimonial:

"Thank you for your help with our dance. You will be pleased to know that we pulled off the dance, almost without a wrong step. We felt great afterwards having been almost more nervous about that than the ceremony!
Thanks again for your patience, you were fantastic, we shall certainly pass your details on if anyone else feels like rising to the challenge!" Lucy and Dave

Penny & Richard's First Dance - Twickenham

2009-02-23T06:20:00.000-08:00

Penny and Richard Married in Ireland in 2008

Penny and Richard were complete beginners who started out quite shy regarding their dance ability. But as the lessons went on, they both improved massively! I taught them in their home in Twickenham London. In four lessons they had learnt the routine. Penny and Richard wanted to surprise their friends and family with a 'way out there' routine, one with a difference, so Penny and Ricard decided they wanted a Motown styled routine - so as you can imagine, I had lots of fun with the choreography!!! Hope you are both well and still dancing! xx

Testimonial:

"We were so happy to have found Hannah to teach us our wedding dance. Both of us could be described as having 'two left feet' yet we didn't want our wedding dance to be an awkward, embarrassing, shuffle around the dance floor. Thankfully we contacted Hannah, who we discovered is a brilliant, patient and very encouraging teacher. Hannah taught us some very funky moves and our guests all said it was the best wedding dance they'd ever seen. I would thoroughly recommend Hannah for any bride and groom to-be and in fact have recommended friends to her. Thank you Hannah!' Penny and Richard

Sam and Simons First Dance - Clapham South

2009-02-23T05:55:00.001-08:00

Sam and Simon married on the 7th July 2007

Both Sam and Simon were an absolute delight to teach. Neither of them had any dance experience so we took their first dance nice and slowly. Sam and Simon wanted to surprise their friends and family which they did by taking secret first dance lessons. By their final dance lesson their first dance looked amazing, that's simply down to them practicing so hard throughout the week. Well done Sam and Simon and hope married life is treating you well. xx

Testimonial:

“Hannah was a vital part of our wedding day even though she wasn’t present! After 6 lessons we gained confidence, found we didn’t actually have 4 left feet between us and thoroughly enjoyed what for many is such a daunting moment. Our first dance was a moment we’ll always treasure, the look on our mothers faces and the fun we had was priceless. From our first dance lesson, when we needed a bottle of wine for dutch courage, to the last – we laughed and laughed. Our dance lessons were a wonderful distraction from the busyness of planning for a wedding and an opportunity to relax, have a giggle and with Hannah’s patience we felt comfortable being ourselves (no matter how bad our dancing!) With such a marked improvement in 6 weeks we’d definitely, definitely recommend asking Hannah to teach you some groovy moves – go for it!” Sam and Simon

If you would like to have first dance lessons please contact me on:

beal.hannah@gmail.com