My biggest fear during wedding planning wasn’t the vows or the guest list—it was the first dance. Sure, I could have gotten away with a minute and a half of the awkward 8th-grade s...huffle, but there were two problems:
1. My (now) wife did ballroom dancing throughout college.
2. I am a very competitive man.
So, if we were going to have a first dance (which was non-negotiable), it had to be epic.
We tried a few intro lessons at other dance studios, but most focused on flashy moves for the bride while the groom just stood there like a prop. Then we found John Larson at Pivot Ballroom, and everything changed. From the beginning, John was committed to teaching both of us how to truly dance together.
Before working with John, my only experience with coordinated movement was drill and ceremony in US Army basic training—15 years ago. I had always told myself that I didn’t dance, didn’t know how to dance, and didn’t care to learn. But through John’s guidance, I didn’t just learn dance steps—I learned how to move in sync with a partner, to lead and trust, to connect. The closest comparison I could make was clearing rooms with my fireteam: fully trusting and fully trusted. Dancing scratched an itch that had been there for so long, I didn’t even realize it was still there.
John’s patience and encouragement made every step easy to follow – even for an old army grunt like me. He took a real interest in us—not just as students, but as people. He even stopped by the venue the day before our wedding to check in while we were setting up.
After 8 lessons (which we both looked forward to), my wife and I performed a first dance that genuinely stole the show. And for the first time in my life, I had the confidence to hit the dance floor on my own throughout the night.
It’s been two days since the wedding, and I’ve already lost count of how many people have asked about our dance and where I learned to move like that. The answer is simple: John Larson. His wisdom, patience, and skill made our first dance a moment we’ll never forget.