The Most Recommended Wedding Dance Company!
Recently updated
This vendor updated their storefront within the last 15 days.
Virginia, DC metro, Northern Virginia
Service area
Deborah Joy Block
FOUNDER/FAIRY GODMOTHER/NATIONAL EXPERT
AWARD WINNER (2X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
You don't have to be great dancers—you just want to feel amazing on your wedding day.
The Wedding Dance Specialists was founded by an engaged couple for engaged couples. For over 30 years, we've helped more than 30,000 couples and their families feel confident, connected, and comfortable in the spotlight through fun, personalized dance lessons.
As America's first wedding dance company, we've spent three decades perfecting an approach that blends expert dance instruction with encouragement, teamwork, laughter, and even a little premarital coaching. Whether you're preparing for your first dance, parent dances, or simply want to enjoy your reception without feeling awkward, we'll help you look natural—not rehearsed.
Couples choose us because we specialize exclusively in weddings. We offer private, semi-private, and group dance lessons in our studio in Alexandria, Virginia or Tysons, Virginia, and virtual premarital lessons. Couples are pleasantly surprised by how much confidence they gain after their very first lesson.
Why couples choose us:
• America's first wedding dance company
• Over 30 years of experience
• 30,000+ couples coached
• Certified premarital coaching instructors
• Nationally featured wedding experts
• HUNDREDS of five-star reviews from couples, wedding professionals and the media
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and our blog and acquire value added resources like dance tips, choreography ideas, date-night inspiration, and behind-the-scenes insights, and premarital wedding advice to get a head start on your lessons.
We can't wait to help you create one of your favorite memories together.
We've never wanted to create the flashiest first dance—we want to create the happiest marriage that happens to include a wonderful first dance and a lifetime of dancing and romancing! ;)
See you on the dance floor!
Deborah Joy (Fairy Godmother) and Brian Block (Hubby)
The Wedding Dance Specialists - National experts and most recommended!
info@theweddingdancespecialists.com
703.626.7016 (call for a free consultation)
Details
Music Genres
African
Arabic
Bollywood
Caribbean
Celtic
Classical
Country
Dance
Disco
Flamenco
Folk
Hip-Hop
Indian
Jazz
Klezmer
Latin
Mariachi
Persian
Polka
Pop
R&B
Rock
World Music
Awards and Affiliations
2-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2025.2011.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding
Meet the team
Showing slide number 1 out of 2
- Deborah Joy BlockFounder/Fairy Godmother/National ExpertDeborah is the heart behind The Wedding Dance Specialists and the "Fairy Godmother" thousands of couples have trusted to guide them onto the dance floor with confidence. While planning her own wedding with Brian, Deborah realized there were dance studios—but no true wedding dance specialists who understood the unique emotions, pressures, and excitement of engaged couples. Together they founded America's first wedding dance company, creating an entirely new approach focused specifically on weddings. By combining her background in dance, communications, coaching, and relationship education, Deborah developed a teaching style that transforms nervous beginners into confident couples who look natural, connected, and joyful on the dance floor. Her goal isn't to create professional dancers—it's to help couples feel like the best version of themselves on one of the biggest days of their lives. Over the past 30 years, Deborah has helped more than 30,000 couples prepare for unforgettable wedding moments while earning hundreds of glowing reviews and national recognition from the media and wedding professionals alike. Beyond dance instruction, Deborah is also a certified matchmaker, dating coach, premarital coach, wedding planner, and social intelligence coach. She believes the best first dance isn't about perfect choreography—it's about celebrating the beginning of a joyful marriage. Couples affectionately call her their "Fairy Godmother" because she has a gift for replacing nervousness with excitement and helping every couple shine in the spotlight. 703.626.7016 Check out our website for all packages
- Brian BlockCo-Founder/Groom Whisperer/Wisdom Workshop CoachBrian believes every Cinderella deserves a Prince Charming who confidently escorts his bride onto the dance floor for their unforgettable first dance. His mission is to help every groom become that man. Having been the nervous groom himself, Brian understands exactly what many men are thinking before they step into the studio. Known for his calm, encouraging coaching style, he specializes in helping reluctant beginners and self-proclaimed "two-left-feet" dancers discover that confidence—not natural talent—is the secret to a memorable first dance. As co-instructor of Deborah's Wedding Wisdom Winter Group Workshops, Brian welcomes newly engaged couples into a fun, relaxed environment where they discover that learning to dance is easier than they imagined. He answers the questions many grooms are hesitant to ask, removes the mystery from the learning process, and leaves even skeptical beginners excited for their first private lesson. Brian co-founded The Wedding Dance Specialists with Deborah after beginning his own dance journey as a complete novice. Learning their own first dance gave him insight into the groom's experience. Today, as a certified premarital coach, he believes dance is about far more than choreography. It's an opportunity to strengthen communication, trust, teamwork and leadership while creating one of the first great memories of married life. Outside the studio, Brian has spent decades serving as a trusted advisor, helping individuals and families navigate life's biggest transitions with calm judgment, precision, and steady leadership. Couples appreciate that same reassuring presence throughout their wedding dance journey. Whether his bride has years of dance experience or none at all, Brian's goal is simple: to help every groom lead with confidence so his bride can relax, feel cherished, and truly shine. Brian isn't simply teaching men how to dance. He's helping them become the confident partner their bride already believes they can be.
Reviews
4.7
out of 5.047 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Couples praise the wedding dance instructor for turning beginners into confident dancers with personalized, fun, and efficient lessons. Packages range from crash courses to extended sessions, all producing polished, photo-friendly choreography. Many felt well-prepared and delighted by their first dance.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 4
Sarah C
5.0
6/28/2026
My now husband and I had the best time with Deborah! She made us feel comfortable and most importantly made us laugh. We would recommend to any couple!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 06/29/2026
Hi Sarah,
Thank you so much for your kind words! It was truly a joy working with both of ...
you. We're so happy to hear that you both felt comfortable, had fun, and shared plenty of laughs along the way. We believe the best wedding dance lessons are about much more than learning steps—they're about creating special memories together before the big day and forever! :)
Thank you for trusting Deborah and The Wedding Dance Specialists to be part of your wedding journey. Wishing you both a lifetime filled with love, laughter, and many happy dances together. We sincerely appreciate your recommendation and wish you all the best!
Mollie C
5.0
3/08/2026
As a groom with no dance experience, and a bride with minimal dance experience, Deborah helped us feel confident in our moves and over our 4 sessions, taught us great techniques an...
d steps that we were able to incorporate into our first dance that wowed our guests.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 06/29/2026
Hi Mollie,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! It was an absolute pleasure worki...
ng with both of you.
One of our favorite things is helping couples who have little or no dance experience discover that they really can feel comfortable and confident on the dance floor. We're so glad the techniques and choreography you learned over your four wedding dance lessons came together to create a first dance that impressed your guests and, more importantly, gave you confidence to enjoy the moment together.
Thank you for trusting Deborah and The Wedding Dance Specialists to be part of such a meaningful chapter in your lives. Congratulations again, and may your marriage always be filled with love, laughter, and plenty of reasons to keep dancing together!
Any questions?
Mackenzie C
5.0
6/22/2025
We did two lessons with Deborah and had a great experience. She choreographed the dance, helped us learn it quickly, and the lessons were fun. We received a ton of compliments on o...
ur dance after the wedding. Thank you!
Carrie S
5.0
4/16/2025
We had such a great experience working with Deborah for our wedding dance lessons! She created a personalized dance that really suited our style and comfort level. We appreciated h...
ow she taught us just the right amount of moves—not too overwhelming, but enough to make us feel confident and look great for our first dance. Deborah’s approach was encouraging, fun, and professional from start to finish. Highly recommend her to any couple looking to feel prepared and enjoy the moment!
Lydia M
5.0
3/23/2025
Absolutely Amazing First Dance Lessons!
We cannot thank Deborah enough for helping us create the perfect first dance for our wedding! From the very first lesson, she made us feel ...
comfortable and confident, even though we had zero dance experience. She took the time to understand our vision, worked with our song choice, and choreographed a routine that felt natural, elegant, and very photogenic.
Her patience, encouragement, and attention to detail made all the difference. By the end of our lessons, we felt so prepared—and on our wedding day, everything went perfectly! Our guests were amazed, and we felt incredible dancing together.
If you're looking for someone who is professional, talented, and genuinely cares about making your first dance special, look no further. Deborah is truly the best, and we highly recommend them to any couple preparing for their big day!
Thank you again for making our first dance unforgettable!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 03/24/2025
Thank you so much for your heartwarming rave review! Building confidence in nervous beginn...
ers is our passion! Enjoy a lifetime of dancing!
Josh H
5.0
10/27/2024
We had a great experience preparing for our first dance with the Wedding Dance Specialists. We went from having no clue what we were doing to understanding the structure and flow o...
f a first dance in just one short session. While this was all we had time for before our wedding, it enabled us to have a baseline from which we could practice on our own later on. It was well worth it if you are like us and don't know where to begin with your first dance.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/31/2024
Hi Josh,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. I am so glad you feel mo...
re empowered and confident even in a crash course! Enjoy dancing and romancing! ;)
Derek O
5.0
10/20/2024
Very helpful crash course in wedding dancing. Took us from absolute beginners to having some confidence. Definitely recommend if you want some dancing training
Andrew M
5.0
9/21/2024
Our instructor, Deborah only had but so much time to prepare us for our first dance. As newcomers we didn’t know what to expect and if we’ll learn the steps effectively. Her method...
was light and Harmonious so much so that not only did we learn and memorize our routine, we also added iterations to it that work within the time limits we had on the day of our wedding night. I would highly recommend her.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/31/2024
Hi Andrew!
Thank you for choosing our services and it was a great honor to be part of your...
wedding planning journey! I am glad you had a comfortable and rewarding learning experience!
Alexandra V
5.0
9/20/2024
Deborah was very professional and made us feel comfortable as beginner dancers. We did a double session to learn as much as possible for our upcoming wedding in 1 month and left fe...
eling more confident for our first dance!!
Jessica S
5.0
9/20/2024
Deborah was so great! In two hours we learned a full wedding dance, and even incorporated a lift! I would recommend this to anyone getting married - Deborah gives fantastic feedbac...
k, is patient, and kind. Thank you!! We are excited to surprise everyone with the dance
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 09/21/2024
Your lift and dip looked fantastic! It was a pleasure helping both of you gain confidence ...
for your fairytale dance!
Jaime O
5.0
9/18/2024
Instructor was very friendly and talented. My fiancé and I are both beginners and she broke down the steps and dance moves into very digestible pieces. We felt really confident aft...
er 1 session.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 09/18/2024
Thank you for your positive feedback! You and Jon worked as a great team together and made...
rapid progress! Thank you for choosing our services for your special day!
Angelica F
5.0
9/17/2024
Deborah is absolutely incredible! My Fiance and I had no experience and she taught us so many moves to give us not only an incredible first dance but skills to use forever! We are ...
so glad we got the superstar package to have 8 lessons with Deborah. I can’t wait to see the amazing pictures and videos we get from our first dance. It was a really valuable experience also for us as a couple in exercising trust as my partner leads and I “follow”…. Something I’m not usually good at. Would highly recommend taking her lessons!!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 09/17/2024
It was such an honor to be part of your wedding journey!
Nicholas K
5.0
9/10/2024
We had an amazing time learning. It took a major stress off our shoulders leading up to the wedding!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 09/17/2024
Dancing is the most fun and romantic aspect of wedding planning! I am thrilled that you ex...
perienced that joy!
Brian R
5.0
9/06/2024
She was fantastic! Whipped us into shape for our wedding first dance very quickly and gave us moves that suited our skill level.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 09/17/2024
We wish you a lifetime of dancing and romancing!
Justine W
5.0
9/04/2024
We had a wonderful experience with the eight-session package working with Deborah. We have a beautiful first dance full of moves that we picked out from her recommendations that ma...
ke us so excited to show our friends and family on wedding day. Not only do we have a beautiful first dance, we also have the tools and techniques to apply to any dancing we do from this point forward.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 09/17/2024
It was a pleasure helping you sparkle in the spotlight with confidence!
Camille S
5.0
9/03/2024
Deborah was an excellent instructor! In 2-1 hour classes we learned awesome choreography for our first dance. She thoroughly explained each move and made an instructional video to ...
practice on our own. My fiancé and I are looking forward to making dance a special part of our marriage. Definitely worth the investment and one of the more exciting aspects of wedding planning!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 09/17/2024
Congratulations on investing in your relationship by preparing a special first dance! Grea...
t teamwork!
Ayanna W
5.0
9/02/2024
The class was efficient and fun. We covered a lot of ground in two hours and left with a fully choreographed dance!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/31/2024
Hi Ayanna, Thank you for taking the time to write a review. I am so glad you felt like you...
had such a rewarding experience with your crash course. It was a pleasure working with you and Craig! I hope your photos look great!
Jessica C
5.0
9/16/2023
Debra Joy is so fun and so competent that when we did a crash course with her, we felt like we have been dancing for years. I can't wait to fill the reception hall with tears when ...
our family and friends watch us dance on our big day! Highly recommend!!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 09/17/2024
Yes the entire dance journey can feel sentimental because you are spending quality time to...
gether while learning a lifelong skill and demonstrating your unity to your guests! Thank you for choosing our services!
Kristen C
5.0
6/12/2023
We so enjoyed working with Deborah! We did 4 lessons with her and feel so much more confident going into our first dance and parent dances. We learned our entrance and exit choreog...
raphy just in the first lesson! From there, Deborah was able to help us refine our dance and teach us new movements and techniques along the way. Deborah made the dance experience enjoyable while also keeping the lessons educational. She is very patient and thorough as an instructor and the videos she narrated for us were extremely helpful when we practiced on our own.
Philippa K
5.0
5/04/2023
Deborah was an excellent dance teacher. My now husband and I had never danced together before, so we were starting from square zero. And yet at the wedding we got a million complim...
ents on our first dance. I caught several of our friends and family crying. We also had a lot of fun with the lessons, and it gave us time to bond outside of the stress of wedding planning. Highly recommend getting the eight class package, as it gave us the time we needed to really feel confident the day of.
Caridad D
5.0
10/02/2022
Deborah (Wedding Dance Specialists) was an absolute pleasure to work with! We came in with no experience and after one class we had an entrance, a couple of moves, and a grand fina...
le done! We feel very confident after taking lessons with Deborah that we will look amazing for our first dance!
Morgan H
5.0
8/09/2022
Deborah was an absolutely fantastic teacher. She was patient, reassuring, and kind. I became frustrated with my own two left feet and she was extremely supportive and patient. We b...
rought our song to her and she helped us choose some dance moves that we were comfortable completing. She even helped us take a couple of videos to help us remember each step.
I was very self conscious about dancing at my wedding but I feel Deborah gave us something to confidently do for our first dance.
Stephanie K
5.0
6/01/2022
We took a dance lesson with Deborah to prepare for our first dance at our wedding. Neither my fiancé nor I have any dance experience. By the end of our two-hour lesson, we had lear...
ned a series of steps and a routine to go with our song. We still need to practice on our own to master it but I was surprised at how much Deborah was able to teach us in those two hours! Throughout the lesson, she recorded us using our phones and wrote down a detailed list of all of the steps so we would have something to go back and refer to. We're planning on going back for a second lesson a few months before our wedding to refine the routine and maybe take a lesson for father/daughter as well.
Elizabeth P
5.0
11/04/2021
We loved the wedding dance specialist! Her choreography was easy to learn and we felt so confident the day of our wedding! We received so many compliments after our first dance. Hi...
ghly recommend!!
Amanda R
5.0
5/18/2021
Deborah/Wedding Dance Specialists was wonderful! We came in uncoordinated and unsure of what to do for our first dance and she helped us from the basics to a beautiful choreographe...
d dance. Our wedding guests and family were impressed and we were so happy with how it came out. We continue to sway to our song as newlyweds. This is worth the investment!
STEFANIE B
3.0
8/31/2019
With regards to the steps we were taught, she did a great job. She videotaped our first session while giving live tips and we were able to practice with her suggestions. As far as ...
her actual dance lesson, it was beneficial.
Logistically, it was a nightmare. She cancelled our first session due to illness (totally understandable). Our second session she showed up to 30 minutes late. And though she did give us 30 extra minutes to make up for the tardiness, she spent most of the time talking about marketing for her business. Our third session was scheduled for a Sunday at 4pm. She texted that weekend to see if we could change to 11am, which we could not. We decided to double up on Thursday from 7-9 at her suggestion. The day of, we texted to confirm this was still the plan and she agreed it was. When we arrived at 7, she had double booked us with another couple. We decided to cancel the remaining 3 classes we paid for out of our 4 pack and she did refund us quickly.
My advice: take one crash course lesson with her to get the steps. No engaged couple has the time to deal with the scheduling nightmare we experienced.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 06/29/2026
Hi Stephanie,
Our apologies for any confusion or inconvenience. Of our 35,000 students we ...
have only had a couple that have encountered scheduling frustrations and mistakes with us but we do recognize that it was personally annoying for you when your are planning a wedding and have many appointments to juggle and coordinate. We have tripled our safeguards and modernized and upgraded our scheduling systems to avoid reoccurrence of this issue.
Eliza v
2.0
11/14/2016
The lady who runs this operation is nuts. Incredibly unprofessional and talks solely about her dance career and wedding. At our first lesson, she yelled at the next student in line...
to be quiet and argued over how long they were waiting. It made both of us very uncomfortable. She also kept trying to push more lessons on us (we ended up with 2). Overall our dance was fine at the end though I think she teaches the same routine to everyone. However, she made the process pretty stressful and not very enjoyable.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 11/15/2016
Hi Eliza,
We are happy to hear that you liked your final dance but sorry to hear you wer...
e disappointed with the instructor's personality. It is impossible to respond to personal attacks, character assassinations and defamation like "nuts" and "incredibly unprofessional" or vague descriptions such as "stressful" and "unenjoyable" but this instructor is the most qualified and highly recommended in the country in the wedding dance industry, her job was to make the material easy to absorb and you acknowledge that you learned a routine to your satisfaction.
This couple chose to take our crash course Miracle package and we delivered a photogenic, natural, easy, elegant routine in a patient and gentle manner in just 2 hours! :). They had a single trial and enjoyed their lesson enough to add another lesson. They received written notes and a video recording of their routine plus $400 extra in value added resources to maximize their investment and get a head start on the lessons before they walked in the door.
During the lesson, unaffiliated studio personnel were violating studio etiquette and socializing loudly with our next students so your instructor asked them to respect Elizas privacy and wait in the lounge to avoid disrupting and distracting from the current class and support a romantic, private date night vibe! ;) Your instructor acted on your behalf as your ADVOCATE. The peanut gallery realized their error and politely exited.
We do not teach identical routines as there are MANY potential variables: total number of moves, the nature of the curriculum (easy vs hard) , song length, style of music, # of participants, student ability, student taste, package size, the participant relationships, Group Workshop exposure, etc.... Students are also welcome to incorporate their own ideas or routines. TWDS trailblazed a curriculum that is more versatile, easy, photogenic and affordable than a traditional studio curriculum so it can be used for a lifetime instead of just one dance.
A 2 hour investment deliver confidence, connection and chemistry. The emphasis is not on elaborate choreography it is on natural, joyful, teamwork. Considering how little time, money and energy this couple invested in the process and their last minute approach, the couple expressed that they were THRILLED with the routine when it was demonstrated to them and APPROVED it without suggesting modifications. Their description was not "fine." Their reaction was that the routine EXCEEDED their expectations for a crash course.
We would love to hear if you are still dancing and romancing!? Did you receive compliments? Were guests curious, taking photos, intrigued and paying attention? Did you capture dynamic photo ops for your priceless memories? Were you able to dance all night long with your guests and each other? Did you kick up your heels at your honeymoon? What about at other social events and weddings? How about dancing and romancing in your living room on a rainy night? Dance lessons are an investment in yourself and your relationship not just the party. Congratulations on making a wise decision!
The lessons are 1% of your wedding budget but 100% of your public image in the spotlight. We helped this couple sparkle in the spotlight and they were very grateful at the time! :) Not bad for a $200 investment!
Thank you for your feedback, in addition to verbal approval of routines, we will implement additional measures to verify customer satisfaction.
E G
5.0
10/20/2015
Highly recommend The Wedding Dance Specialists to all couples looking to make their first dance memorable and meaningful. We attended the Bootcamp, which allowed us to learn a vari...
ety of dance moves that could easily be used as your first dance as a married couple. In addition, the instructors took their time explaining and walking-through the moves as well as answering all questions. The Bootcamp was also a great time!!!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/20/2015
Thank you for trusting us with the most sacred ritual of your wedding reception - The Firs...
t Dance! Even the simplest of dances require expertise and preparation and our specialty is distilling the information in a quick and easy way to make you look natural and elegant. We are so glad you enjoyed your fairytale moment in the spotlight! Keep on dancing and romancing! We invite you to join us for one of our monthly refresher workshops called Wedding Dance Bootcamp! See you on the dance floor!
Shannon S
5.0
10/27/2014
We were incredibly late booking dance lessons, but desperately needed them... Deborah Joy has been our savior! After only one dance lesson, it's clear, she is definitely "THE" Wedd...
ing Dance Specialist. She makes the experience approachable and fun (which helped us feel much more relaxed and ready to learn) and, most importantly, productive! We already have a great base to build upon after only two hours with her and we're excited for our next lesson. We originally booked three lessons as we only have two weeks before the big day and we didn't know what to expect, but I just got done adding another! We know it's going to be worth it. We're even going to go back the week after our wedding for more lessons to learn the Tango before heading off to our South American honeymoon! Deborah Joy is the Wedding Dance Specialist and we are thrilled she's going to make our first dance beautiful and elegant! Highly recommend!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/20/2015
Thank you for trusting us with the most sacred ritual of your wedding reception - The Firs...
t Dance! Even the simplest of dances require expertise and preparation and our specialty is distilling the information in a quick and easy way to make you look natural and elegant. We are so glad you enjoyed your fairytale moment in the spotlight! Keep on dancing and romancing! I look forward to helping you with Tango in the future!
Mary S
5.0
8/16/2014
We went for one lesson so far and they are great, had our lesson with Migel. She took time to explain the basics and did not rush. She also brought but great points and things to c...
onsider, like when you want to have the dance, whether people are sitting or standing when they watch, and how big the dance floor is. It was really great to to not only get dance pointers but also get advice on the flow of the wedding. Also we have a song that some dance instructors do not like because it isn't a certain style, but she was willing to work with it and make it work. Definitely take lessons here.... we will be taking more.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/20/2015
Thank you for trusting us with the most sacred ritual of your wedding reception - The Firs...
t Dance! Even the simplest of dances require expertise and preparation and our specialty is distilling the information in a quick and easy way to make you look natural and elegant. We are so glad you enjoyed your fairytale moment in the spotlight! Keep on dancing and romancing! We invite you to attend one of our monthly refresher workshops called the "Wedding Dance Bootcamp." See you on the dance floor!
Lara M
4.0
6/23/2014
Before we took dance lessons from Deborah, my husband and I thought we had the moves to do a decent first dance at our wedding. We signed up for a few lessons with Deborah, and it...
turns out we could've used a couple of lessons. We took three private lessons, and Deborah came up with a great first dance routine pretty much on the spot, but more importantly she gave us steps we could use and mix up to do an awesome first dance and dance throughout the night. We had so much fun taking the private lessons that we also signed up for the wedding dance boot camp. It was fun to hang out with the other couples and practice our moves. We were really pleased with our experience, and our first dance turned out great. In addition to the dance instruction, Deborah has a great outlook on how a partnership in dance translates into our everyday lives as a couple.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/20/2015
I am so glad you took advantage of the wedding dance boot camp in addition to private less...
ons since both offer distinctively different benefits. I am also thrilled that you were able to gain a deeper insight into how powerful dancing can be as a tool for partnership, teamwork and romance in a marriage!
Kristin M
5.0
6/02/2014
My fiance and I are useless when it comes to dancing and looking like we know what we're doing. We purchased a package with Deborah and had our first two lessons yesterday - she is...
amazing! We already feel way more confident and I know it will get better with practice. Deborah really listens to you and your personality and teaches moves that are appropriate for you. She is funny, kind and very professional. We can't wait for our next two lessons and then to see the results at the wedding. We can't recommend her high enough!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/20/2015
I am so glad you both are so thrilled. I love working with beginners and nurturing their c...
onfidence and skills. I view them as precious seeds that I water to grow into beautiful flowers. I strive to teach easy, fun but very photogenic moves to make the most out of your investment in photography and videography to be captured for your album memories. Thank you for your lovely endorsement!
Maggie H
5.0
10/17/2013
Our first dance at our wedding was absolutely amazing...and it is all thanks to Deborah Joy at the Wedding Dance Specialists! We took five lessons with Deborah. We were so surprise...
d how easy it was to learn the steps to our first dance...Deborah just teaches what we need to know to look good in the most high yield way possible. Our guests were so impressed with our first dance that they thought we had taken months of lessons!! Not only did she teach us how to dance to one song, but she also taught us how to adapt those same steps to different types of music including hip hop and swing! Now, when we go on our honeymoon, we will have lots of steps to incorporate when we dance. We are so happy that we took lessons with Deborah and highly recommend her and the Wedding Dance Specialists!!! We couldn't have asked for a better first dance :)
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 08/18/2014
We are so thrilled that you are thrilled with your fairytale dance! As the national expert...
s of wedding dance we trailblazed a brand new curriculum to ensure that ANYONE can look natural, versatile, elegant and photogenic to best suit the unique needs of engaged couples. We are glad to hear that you are excited about enjoying a lifetime of dancing and romancing together! We invite you to attend one of our monthly Wedding Dance Bootcamp refresher courses!
Adrianna R
5.0
6/18/2013
they did a last minute lesson with us....first we thought we looked crazy when we were practicing and learning the dance but everyone loved it and it was well worth it by the time ...
our actual first dance was over
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 08/18/2014
Yes, The Wedding Dance Specialists invented the one visit MIRACLE package designed for tho...
se in a last minute panic! While it is not the ideal situation, it is definitely better than being all dressed up with no place to 'go-go' in the spotlight! We are subjectively our own worst critic especially DURING the learning stages. We are glad you trusted in our expertise to deliver the fairy tale moment you both deserve! We invite you to attend one of our monthly Wedding Dance Refresher courses!
Steph J
5.0
4/10/2013
If you are looking to make your first dance as husband and wife something really special then look no further than the Wedding Dance Specialists! At the time my fiance and I had no...
prior experience with formal ballroom and were a bit nervous going into our first lesson. However our instructor, Deborah Joy (also owner/operator) was a consummate professional and a true master of her craft. She helped us along step by step building up our confidence each lesson. We could not have asked for a better instructor to help us learn a dance that will always remain the highlight of our reception! I would recommend The Wedding Dance Specialists to anyone. Thank you Deborah! :-)
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/20/2015
Thank you for trusting us with the most sacred ritual of your wedding reception - The Firs...
t Dance! Even the simplest of dances require expertise and preparation and our specialty is distilling the information in a quick and easy way to make you look natural and elegant. We are so glad you enjoyed your fairytale moment in the spotlight! Keep on dancing and romancing! We invite you to come back and enjoy one of our monthly Wedding Dance Bootcamp refresher workshops! See you on the dance floor!
Kristin Martin M
5.0
2/20/2013
Our first appointment with Migle was at her home in Arlington. She listened to our song and instantly had an idea for the introduction. She showed my husband how to lead and walk...
ed us both through the steps until we were comfortable doing them together. We had 5 sessions with her and each session she added a little more to our routine! We definitely had to practice at home, and we loved it because it was relaxing and fun! Our first dance was exactly what we wanted it to be and people were so impressed that they cried with joy (literally)!
M G
5.0
1/10/2013
My husband and I are overworked professionals in a long distance relationship and we had little dance experience. We wanted to dance decently enough to show our love and our respe...
ct for our family and friends, but really we would have been satisfied just not embarrassing ourselves. We have so little time together and we could only devote so much to a single aspect of the wedding planning. Thanks to Deborah Joy, our dance knocked everyone's socks off. It dropped jaws all over the room. All we did was enjoy each other for the length of the song and try not to fall down, but what our guests enjoyed was a confident and romantic performance. People couldn’t stop talking about it.
I think we did 6 lessons but we could have gotten away with 3. The price was extremely reasonable. First, Deborah Joy helped us select a song and taught us an entrance and an exit. Then she taught my husband several moves that he could comfortably use in any order. Our guests were shocked that the dance wasn't choreographed because he was so confident in his execution. We spent the rest of the lessons having fun together and improving our technique.
During the wedding planning period, which is inherently stressful, I learned something important about myself: outside of work I really do lack confidence. I was uncomfortable being celebrated as a bride, and the dance lessons brought up a lot of unexpected feelings. Deborah Joy was so cool and supportive, even sending me an encouraging email after one of our sessions. She taught me techniques that enhanced my confidence and pride as a woman. She made us both feel important. We are truly grateful.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/20/2015
Thank you so much for this powerful endorsement. Your kind words and gratitude make my job...
so fulfilling. It's not easy to be the Fairy Godmother because not everyone realizes that they deserve their Cinderella moment in the spotlight. Often I have to transform a field mouse into a peacock and although I know it will be an amazing experience sometimes the bride or groom feels vulnerable and insecure. I truly believe that I am changing lives and strengthening relationships and that the dance lessons are not just about foot steps and twirls. I am glad you recognize that.
Jessica F
4.0
9/17/2012
My husband (then fiance) and I were in a panic. Neither of us knew how to dance, and both our parents were shaking from nerves at the thought of parent dances. This dance studio fi...
t us in the weekend before our wedding, and provided us with a private session to dance with our parents, and another private session for us to work on our moves. While we didn't quite remember everything on our wedding day, we sure did look good doing the dance moves we knew! There was no dreaded high school prom sway, but there were spins, and magic. Thank you so much!
Nelly K
3.0
8/31/2012
A lot of simple dance moves were learned on the first three lessons. However the instructor did not know the song (not even the most popular love songs). Also she gave the advice o...
f dancing to the whole duration of the song. Eventually we found that it wasn't a good advice and shortened the song to just one and a half minutes for the first dance.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/20/2015
We are glad that you recognize that in only 3 hours we taught you many easy dance moves. T...
hese moves are designed to be highly photogenic, easy to memorize and fun to learn so that the lessons can be the most romantic aspect of wedding planning, the reception and future social events. We can make song suggestions incorporating classics and the most edgy, modern songsz that our couples discover as an extra resource. There are literally thousands of potential songs and teachers are familiar with many but not all as we are not a DJ service. But once we hear it they can easily work with it. We address the song length issue before the lesson in our value added resources. But we can explain it again here. Unless your song is excessively long (4:30+) then we advise that you give dancing your best shot and sincerely dedicate to rehearsals before giving up and cutting your song down drastically. You should be able to at least repeat all of your moves 2 -3 times before ending. Typical songs range from 2:30-4:30 so 1:30 just announces to everyone that you are too insecure to dance. 99% of our couples share your fears and strategy and 99% change their minds. If you have elegant moves, rehearsed sufficiently between classes and invested thousands in priceless memories from photo ops then your photographer and guests need time to capture them and your guests will be curious and pleasantly surprised that you are prepared and performing something dynamic and interesting. It's best to give yourselves a chance and permission to become trained dancers and make the final decision about the song length a couple days before your wedding after you have videotaped yourselves and watched your performance from an objective perspective instead of a fearful, critical subjective perspective.
Anonymous
4.0
8/14/2012
Deborah is fantastic. Took a single 2 hour lesson - feel like we learned enough get it done! Miracle workers.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 11/15/2016
Thank you so much for trusting our expertise to help you sparkle in the spotlight! We hope...
you continue dancing and romancing! See you on the dance floor!
Christina S
5.0
6/25/2012
Thank you Deborah for our private lessons. My fiancee and I had never danced formally before. We now know a number of different steps which we plan to use for our wedding dance and...
beyond. Deborah was very helpful and we also were able to video tape different steps and moves which has been very helpful when practicing. If anyone is interested in showing off during your wedding - and also feeling a bit more confident on the dance floor, the Wedding dance specialists are for you. Also thank you to Perfect Wedding Guide DC-Maryland-VA for their giveaway - I was one of the monthly winners and won the dance prize. My fiancee and I are very grateful and thank you for the wedding tips all along the way!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 11/27/2017
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! The ability to dance and romance is the gre...
atest wedding gift we could give! It warms our heart to hear how much joy and confidence the lessons brought to your wedding day and life! We are so happy you could sparkle in the spotlight and hope you have many beautiful pictures to treasure forever! Now you don't need a special occassion to be transported to paradise in your sweet heart's arms, next time it's a rainy day just push the coffee table aside and kick up your heels in the living room! We hope to see you at one of our monthly refresher courses too!
Blake H
5.0
6/07/2012
My husband and I really wanted to avoid the middle-school sway during our first dance, so we called upon The Wedding Dance Specialists to try and make us look respectable. This was...
no small feat considering that my husband doesn’t have an ounce of rhythm in his body (he will attest to this). We worked with Migle over the course of 5 dance lessons. Migle is extremely talented and a lot of fun to work with. She was very encouraging and had lots of suggestions for us along the way. She tailored our first dance to our ability level and vision and even recorded our dance in-studio so that we could practice at home. Migle understood that we didn’t want a completely choreographed dance (we were afraid it might look too cheesy) but rather wanted to learn a beginning and end and then some moves that we could throw in during the middle for a natural feel. That’s exactly what she gave us! We couldn’t have been happier with the final result—an absolute transformation from when we walked in for our first lesson. In addition to having a blast together learning to dance, my husband and I had a great time performing our dance at our reception. We literally had folks on their feet clapping! Needless to say, we received countless compliments and kudos from our wedding guests. Several weeks later, many of them are still talking about it!
The folks at the Wedding Dance Specialists are real pros and we highly recommend them! From Judy in the office to Migle our teacher, everyone was an absolute delight to work with. In addition to having fun learning to dance together, you’ll enjoy impressing all of your wedding guests with your new moves!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 08/08/2016
Thank you so much for your kind words and taking the time to provide feedback! Great revie...
ws and referrals are the highest compliment so don't keep us a secret! We hope you will enjoy dancing as a lifeskill at future social events and keep the honemoon alive! Thank you for choosing The Wedding Dance Specialists
Kate Z
5.0
8/21/2011
We took a few dance lessons and it was well worth it!! They taught us exactly how to do it and everyone loved our dance!!!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 08/08/2016
Thank you for your kind comments! Great reviews and referrals are the highest compliment! ...
Feel free to register for one of our monthly discounted group workshops to refresh your skills! Thank you for choosing The Wedding Dance Specialists! :)
Megan D
2.0
6/18/2011
We had two lessons. The first was with Deborah Joy in Falls Church and it was awful. I have no experience at all and she clearly did not know how to work with me. She was rude a...
nd insulting. For our second lesson, we changed instructors (and locations). Kevin in Bethesda was great. He was very good with my limited experience level. His patience and positive attitude made a huge difference in the lesson and how comfortable I felt for our first dance.
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 10/20/2015
Hello!
We apologize if you felt insulted but have no idea what was said to make you feel...
that way. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding? Your comments are very vague about how you were insulted specifically. Generally, most of the focus during the first lesson is on the groom anyway so there is not a whole lot of discussion geared toward the bride as she is the follower and the groom is the leader in charge of the dance and there is a lot of information to convey in a short amount of time. Sometimes adjusting to this vulnerable position is a challenge for the brides or a shock so maybe after you had a chance to go home and rehearse you were more relaxed during your second lesson with the new instructor. Regardless, we are glad you had a good time and felt comfortable with the final product.
Unfortunately, you don't mention anything about how the dance actually went or how your pictures looked or your audience's reaction or whether your groom has been confident enough to dance with you since the wedding at other opportunities...We think that is vital when evaluating the big picture results.
Regardless, We hope you felt like Cinderella and Prince Charming during your fairy tale moment in the spotlight and we appreciate you choosing the national wedding dance experts to help you!
As a complimentary gift, we invite you to participate in one of our monthly Wedding Dance Bootcamp refresher courses. It is a 3 hour workshop valued at $180.
N. Renee B
5.0
1/22/2011
Being a non-traditional couple we were really worried about taking dance lessons but the guys as Wedding Dance Specialists took extra special care of us! We are planning to contin...
ue our dance lessons with them, even though the wedding is over!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 11/30/2017
Thank you for your kind words! We are glad we could put your minds at ease! We hope you lo...
ve your wedding photos and use your dancing skills at every opportunity! You are welcome to register for our monthly Wedding Dance Bootcamp to refresh your skills! See you on the dance floor!
Danielle D
4.0
11/29/2010
we had Dinah as our instructor and she was perfect for us! really spent time with my fiance going over the steps he constantly forgot :-) and really tailored our dance to what we w...
ere capable of doing ..well. we did a fox trot then salsa then nightclub dances to the song "on the wing" by owl city- we had 8 lessons and ended up doing one extra at the end. The only problem i had with this company (not Dinah) was that our first 3 lessons were with Vanessa, and then we switched to Dinah (simply because they were not available to do it all on their own) and the company did not inform us of this change, which wouldn't have been a problem if the first 3 lessons with vanessa had not been a waste. We didn't end up using 95% of what she taught us! Dinah's steps were much simpler and smoother for us. We complained to the Company about this problem and wanted to get a couple more lessons for free with dinah but they wouldn't let us!!! Fortunately Dinah made the most of our lesson time with her and our dance was perfect in the end.
Abigail R
4.0
8/16/2010
This place is a simple setup but great for the basics. We took a group lesson and felt we learned enough to be just a bit better and look polished for our first dance!
Response from The Wedding Dance Specialists on 12/21/2016
We are so glad you are happy and felt polished and confident from our Wedding Dance Boot C...
amp! We offer it monthly Feb-Oct so we invite you to register for a refresher to keep your skills strong and enjoy a date night! Thank you for choosing our services! See you on the dance floor soon!
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Virginia, DC metro, Northern Virginia
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The Wedding Dance Specialists
Deborah Joy Block
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Founder/Fairy Godmother/National Expert
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The Wedding Dance Specialists
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