October 2014

{The Wedding Collection is a monthly interview series showcasing our favorite wedding vendors who are making weddings beautiful! This month Xixi, of Xixi Dance, is sharing her tips on how to make your first dance memorable.}

We’ve all got different definitions of what makes a wedding beautiful. What’s yours?

To me a wedding is simply a ceremony that celebrates the love between two amazing human beings. So, it doesn’t matter if it is a wedding at the backyard of your parents’ house or at the Ritz Carlton.  It is about what makes you as a couple happy. I am the happiest when I can feel and see the deepest level of joy and connection between the two people. This is what makes a wedding beautiful — joy, love, and gratitude —  for each other, for the friends and families, for life, and for God.

Of all of the things that you’ve accomplished, what are you most proud of?

This is a funny thing to say, but every time I hear a song, if it is a song to which I have taught a dance, then I immediately see the image of that particular couple in my mind and their First Dance.  I have a very strong visual memory, and so I remember their faces, their hair, their way of dancing, and how they interacted with each other.  I think of it as an “accomplishment” in the sense that I have created a connection with each one of my couples.

As for a specific accomplishment, I had a couple that wanted to look like they were on Dancing with The Stars and totally surprise their guests, and yep, we made that happen. They took one year of lessons with me and danced beautifully to a mix of rumba, cha cha, and tango. They are still wonderful friends now. To me though, it wasn’t about the dancing. Again, it was about the connection that they built with each other and the connection that I built with them.

What unique services do you offer brides and grooms on their wedding day?

I take each couple’s vision for their First Dance and preferences into consideration and then craft a dance that is unique to them.  Some people just want to feel comfortable and confident, and they don’t necessarily want a big choreography from Dirty Dancing. Others really want to learn how to dance and have fun with each other.  It’s a personal choice.  Regardless, they will walk onto that dance floor confidently and know what they are doing.

Where does your passion for creating unique wedding dances come from?

At the time when I started teaching wedding couples I was engaged myself. The relationship didn’t work out, but my love for teaching wedding dance continued. That relationship helped me a lot in my work, and I am deeply grateful for the experience of being in a relationship, and all the life lessons that I learned about myself. It helped me understand other couples on a more intimate level. What I am creating is not just a dance. What I am really creating is a deeper level of intimacy and connection between the couple. That is what makes my heart sing.

What are your suggestions to brides and grooms searching for a wedding dance instructor? 

I think there is a difference between being a good dancer and being a good teacher.  It is important that you assess whether they are good at explaining and teaching the dance moves in a way that you can easily understand. Also, you have to like them. It’s mostly a personality fit.  Unless you plan on doing a tryout at the Dancing with The Stars show, don’t worry about whether your teacher is super technical. It’s important that they listen to what you want and create a dance that matches how you want to feel on your wedding day.

Xixi “Shi-Shi” is the founder of Xixi Dance and an expert in teaching engaged couples how to dance together gracefully, boost their confidence level in front of a large crowd, and build intimacy in their relationship through partner dancing. She shows her students how to go from having “two left feet” to overcoming their fear of dancing in front of people.

Website / Yelp