The Foundation of Ballroom Dancing

The key to dancing well with a partner and enjoying it is the right balance of leading and following.  Although choreographed routines are used in competition and performance, ballroom dancing is, at its core, social dancing, which means that it relies on communication between the dancers.  One leads, determining the direction they go and how far they move, and the other follows, keeping up with the changes without overstepping.  It can be challenging, but with practice, you can make it look just as effortless as the professionals! 

Leading 

In ballroom dancing, the man generally leads.  He almost always steps forward first, usually on his right foot.  The man leads his partner through a variety of small movements and weight changes.  For example, a slight backward pull of his shoulder indicates that she should step toward him, while a press against her raised hand tells her to step back.  It's crucial to maintain a proper dance frame because, without it, those communications can get lost. 

The lead has a lot of responsibility in the dance.  It's his job to take his follower through every step, which means he has to make decisions on the fly if there's no choreography.  This can be daunting, especially for beginners, but leading is just as important as knowing the steps.   

Following 

It's generally the woman's role to follow in a dance.  That sounds easy, but it requires just as much skill as leading.  She's just as responsible for maintaining the dance frame, and she must pay attention to all those small changes in her partner's hold.  If she gets too close or too far away from him, their connection will be lost, and they'll lose the ability to dance together smoothly.  

For many women, following is the hardest part of ballroom dancing.  The follower shouldn't move at all until she gets a signal from her lead, regardless if he's off the beat or out of time.  Every move she makes should be dictated by the lead, which can be difficult.  Following requires trusting your partner to communicate well and make you look good.  

Valeo Dance Fitness Studio offers private ballroom dance lessons with Asiya Khasnutdinova, voted Best Ballroom Dance Instructor in Atlanta.  From salsa to swing, tango to foxtrot, we have the style for you!  To start learning the art of lead and follow, contact us today!

Voted Best of Weddings Winner 2020 by The Knot

As the New Year begins, we are proud to announce that The Knot selected Valeo Dance Fitness Studio as one of its Best of Weddings Award winner in 2020. This is the third year in a row Valeo has been honored to receive this award.

Each year, The Knot closely follows a variety of companies offering top-notch services related to wedding planning. Everyone from photographers and musicians to venues and planners is working hard to become eligible for this award.

While many wedding-related businesses are listed on The Knot's website, only 5 percent of them receive the award every year. As one of the most trusted wedding planning resources, The Knot works hard to analyze millions of reviews to come up with the top candidates.

Choosing Valeo for Your Most Memorable Moments

Your first dance as a married couple should be impeccably choreographed. After all, the first dance is one of the most anticipated moments of the night, not only for the newlyweds but for all your family and friends who are in attendance.

Valeo invests years of experience and training into designing an unforgettable dance, so that you can make a lasting impression on your guests while starting an amazing tradition of sharing the power of dancing with your partner.

We would like to say thank you to all our clients, who have made getting the Best of Weddings Award possible in 2020, by allowing us to participate in your most magnificent moments!

Please contact us to learn more about how Valeo can help with your wedding planning and to find out what else we have to offer!

How to be a Sensation at Your Wedding

If you're reading this, you're probably planning a wedding. So first of all: just breathe. There, that's better. Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, but it's going to be okay! You're going to celebrate your love and commitment in a beautiful ceremony, surrounded by family and friends who wish you all the best in life. And then you're going to have a reception, which will involve...uh-oh...your first dance as a married couple. You will be a sensation.

First Dance Sensation

If that makes you nervous, you aren't alone. Slow dancing isn't something that's done very often these days, so for many of us, the thought of dancing with our beloved in front of an audience is petrifying. But never fear! Valeo Dance Studio has you covered. We'll make sure that your first dance is so enjoyable that you'll wonder why you stressed out about it in the first place. How? By providing you with private wedding dance lessons where you choose your music, get a feel for how coordinated you are, your innate musicality, and other nuances that affect dancing. We can even design a special dance just for you! Then you can follow that up with dance lessons not just for the happy couple, but for the father/daughter and mother/son dance. It's all tailor-made to your wants and needs, in a safe and supportive environment. So you can relax and enjoy your special day all day long.

5 Stars

Valeo Dance Studio consistently receives 5-star reviews on The Knot from happy and grateful clients like Jack and Megan, who wrote of their instructor that she

"makes these lessons so much fun and our guests couldn't rave enough about how awesome our first dance was! She did a great job gauging our musicality/dancing abilities and created a dance that was perfect for us and so memorable. What an awesome way to get the reception started on the right foot."

Tony and Liza wrote that "[t]he dance had the crowd going crazy and we really looked forward to our lessons with her leading up to the wedding. We will be able to use some of the tips and steps for the rest of our lives. I would recommend her to anybody that asks!"

Naturally, you don't want to leave anything to chance, or entrust your wedding day to anybody but the experts. Why hesitate? Contact us today so you can start on your way to wowing everybody who sees you together on your big day!

The Knot 2019 Best of Weddings: Valeo Dance Studio

For the second year in a row, Valeo Dance Studio has won The Knot Best of Weddings award, this time, for 2019. This annual list ranks the highest rated wedding professionals. More importantly, this award stems from the choices of actual couples, those on the cusp of being wed, as well as their wedding guests. Valeo Dance Studio gives great thanks to all of our amazing brides and grooms! You have written us very kind reviews, and we strive to continue delivering that level of satisfaction. It is our pleasure to work with you!

Preparation

This can make all the difference between mediocre dancing and memorable dancing. Valeo Dance Studio sets out to work with you before the wedding, so that we can develop a plan based around your needs, skills, and wishes for the big night. You can put on a spectacular show with your dancing, but that takes work and we are here to help with that from the ground up. Private lessons will be catered to you, and we will work together to make your vision of the night (especially where dancing is concerned), a reality. From our first consultation together, where we discuss all those subtle details, through private dance lessons, our goal is to help make the night a happy picture that you can look back upon going forward.

Why Dance Lessons Matter

There are no second chances or do-overs when it comes to weddings. Further, every move will photographed and possibly filmed, likely to be displayed in your home for years to come. Cardio and practice are absolutely necessary prior to the big event; and there is certainly a difference between those couples who have prepared, vs. those who have not. That difference will come out on the dance floor, and will supercharge the night's energy to higher levels. Coupled with our recent Knot Best of Weddings award for 2019, Valeo Dance Studio has also been voted top ten best cardio dance workouts in the USA.

What is a wedding without dancing? Make your dancing skills count, and make them shine. Please contact us today to get started on the journey!