Dancing the Night Away

By Becky Yamamoto on February 12th, 2010
Wedding Dance
Image by 1uk3 via Flickr

When reflecting on the dances I have seen in weddings past, awkward waltzes and freaky booty shaking to “Brick House” come to mind. But the times have changed, and with that change come sleek choreographed production numbers.

It’s become the norm to have at least one choreographed number in a wedding reception and now people have even incorporated dance into the procession (see Jill and Kevin). The Today show has highlighted wedding dance YouTube hits more than once and TLC had the show Rock the Reception dedicated to choreographing numbers for wedding parties.

Although this attention to dance has become very popular, this sort of production may not be for everyone’s special day. Whether you decide to include a dance number or not, everyone can appreciate these wedding parties getting down. (They were posted on YouTube, after all.)

Father Daughter Dance
So the Father and Daughter Dance is where everyone lets out that collective “Aw”. We get all misty eyed while we think about how daddy’s little girl is all grown up. These two Father Daughter dances have that sort of sentiment but they’re also downright goofy and so lovable!

Chicken Noodle Soup dance:
Who can resist an all-out dance? Even while dressed in their Sunday’s Best, this father and daughter rock the stage. I don’t know anyone’s dad who does the robot. Maybe I should make more friends.

 

NKOTB dance, start at 1:00:
This Father-Daughter dance starts out like any other slow dance, but when you get 1:00 in, this dance takes an unexpected turn. That’s right, they awkwardly dance to the New Kids on the Block. Maybe I am biased, since I was a huge fan of the New Kids, but you’ve gotta love the way these two dance. They’re so goofy! Who needs choreography when you’ve got heart?

Surprise/Evolution of Dance
If you make a seach for wedding dances on YouTube, you will inevitably find a series of Surprise dances and even more versions of the Evolution of Dance.

The “Original” Surprise Dance (dancing starts at :30 in):

These two claim to be the originators of the surprise dance. They did it all the way back in 2006. They start with a traditional waltz but the song transitions into a hip hop beat and the couple look at each other confused and before anyone knows what hit them, the newlyweds break into awesome choreographed number.

The Clay Family Surprise Dance
The whole Clay Family knows how to dance, even their kids. This couple is actually celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary so it’s not technically a wedding but they are dressed in wedding garb, so that’s pretty close.

Brian and Katie’s Evolution of Dance
The Evolution of Dance is a pretty popular choice for a wedding dance. It has it’s own following but that’s another story for another day. For those of you who don’t know, it is a medley of hits made popular by an inspirational comedian. The real boogey-ing starts at 1:34.

Pop cultural favorites
I didn’t think it could be done, but someone went out and did it. They went and recreated the Dirty Dancing finale! And if that weren’t enough, a few couples have found inspiration from none other than Michael Jackson.

Dirty Dancing
This couple from the UK looks like professional dancers. Maybe they are. All I know is that these two were so good I got lost in their dance. Seriously. They even do The Lift!

Thriller
Thriller seems like an obvious dance to replicate. Usually people reserve this dance for Halloween, but it looks like it’s become a very popular dance for weddings too. In this Thriller version, the groomsmen effectively take the reception by surprise. Well done, men. Well done.

OK Go
This might also seem like another no brainer, but I admit I hadn’t made the connection. The disco hit-makers OK Go made a splash with their simple but very specific choreography using treadmills, and I must admit I have a special place in my heart for this sort of dance.

The Best Wedding Entrance
You would think Best Wedding Entrance would be at the beginning of this article, but I decided to be different and put it at the end.

And finally, the video that made perhaps the largest viral hit on the web, Jill and Kevin’s highly spirited wedding procession. What an entrance they made. What an entrance.

And there we have it, a few examples of well-executed wedding dance numbers. I know there are plenty of dances I left out, but this is a great starting place to get inspiration for your own wedding dance. Whether you decide to do something more traditional or something a little outside of the box, just dance!

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