Sweetie, You're On My Toes
Lined up in pairs, bridesmaids and ushers twirl in time to a march and form a heart as they enter the post-wedding bash. "They have to set themselves up as a backdrop for the first dance," explains their guide, Antonio Madrigal, owner of Hot Peppers Productions in Moreno Valley, Calif. Customization is a must: "If they have Victorian outfits, the moves could be more old England."
Although choreographed wedding party entrances are not the standard, many a bride and groom learn a routine for the big day. With months of practice, even dance dunces can impress. Philadelphia-based instructor Peter Kadel divides the number into an entrance, a dance, and a finale: "a big dip or something." At Paul Pelicoro's DanceSport in New York, advanced couples change styles (like from fox trot to swing) and end in lifts. A package of five hours of private lessons, nightly practices, a rehearsal video, and group classes runs $665 at DanceSport. Others charge by the session (Kadel's hourly rate is $50).
The choreography trend is spreading to bar and bat mitzvahs. At Michigan-based Star Trax Event Productions, chief creative officer Renee Erlich estimates that a third of the 350 kids whose parties the company entertains at each year want to perform a dance, be it hip-hop or ballet, at the reception. They rehearse for weeks before strutting their stuff in costume (often with backup dancers).
No bride or groom has requested a similar service. Yet. -Vicky Hallett
This story appears in the March 22, 2004 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.