Finally Letting The Cat out of The Bag!

I've held my tongue long enough! I can now share my excitement about Kaylan and her dad's Father-Daughter Dance. Kaylan got married last Saturday. As she was preparing for her wedding she knew she wanted to do something special for her First Dance. Her now husband on the other hand wasn't so much in to being the center of attention so who did she turn to? Her Dad!

They were such a delight to work with. Neither of them had had much of any dance experience, but you see, this created an even bigger element for excitement and surprise. No one was expecting it! They kept it a secret from everyone. They started out with a slow song, Trace Adkins 'Then They Do', casually swaying back and forth then the infamous scratch and a break in to, yes ladies and gentlemen. . . .                   EVERYBODY DANCE NOW! I had so much fun choreographing to this song. It then transitions in to Santana's 'Smooth' which they do a little Salsa number to ending with everyone following them in a train around the dance floor. I can't wait to hear how it went!!

I was so inspired by how eager they were to learn and how excited they were at the thought of being able to share this with their family. I also appreciated that they quickly realized that the whole process would be much more satisfying and fun if they left their inhibitions at the door. So they did! I sure hope someone was videotaping! Hopefully you'll see it on my site soon!

Sneak Peek

Here is a teaser video, a beautiful teaser I must add, of Laura and Greg's wedding day including them practicing their dance in front of the Biltmore. Two Ring Studios does such lovely lovely videography.

Well that was fun!

Being on live TV is definitely a very unique experience. From what I hear from other people it went really well! I haven't seen it yet. Unfortunately we only had time to show half of our dance. Too bad. Daniel, my dance partner, and I were really excited about the dance. We did Ann and Ben's First Dance, with a few changes here and there. Unfortunately they don't allow posting of their show on other websites so you will just have to believe that we looked FABULOUS! A big thanks to Victoria Dunkle for having me on and to Julie Wunder for getting me on!

Watch me on TV!

If you live in or around the Asheville area you can check me out on Victoria Dunkle's Morning Show on Channel 9, My40 WMYA at 7 AM this coming Monday, June 21st. She'll be interviewing me and then my partner and I will be doing a dance I choreographed for Ann and Ben who got married a couple of weeks ago! Don't miss my 3 minutes of trying to squeeze out as many words and dance moves as possible!

All Kinds of New Dances Have Been Keeping Me From My Blog

Yes, it has been a while since I've blogged. Why? Because I've been making dances! A Father-Daughter dance, a dance incorporating TWELVE bridesmaids and groomsmen!, a Foxtrot, secret dances (nobody knows, shhh). The "secret dances" are what make it a little more difficult to go in to detail about what I'm up to. You never know, out of the thousands and thousands of people reading my blog ;), who is going to so and so's wedding and I've just spoiled the surprise. So, for now I will be vague. But, new videos and pictures will start to appear soon enough.

Allison and Jason, however, were married April 30th so we can talk about them! The wedding was in beautiful Homewood. I haven't seen the video yet but I've heard from several reliable sources that were there that they nailed it! The video will be up shortly so stay tuned. Here's what they had to say about their experience:

"I just want you to know that we really loved doing this dance! It was a great bonding experience for us and kind of a team-builder, ya know? We really had to work together and relinquish control to each other at different times. Not to mention we laughed alot! I would definitely recommend this to anyone I know. Thanks for you patience and kindness."

That is exactly what I would hope they would get out of this experience! Thank you and Congratulations Allsion and Jason!

I Do Dances Featured in Verve Magazine!

Gettin' Hitched?

by Jess McCuan.  photo by Brent Fleury

Kathleen Hahn

Just in time for wedding season, Ashevillean Kathleen Hahn has started a new business, I Do Dances, helping couples choreograph steps to the first dance at their wedding. One of her packages includes a custom-choreographed dance to your favorite tune, two and a half hours of rehearsals and a practice DVD. Hahn, a dancer, personal trainer and yoga instructor who moved here last year from New York City, has never been married herself. But she has been a bridesmaid nine times. "Instead of giving a friend a toast, I would make up a dance for her," she says. The most popular first-dance tunes so far? Ray LaMontagne’s You Are the Best Thing and At Lastby Etta James. For her own big day, Hahn plans to moonwalk to Michael Jackson’s Baby Be Mine.

Babies are born to boogie, study shows Infants find rhythm and tempo more engaging than speech

Check this out! A study all about how "the ablility (to dance) appears to be innate in humans". I'd say that's great news everybody! I'm just trying to help everyone get in touch with their innate ability to dance!
By LiveScience


updated 5:34 p.m. ET, Mon., March. 15, 2010
Babies love a beat, according to a new study that found dancing comes naturally to infants.

The research showed babies respond to the rhythm and tempo of music, and find it more engaging than speech.

The findings, based on a study of 120 infants between 5 months and 2 years old, suggest that humans may be born with a predisposition to move rhythmically in response to music.

"Our research suggests that it is the beat rather than other features of the music, such as the melody, that produces the response in infants," said researcher Marcel Zentner, a psychologist at the University of York in England. "We also found that the better the children were able to synchronize their movements with the music, the more they smiled."

To test babies' dancing disposition, the researchers played recordings of classical music, rhythmic beats and speech to infants, and videotaped the results. They also recruited professional ballet dancers to analyze how well the babies matched their movements to the music.

During the experiments, the babies were sitting on a parent's lap, though the adults had headphones to make sure they couldn't hear the music and were instructed not to move.

The researchers found the babies moved their arms, hands, legs, feet, torsos and heads in response to the music, much more than to speech.

Though the ability appears to be innate in humans, the researchers aren't sure why it evolved.

"It remains to be understood why humans have developed this particular predisposition," Zentner said. "One possibility is that it was a target of natural selection for music or that it has evolved for some other function that just happens to be relevant for music processing."

Zentner and his colleague Tuomas Eerola, from the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Music Research at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland, detailed their findings in the March 15 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

I Do Dances in Rapid River Magazine: March 2010 issue

Wedding Season is Here Again!

I DO DANCES CREATES UNIQUE FIRST DANCES FOR HAPPY COUPLES

Picking out a song for the first dance is always on the wedding planning to do list, but Kathleen Hahn’s “I Do Dances” contributes to couples’ togetherness by helping them bond through personalized choreography, taking that special moment to a memorable next level. Kathleen evaluates not only a couple’s individual skill levels, but also their tastes, so that their first dance is a reflection of who they truly are as a pair, providing a lasting memory for all in attendance. Personalized instruction and a rehearsal DVD of their dance allow for practicing as much as is wanted or needed in private before the big day, and it is evident that I Do Dances provides togetherness and fun.

“Working with Kathleen was absolutely and simply awesome! Using music we picked, and our little personal quirks, she created a most wonderful dance for us! My husband and I are not “dancers,” but wanted to have a memorable first dance. Kathleen met with us a few times and made a DVD of our dance that we could learn from. It was so easy to learn on our own ... My husband and I were able to get closer through the experience of learning a dance together, and had a lot of fun helping each other do something so out of our comfort zones. I highly recommend Kathleen and her choreography skills!” ~ Adi and Matthew

Vows are a big step, and designing some new steps for the affair provides a positive, connected experience for brides and grooms-to-be, thereby adding to their overall happiness quotient. I Do Dances offers different packages, add-on services and also creates custom dances for anyone in the wedding party. Even pets and friends can be included. Kathleen Hahn’s professional training allows this unconventional phenomenon to flourish. A dancer nearly all her life, Hahn holds a B.F.A. in Modern Dance from North Carolina School of the Arts, and has additional experience in many other forms of dance, personal training, yoga and instruction. For further information, contact Kathleen at I Do Dances at (828) 275-8628 or IDoDances@gmail.com. 

"Theme Dance" Anyone?

Oh my goodness did we have fun last week. I met with a client, Kimberly, that wanted me to make her a "theme dance". You know, instead of having your own theme song you have a theme dance! That's right, weddings aren't the only reason to have a dance made for you.

Kimberly had been feeling out of touch with her body in dance mode. She had not danced in quite a while and was wanting to get back in to it because well, hello!, dancing is really fun! We started by putting on some music that she loves dancing to. It's so much easier to dance when you have some personal connection to the music. She wanted a dance that incorporated moves she could do at home for exercise and for the feel good factor and also something she could do out at "the club" to wow her friends or passersby. She was breakin' it down! We tried to incorporate a little bit of all of her, her fun side, sexy side, serious side, silly side, and bust a move side and really show her off. I had a blast dancing with her. Here's what she had to say:

“Dear Kathleen:

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me my own “theme dance”. I am so excited that you were able to capture my personality and dance style in such a short period of time and create a dance that makes me so uber happy. I think everyone should have a theme dance....something that they can groove with to any song at any time and that makes them look good and laugh all at the same time. You are a terrific instructor with no limits and no judgements. I feel like a dance super star.”
— Bailando girl, Kimberly

Three Months to Prepare! Have You Started Yet?!

Having at least three months to prepare for your First Dance is ideal. It's especially important if you haven't ever experienced what it's like to memorize dance steps. It takes a while to get the moves in your body. Once it's in there you can stop thinking "what comes next" and just enjoy dancing. It is a wonderful feeling! The anxiety about performing your First Dance drops away when you feel confident that you know the moves. I know this first hand from my 18 years of experience performing. The more prepared I am the more confident and excited I am about what I'm doing. This confidence is something your audience notices right away and they can't take their eyes off of you! You will own the dance floor!

It's just like anything else, the more you practice the better you will get, the more confident you will feel, the more connection you will have, and most importantly, it will be way more fun, which will make you happy, which is what we all want, right! So start practicing now and reap the benefits!

We Have A Winner!

A dance has been given to one lucky couple getting married in 2010. Thank you to everyone that took the time to write such lovely things about the couples in your life. There will be another contest for 2011. If you can't wait that long gather family and friends together to all chip in to get your favorite couple a First Dance! It's a present they won't leave on the mantle for 10 years!

I Do Dances on Ashvegas Blog

A big shout out to Jason Sandford for writing about I Do Dances on his famous Ashvegas Blog! His blog is full of really awesome stuff going on around Asheville. It's a great way to stay updated and connected to the wonderful town we live in. Check it out here.

Press Release 2010

Yes. . . the time has come when everyone must know that help is near by, that First Dances do not have to be forgotten, that dreams of magical dancing do come true! I'm calling out to help spread the word! No woman or man shall be overlooked. Now go!!

In other words, I just sent out my press release. Please read it and let me know if there is anyone you know I should send it to help the word spread long and far.

The people deserve to know!!

Wedding Season is Here Again!

Customized Choreography When You Say “I Do”

I Do Dances Creates Unique First Dances for Happy Couples

Asheville, NC, January 26, 2010.  Asheville is an arts destination for so many reasons, and now we can add customized wedding dances to the special offerings of the region. Not only is it the first business in town to offer this service exclusively, it's the first in all of Western North Carolina. Picking out a song for the First Dance is always on the wedding planning To Do List, but Kathleen Hahn’s “I Do Dances” contributes to couples’ togetherness by helping them bond through personalized choreography, taking that special moment to the memorable next level.

Kathleen evaluates not only a couple’s individual skill levels, but also their tastes, so that their first dance is a reflection of who they truly are as a pair, providing a lasting memory for all in attendance. Personalized instruction and a rehearsal DVD of their dance allow for practicing as much as is wanted or needed in private before the big day, and it is evident that I Do Dances provides togetherness and fun:

“Working with Kathleen was absolutely and simply awesome! Using music we picked, and our little personal quirks, she created a most wonderful dance for us! My husband and I are not “dancers”, but wanted to have a memorable first dance. Kathleen met with us a few times and made a DVD of our dance that we could learn from. It was so easy to learn on our own …

My husband and I were able to get closer through the experience of learning a dance together, and had a lot of fun helping each other do something so out of our comfort zones. I highly recommend Kathleen and her choreography skills! You will not regret it!”
— Adi and Matthew

Vows are a big step, and designing some new steps for the affair provides a positive, connected experience for brides and grooms-to-be, thereby adding to their overall happiness quotient. I Do Dances offers different packages, add-on services and also creates custom dances for anyone in the wedding party. Even pets and friends can be included.

Kathleen Hahn’s professional training allows this unconventional phenomenon to flourish. A dancer nearly all her life, Hahn holds a B.F.A. in Modern Dance from North Carolina School of the Arts, and has much additional experience in many other forms of dance, personal training, yoga and instruction. For further information, contact Kathleen at I Do Dances at 828 275 8628 or IDoDances@gmail.com.

 

Everybody's Doing it!

Did you know if you search "first dance wedding" on youtube.com 17,100 videos come up? That's a lot of First Dances. I'm sure you've probably all seen the most popular wedding dance on youtube, the choreographed processional. If you haven't checked it out, here it is:

What I love about this is how apparent it is that the couples personalities are written all over it. To me, that's what it is all about, showing your personalities in every detail of your wedding; from the colors of the flowers to your First Dance moves. Watching their wedding entrance actually made me tear up, and I don't even know the couple. Imagine how cool it must have been for their friends and family to watch. It was such a clear expression of them, and it was funny and creative and entertaining.

I love learning about the couples I'm working with because it informs the style I will use and makes each dance so different. When choreographing this way the couples also have more of a connection to the dance which makes them feel more comfortable and in their own "dancing" shoes on the dance floor. What will YOURS look like?!!

Dance Dance Dance!

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how many couples in Asheville, NC, and the World, don't even know that a personalized, choreographed dance is an option for their First Dance. This has led me to brainstorm on ways to get the word out. Well, a blog is one avenue. Thinking of all the couples that are swaying back and forth with no plan on their wedding day makes me extremely passionate about spreading the word quickly. To me (perhaps I'm a tad bit biased) it's a no brainer. One of the most important days of your life, the biggest party you will ever throw, probably the only occasion when you can get that many of your friends and family in one room, and you've meticulously planned every aspect of your wedding except that one moment for 4 to 5 minutes when everyone is silent and staring at you! I'm not trying to scare you, no, I'm trying to get the word out and fast! I know, I know, I am also biased because I was basically born dancing and love it but even if it's not your first inclination, unless you have an extremely unconventional wedding, you will still do a First Dance. . . why not make it fun and meaningful! I want to help couples make it not scary but fun, give their day even more meaning and depth, and entertain their guests! People love entertainment. People also recognize how vulnerable that moment can be for a couple and the fact that the couple is sharing something they have worked on together with the people they love is extremely touching, a moment they will not forget. Swaying however, eh.

Please, help me spread the word! They are not alone! There is help!

I say let the little dancer inside emerge and create memories!