We really needed to take dance lessons. OK, actually, I needed dance lessons. My fiancé went to finishing school during his pre-teen years and learned how to dance. I, on the other hand, have a problem being led and… let’s just say, I’m not the most coordinated person in the world.

We decided to take lessons with Monica Maj, a former professional ballroom dancer. Since we live in the city, she taught us at Dance Center Chicago. Monica generally recommends four lessons. We took eight to make sure that we were pretty smooth for our big first dance.
Depending on your instructor, some teach one choreographed dance timed to the music. Monica, however, teaches you a series of moves that can be changed to whenever you want. The bonus is that these steps can be used to other songs as well.

Overall, I would highly recommend dance lessons. However, if you aren’t going to practice in between the lessons, you probably won’t remember as much as you had planned. My point: if you are going to pay for dance lessons, make sure that you practice!
Our first dance was a success! We had the band play At Last by Etta James. Although it was obvious that we had taken lessons (since I didn’t know squat before them), we focused on enjoying the moment. There was no counting or stern looks between the two of us. It was just a few semi-private moments between husband and wife.
Monica Maj
tendancerus@yahoo.com