Personalised lessons: for your first dance at your wedding, a special occassion
or just to learn some steps for fun. We make learning enjoyable and memorable.
START THE DANCE
Wedding Choreography
If your wedding day is approaching, you are worried about that first dance and you think that you have two left feet, then do not fear. Start the Dance is here to lead you on to the floor, with grace, elegance and style, allowing you to wow your friends and family and make the most of your big day. We started in London in 2005, but have now expanded to serve the whole of the UK and offer award winning, professional, personalised dance lessons with a competitively priced service.
Watch our short video below to meet some of our couples and find out a little more about the services we offer.
Our Service
We understand that organising a wedding can be a stressful enough experience already, so we promise that we will not add to this. Most couples find that the time spent during the lessons is a perfect way to relax together and forget about all those wedding worries.
Our choreographers will carefully discuss your needs before you start, so that we can prepare a routine that fits exactly around your requirements – whether you just want to avoid shuffling around the dance floor, or plan to give Fred & Ginger a run for their money!
We offer a variety of packages from emergency, one off lessons so that you can learn basic steps and avoid the embarrassing shuffle, to a course of lessons to enable you to master your own routine and dance stylishly with grace and confidence. (see rates section for more details)
Dance lessons can take place in the privacy of your own home or in one of our studios. We have recently expanded to cover the whole of the UK, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Brighton, Newcastle, Liverpool, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Glasgow. We also serve the whole M25 region, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.
All our instructors are fully trained dance professionals, specialists in the dances they teach, very friendly and not in the least bit scary!
FAQs
Here are some of most commonly asked questions – click on the title to find out more. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help.
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How much space do I need?Not very much. If you and your partner can hold each other with outstretched arms and spin around without bumping into anything, then you have enough room.
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What do I do if I don't have enough room?Don’t worry, we can arrange lessons for you in a studio at discounted rates, or at one of our choreographer’s homes.
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What song shall we choose?It’s completely up to you! It’s best to choose a song that means something special to the two of you, and we will choreograph a routine to fit. If you are having difficulty choosing, please give us a call or drop us a line and we can give you some advice!
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What shall we wear for our lessons?Initially it is best to wear what you feel most comfortable in. Towards the end of the lessons it makes sense to wear the shoes that you will be wearing on the big day, or heels of a similar size. Don’t worry about the dress – we will discuss with you how restrictive it will be. If necessary we will be able to create a dress out of bedsheets for a final rehearsal!
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We have no dance experience at all, is this a problem?Absolutely not! Many couples we take on claim to have two left feet and no sense of rhythm. But, after a few lessons they are dancing in time, looking graceful and having fun.
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My partner is scared of the lessons, how can I reassure them?People learn best when they are relaxed and enjoying themselves. Because of this we pride ourselves that our instructors are the friendliest in the business and will put you and your partner at ease right away. Couples often comment how their dance lessons are the most enjoyable part of their wedding preparations.
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How do I pay?For the ‘pay-as-you-go’ packages we will invoice you once you have settled on the number of lessons you would like. You can then pay by cheque or bank transfer. For the silver or gold packages we ask for payment to be sent ahead of the first lesson.
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What happens if I need to cancel or change my lessons?We appreciate that planning your wedding can be quite a stressful time and plans/appointments can change quite rapidly. Because of this we are happy for you to change any lessons free of charge as long as you give 48 hours notice. Otherwise, payment will be required in full. If you are on taking ‘pay as you go’ lessons, these can also be cancelled free of charge with a minimum of 48 hours notice. The discounted packages must be paid upfront and are not refundable after the first lesson.
Rates
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If you really want to wow your guests, and dance a jaw-dropping, show-stopping YouTube worthy routine!
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Also ideal for those who, in addition to learning a first dance, want to learn the steps to popular ballroom and Latin dances. Then you can keep dancing all night long!
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Consists of 12 hours of tuition (eight 90 minute lessons).
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Package costs £580 (non-refundable after the first lesson)
Gold Package
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Ideal if you want a choreographed routine to your favourite song
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Bespoke choreography devised to match your style and personality
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Consists of 6 hours of tuition (four 90 minute lessons)
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Package costs £320 (non-refundable after the first lesson)
silver Package
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Perfect if you want to avoid the embarrassing shuffle, but do not know whether you could commit the time to learn a full routine
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Any extra lessons you have booked in advance can be cancelled at a later date if you do not end up needing them
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A 60 minute lesson is £65, a 90 minute lesson is £90 – two hour ’emergency’ lessons are £120
PAY AS
YOU GO
Travel
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London: Zones 1-3 there is no travel charge for lessons in your home.
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If you live in zone 4 or beyond, we charge a travel supplement per lesson to cover the instructors fare and time in traveling to your house: Zone 4: £10; Outside Zone 4: £15; Outside M25: £20
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For the rest of the UK please contact us for details.
Studio Hire
We have a number of studios, located across London and nationwide, that are available for hire. We have negotiated with the studios to get discounted rates, starting from £15 per hour.
If you prefer, we can arrange for you to be taught at one of our choreographers’ homes, who have dedicated dancing areas, at a small supplement of £10 per class.
Terms
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Tuition charges will be invoiced to you directly by Start the Dance, you do not need to give any money to the choreographer (with the exception of any travel, if required).
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Payment for the packages will be requested ahead of the first lesson.
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Pay as You Go lessons will be invoiced after you finish the course of lessons.
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Minimum of 48 hours notice is required for cancelling a lesson, otherwise the cost will be invoiced in full.
Hen Classes
We can’t think of a better way to spend your Hen than dancing the day (or night) away. We specialise in organising personalised programmes to fit in perfectly with your plans.
Why not strut your stuff by learning to Salsa and Meringue from every girls favourite movie ‘Dirty Dancing’. Or maybe you fancy giving Bollywood dancing a go? – we can host the sessions in an Indian restaurant with a curry to get you in the spirit of things.
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Learn a full group routine to a favourite song or have an introduction to a style you have always wanted to master.
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We can teach anything from the traditional waltz to street dancing, disco, Bollywood or belly-dancing.
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Choose from having the session in a studio or at a bar or restaurant, so you can have a much needed drink to either cool you down or get you going!
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We can cater for any group size from 5 – 50.
A huge thank you from all of us for an absolutely fantastic time! I don’t think any of us could have predicted how much fun it was. We spent the rest of the weekend practising and running through the dance!” Eliza
Testimonials
Elizabeth & Mark
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to Miriam for teaching my (now) husband Mark and I our amazing first dance routine. We had a ball and our guests really loved it. We cannot recommend Miriam highly enough – a lovely person and a fantastic teacher. We thoroughly enjoyed our dance lessons, which gave us welcome fun and time together aside from last minute wedding jobs. Next stop, getting Mark to watch Dirty Dancing!!
Amanda & Al
A huge thank you for the most amazing lessons! Complete novices, we wanted to wow our guests with spins, lifts “oohs & ahhs” – which we achieved thanks to the fantastic lessons. Lindsay understood our requirements – a complete professional with so much energy and interest – we had so much fun! Our guests loved our first dance and we amazed ourselves with what we did! I wholeheartedly recommend Start the Dance – you will not regret it!
Simon & Asha
A huge thank you for helping make our wedding dance more than just an awkward ‘shuffle’. We still can’t believe we pulled it off in just three lessons! It was the perfect day and your patient tuition enabled us to relax and enjoy the moment. Once again, a massive thank you!
Sharon & Dean
Just like to say a great big massive thank you to Jess we miss our Friday night classes so much. Most of all for making our first dance so special and adding to the best day of my life. I would recommend Jess to everyone. Xxxx Once again, a massive thank you!
Anne & Rob
Jess was a delight to work with, very patient and talented, as well as being very flexible as our big day approached! Everyone was bowled over by the routine that she put together for us (with 2 left feet was a separate challenge unto itself). Highly recommended!
Belinda & Kian
We would like to say a big thanks to our bubbly dance teacher Lindsay! She made lessons so much fun and was ever so patient and encouraging. Glad it turned out well and we managed to impress our guests! Would definitely recommend Start the Dance.
Online
We are also happy to offer online lessons, conducted using zoom. As long as you have enough space to spin around in your front room, we can teach you a whole range of dances, from latin favourites such as salsa and cha-cha to more contempory disco and pop routines to your favourite tunes.
We have been teaching lessons this way since the beginning of the Covid lockdown in March 2020, and have found these to be just as effective as face-to-face lessons. Plus we are happy to record all sessions and send over to you, to help you practice your routine once the class is over.
Start the Dance's online classes combine exercise and fun at the same time as learning new skills. its easy to do, highly entertaining and you'll end the class feeling 100x more human again!” Vicky & Luke
Gift Vouchers
Do you know a couple that have just got engaged?
Stuck what to buy your partner for a special occasion or their birthday?
Dance lessons make the perfect gift. We offer personalised gift vouchers, either for a set number of dance lessons or a package, which the recipient is free to redeem with us at a time of their choosing.
We will email you the vouchers, together with information about our service and how to book the lessons.
Once purchased the vouchers are non-refundable, but they have no additional restrictions and are valid for a whole year. If you would like to purchase the vouchers now, please make your selection and click the purchase button.
All transactions are made securely using paypal. Alternatively, please contact us for more information.
About
Jess Brichto, a ballroom and latin specialist and former dance champion, founded Start the Dance in 2005. Her aim was to help all wedding couples, whatever their ability, look confident and wow their guests on the dance floor, and most importantly have lots of fun!
Since 2005, Jess has taken on a team of professional choreographers, who are trained in a variety of dancing styles, so whatever routine you want, from Ballroom to Bollywood and Salsa to Street Dance, we can help. All our choreographers are professionally trained in the styles they teach, are fully insured and very friendly.
Here is some more information about our senior team
Jess, founder & choreographer
Jess Brichto has been dancing since the age of 6. A national award winner in Ballroom and Disco championships, Jess founded Start the Dance to help spread her passion to a wider audience and show that partner dancing can be fun and accessible to all.
Miriam, lead choreographer
Miriam Oppel studied Dance and Culture at the university of Surrey and has become one of UK’s most recognised salsa teachers and performers. She has trained in a variety of styles including; ballet, contemporary, jazz, urban, and classical Indian dance. All have given her a wealth of knowledge she can use in her teaching.
Milli, senior choreographer
Milli is a professional dancer and choreographer. She is one of the country's leading Lindy Hop and Authentic Jazz dancers and regularly performs in theatres round the country, and has won several awards for her choreography. She has been teaching for 6 years and loves putting together the perfect routine for each couple she works with that reflects their personalities and makes them feel confident and inspired to keep dancing after the big day.
Melissa, senior choreographer
Originally from Perth, Western Australia, Melissa is a professional dancer and has been
dancing since the age of 9. Fully trained in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Latin, Street Latin and
Ballroom she holds a Diploma of Musical Theatre and a Diploma of Dance. As well as
performing Melissa absolutely loves teaching especially her lovely wedding couples and
with a wealth of knowledge she will soon have you “Dancing Cheek to Cheek”.
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Contact Us
If you would like to get in touch you can either email us at hello@startthedance.co.uk, phone us on 020 7183 0717, or fill out the form below and we’ll get straight back: