Practicing their First Dance – Interview with Rania and Humberto

Over the past two months I’ve gotten the privilege to get to know Rania and Humberto when they would come in twice or sometimes even three times a week at our Bella Ballroom Dance Studio in Orange County, California to learn their first dance. This lovey couple decided to stop by for our Spring Studio Party to watch some other students as well as our professional dance instructors perform. It is during this show that they got inspired to do a salsa routine for their second dance. I’ve never been so impressed with a couple. Rania and Humberto have grown so much since they first started and they continue to learn fast due to their dedication and commitment to the importance of their dance. The time they have put into this dance certainly shows and I know that they will shine bright on their big day. Here is a little bit about them, their big day, and their experience at Bella Ballroom.

When are you getting married and performing your first dance?

R: We are getting married in Laguna Beach on May 21, 2016. The Ceremony is at St. Catherine of Siena and the reception is at Hotel Laguna.

How did you meet?

R: We met in an accounting class at USC.

H: She may have tried to copy off my test.

R: We sat next to each other on the first day of class and we started talking, studying and hanging out.

How long have you been together?

H: A long time.

R: When you say it like that, people get concerned… 8 years.

What is your first dance song? Why did you choose it for your wedding? Does it have any significance for your first dance?

H: The first dance we’re doing is a rumba to the song “Besame Mucho” by Andrea Bocelli. The song is significant to us because our favorite artist, Luis Miguel, Spanish Italian artist, his version to Besame Mucho is much faster. So we wanted that to be our song so we found it a bit slower to dance too. We love the song for what it says, what it stands for.

What type of first dance are you working on for your wedding?

R: Rumba and Salsa as our fun second song “Valio la Pena.”

Who is your dance instructor?

 Both: Ziva

What is your favorite part about taking first dance lessons?

R: I think it’s a combination of things for me. The fact that we’re learning something new together. You know you have your challenges when you go through that, but it’s a symbol, kind of how you go through things in life. It’s something special to do it for your wedding. Its something you haven’t done before.

H: It’s actually the perfect excuse because we’ve talked about doing dance lessons years ago. There’s a bucket list of that stuff and now this is the perfect excuse to commit due to the obligation of the event. It’s important and the dance is so symbolic.

Do you have a favorite move that you’re working on for your first dance? If so, what is it?

R: The turns and spins

H: Anything that involves 360 degrees.

What do you find most challenging about the process of taking first dance classes?

H: Probably the discipline of setting aside time to practice on our own. And of course there’s motivation due to our compressed timeline, so it helps. Of course it’s a lot easier here in a formal setting where someone is helping you. We feel that pressure and that obligation when we learned something, so we want to practice so we’re able to go back and learn something more. The moves themselves we get are great guidance. The best thing about this is that it’s very rewarding. At first some moves look really intimidating and cool, and you think ‘wow that must take years to practice,’ and like three lessons later, were doing it. It’s very rewarding. That’s one thing I didn’t expect.

Do people know you’re taking wedding dance lessons or is it a surprise?

H: Not everyone.

R: Not the guests, but co-workers know. It’s a surprise for the family.

What inspired you to take dance lessons?

H: Something else to do together that requires work, but that has something to show for also.

How do dance lessons compare to other aspects of planning your wedding?

R: I definitely think its enjoyable and rewarding, but it takes work. So I think it also takes discipline in practicing. Learning how to work together is also a big part of it.

H: I think it’s also building stuff too. Building something from scratch like hiking and camping when you build a tent.

While taking wedding dance lessons, has it inspired you to take other dance lessons for other styles? Do you want to pursue more?

H: In addition to salsa, we were interested in swing. Because it looks cool and fun and it’s more accessible. They play and have swing dance at Downtown Disney. Another dance would be tango. We wish we knew tango when we went to Argentina.

What was your first impression coming in for dance classes and what is your impression now? How has it changed?

R: We got really excited and signed up for 15 lessons. Naturally, I like to plan and we came in April and thought two months was plenty of time. We were both really excited and eagared to take that step and make the commitment. Now we love it so much more. We see the progress that we’re making and we enjoy it. We don’t have that much time left until the wedding but we are definitely going to make it count.

Do you have any advice for future couples?

R: It’s a risk to learn something new and do so together. Don’t loose sight of the big picture: why you’re doing this and why it’s important to you.

H: Even before you set foot in the dance studio, to think about what song, artist, motto or theme is meaningful to you because I think that helps during practice. It’s actually fun and doesn’t feel like work. It’s special to us. It was also a nice break during the week and something I looked forward too.

Article by Jacqui