We start our couples with a phone or email consult with Karen Shackleford. She'll ask you about the music you've chosen, and determine which dance (or dances) are the best fit for your wedding dance. Your wedding dance will be complete with an entrance, an exit, and all of the memorable moves in-between.
Does your first dance have to be a wedding waltz? As beautiful as waltz is, it is not the only dance suitable for your first dance. Let Karen listen to the music you've chosen and tell you what types of dance will work best for your song. Maybe it will be a wedding waltz, or maybe a rumba, or nightclub two-step. There are so many possibilities! Learn to dance with QCB, and you’ll dance with confidence on your big day!
To get started, simply call Karen at (603) 622-1500, or contact Karen@queencityballroomnh.com. That's it! Your wedding dance is off to a great start. Important: Don't wait until the last minute! Book NOW, to give yourself lots of practice time and to make your first dance the very best.
Our affordable private wedding dance lessons with Karen are $70 per lesson (that's a couples rate - NOT per person). Most couples choose our private wedding dance lessons in packages of 5 or more, because they save $15 per lesson on packages of five or more lessons!
Friends and family may want to attend classes with you. Make a fun, social afternoon out of it! We teach father/daughter and mother/son dances as well. Our Payment & Pricing Page gives you more information on these options.
We offer many affordable options to enhance your reception dancing by attending our Group Classes. Start right now - You'll be glad you did!
All lessons are held on Saturdays at
N-Step Dance
1134 Hooksett Rd
Hooksett, NH 03106
Located in the Sherwin Williams building (park around back)!
Questions? Email Karen@queencityballroomnh.com.
QCB Wedding Dance
You've got the shoes. You've got the Tux and Gown. Now, book your affordable Wedding Dance lessons with QCB, and make your first dance together special and fun!
No "high school shuffle" for you! And no worries. During our 20+ years of service, dance instructor Karen Shackleford, who was awarded, for two years in a row, “Best Wedding Dance Instructor in NH (2015 and in 2016)” by NH Magazine Bride. has helped many couples get ready for their big day.
Learn to dance wedding dance at QCB! QCB is southern NH’s affordable first dance headquarters.
At QCB, wedding dance lessons don't have to be just for you!
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Include your parents in your wedding dance lessons. Chances are they haven’t done a wedding waltz in some time! You can invite them to join you in your own lessons, or they can sign up for additional lessons separately. We’ll help them prepare for the father/daughter or mother/son wedding dance. Your bridal party might also have some fun with our affordable group wedding dance lessons.
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Select your music in advance and bring it with you (on IPod, Smartphone, or CD) to your first wedding dance lesson. Karen, your instructor, will listen to it, and advise you of what options you have for the type or types of wedding dance that match it. We are experts at thinking ‘outside-the-box’ when it comes to adapting conventional ballroom steps to perfectly suit our couples’ special song.
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Check out your reception hall in advance. Let your instructor know the dimensions of the dance floor, and which sides of the dance floor will have guest tables bordering. These factors influence the entrance and exit, and even the style of your first dance (if the floor is small).
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Talk with your D.J. or band well in advance of your special day, to make sure you agree on exactly what arrangement of your chosen song will be played. Rhythms and tempos can vary significantly. Don't be surprised during your wedding dance on your big day!
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Give some careful thought to the clothing and footwear you'll be wearing during your first dance. Be sure your wedding attire will not hinder your ability to dance. Some wedding dresses and dress suits or tuxedos can be quite restrictive, so it is good to practice in clothing that will be similar to what you'll be wearing at your reception.
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Brides sometimes like to wear a petticoat over jeans for their wedding dance lessons. It might feel a little unusual, but it will give you a preview of what your gown will feel like when it swirls around your ankles!
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The shoes you wear for your wedding dance lessons should also be as similar as possible to those you plan to wear at your reception. Some brides cover the tops of their wedding shoes with clear plastic wrap and secure the wrap to the bottom of the shoe with duct tape. The non-sticky side of the duct tape generally provides adequate traction for your first dance lessons. Ballroom dance supply stores carry clear elastic bands that you can purchase and slip on over the instep of your shoes if the style you have chosen is not staying on your foot well while dancing. If you plan far enough in advance and are so inclined, you can purchase special dance shoes that are comfortable, won't slip off your feet, and provide some support. Ballroom shoes are available for men and women, and they are made in attractive styles. Couples, please feel free to ask for a list of where to shop for appropriate footwear. Do this NOW, because ordering can take a while.
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Determine whether group wedding dance (invite the bridal party!), private wedding dance lessons (help Mom and Dad prep for the father/daughter or mother/son dances), or a combination of the two will be the best choice for your particular needs. With sufficient time, you can learn to do a wedding waltz in a ballroom dance program, and start a 'couples' activity that will last a lifetime.
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If you're starting your wedding dance lessons well ahead of time (recommended), a series of ballroom group classes will give you a broad exposure to various dances. This enhances the couples’ ability to dance to many different songs at the reception. If you only want to develop one first dance or pressed for time, private lessons are the best choice. The material you learn can be customized in private wedding dance lessons that work well with your schedule.
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Ideally, you would register for group classes with as much advance notice as possible, and then supplement your classes with a series of private lessons. The number of private wedding dance lessons required will vary based on how complex you want your dance to be. Most couples who want a simple yet polished dance find that five-lesson wedding dance lessons is sufficient. In five lessons, we can usually do a simple entrance, get you moving around the floor, and add a polished ending.
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Your next step is to talk Karen. There is no obligation, so there's no reason to wait! To get started, simply call Karen at (603) 622-1500, or email karen@queencityballroomnh.com.
QCB Wedding Testimonials
Wedding Tips
"We were able to transfer our learning to our son and his fiancée so they'll be more comfortable on the dance floor. They have a long-distance relationship, so they felt much better after some practice on a recent visit - as did we! Karen was very respectful of our choices, very encouraging, and made the whole experience a lot of fun. We are very grateful! The one-on-one instruction was worth the cost. We are now looking forward to dancing at our son's wedding rather than dreading it!"
- L.P. (parents of the groom) Nashua, NH
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"We were pleasantly surprised with how quickly we were able to prepare a swing dance with me not having had any prior experience dancing. With only a few lessons, we were able to prepare a 2 1/2 minute dance that started slowly and transitioned into a surprise swing dance, and we had a blast!
So many people commented after the dance and told us that it made that portion of the reception really special. Several mentioned how surprised they were at how professional it looked, and for some, it was their favorite part of the wedding!
Two couples, as a result, already started taking lessons from Queen City Ballroom. The dance was A LOT of fun,
and made it a very memorable experience for me and my daughter. It was not only a surprise to family and friends, but we surprised ourselves at how much fun we had when we actually performed it."
- M.C. (Father of the Bride) Bedford, NH
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"My husband and I had never danced together before our wedding so we decided to take lessons to learn our first dance.The lessons were very clear, step by step instructions, and weren't too long or too short. We took 10 lessons which was perfect for us as we had no idea what we were doing. I went from completely unsure of ourselves to confident that our dance would go great.On the day of our wedding, everyone said the dance looked great and cheered us on when he had me spin. It really was the perfect dance for us and we couldn't have done it without Queen City Ballroom."
- L.S. Concord, NH
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"Karen with Queen City Ballroom was an excellent dance instructor! She fully prepared us for our first dance, both by demonstrating the dance moves and by helping us keep the beat of the music.
She was precise, patient, and accommodating. Our wedding dance held the audience captive, and they broke into wild applause when we did our under-arm turns and dips!
Thanks, Karen, for teaching us how to make our first dance so memorable and elegant!"
- R.M and E.M., Manchester, NH"
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"Queen City Ballroom is an amazing dance studio that offers private dance lessons for weddings. My fiancé and I booked a deal to. It four lessons and get a fifth free. Our teacher, Karen, was wonderful, helpful, and made learning a dance easy, fun, and so enjoyable. She was quick to tailor her lessons to our unique style, desires, and needs for what we wanted in a first dance. Our dance was more than perfect, and my husband and I plan to do group dance classes at QCB because we truly loved it so much!"
- Christina (What one of our wedding couples had to say about their lessons with Karen Shackleford on WeddingWire)
Make your own special memories on the Wedding Dance floor! Simply call Karen at (603) 622-1500, or contact Karen@queencityballroomnh.com.
Learn & See More:
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Wedding Tips (to Help You Prepare for Your First Dance)
