{"id":4271,"date":"2026-07-04T20:07:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T20:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4271"},"modified":"2026-07-04T20:07:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T20:07:29","slug":"the-father-daughter-wedding-dance-gets-an-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4271","title":{"rendered":"The father-daughter wedding dance gets an upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As more couples seem to be moving away from wedding customs and traditions, the father-daughter dance remains a ritual many consider worth keeping.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Alex Zsoldos, the owner of First Dance Charlotte, a boutique company run out of a studio in her Charlotte, N.C., home, said her father-daughter sessions are becoming more popular.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since opening the business in 2014, Zsoldos, 39, has seen more demand for father-daughter wedding choreography. She typically creates dance routines, in-person or online, for five or six father-daughter partners a year (and works with about 150 couples annually), but has already choreographed 16 this year.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She attributes the increase to nostalgia and technology.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMore fathers want to have connective moments with their daughters,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re aware they could do something special versus just swaying back and forth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re also more tech savvy,\u201d she added. \u201cThey\u2019re watching dances on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok and sending me videos they like.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Zsoldos, a professional dance instructor who grew up in West Virginia, took dance classes and participated in dance groups at Davidson College. In 2009, she took a job teaching dance at DanceSport Carolina, a ballroom studio in Stallings, N.C.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDuring my first month, I was assigned a wedding couple and choreographed an elaborate dance for them,\u201d said Zsoldos, who lives in Charlotte with her husband, Jordan Kvanvig, 40, and their two children. \u201cHelping them express their love through movements was artistic, creative, and emotional.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Zsoldos stayed at the job for just nine months, but the experience of teaching couples to dance stayed with her for years. She started a website soon after. Inquiries quickly followed from couples, then from their parents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zsoldos spoke about the evolution of the father-daughter dance, popular choreography, and the most requested songs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Q. How is the father-daughter dance different from the couple\u2019s first dance?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A.<\/b> The first dance is usually a celebration of the couple\u2019s love. Sometimes it\u2019s romantic, or high energy, and lasts two or three minutes. The father-daughter dance is about sentimental nostalgia and honoring the relationship. The dance is about 90 seconds. It\u2019s one of the only opportunities that come up naturally where you will dance with your dad.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Q. Who is your clientele?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A.<\/b> My fathers are more local because it\u2019s easier to coordinate. They might come in after we do a couple\u2019s lesson. Sometimes they fly in. Fathers are a bit older now, 60 to 70s, because people are getting married later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Q. What\u2019s the most popular song fathers pick?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A.<\/b> \u201cMy Girl\u201d by the Temptations. Six out of the 16 father\/daughters this year picked it. It has a good tempo and beat. There\u2019s a natural place to end. People know it; bands know how to play it. It\u2019s sentimental and says everything a father wants.<\/span><\/p>\n

Q. What are some other good song selections?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A.<\/b> There are three popular categories: advice songs, like \u201cForever Young\u201d by Rod Stewart, which says all of these wishes and sentiments; the \u201cI\u2019ll be there for you\u201d category, \u201cI\u2019ll Be There\u201d by Jackson 5, \u201cHere for You\u201d by Neil Young, and \u201cLean on Me\u201d by Bill Withers; and the \u201cunconditional love\u201d category like, \u201cIn My Life\u201d by the Beatles, \u201cYou\u2019ll Be in My Heart\u201d by Phil Collins, and \u201cYou\u2019ve Got a Friend\u201d by James Taylor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Q. What steps do you include in a typical father-daughter dance?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A.<\/b> Slow dancing or swaying at the beginning because people need a chance to get their nerves out and have a moment with each other. Twirls to highlight moments in the music that are interesting, like when music swells into the chorus. Twirls are great because they\u2019re beautiful, easy to do, and show off the dress. It\u2019s also fun and reminiscent of people\u2019s childhood. When you put a few together, the dad looks like a hero. Maybe there\u2019s a pattern-based box step, and a grand finale move for the father, like the bow tie or the pretzel, which are flashy swing moves, or a promenade, if it\u2019s more sentimental.<\/span><\/p>\n

Q. How is your job more than just teaching steps?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A.<\/b> I\u2019m their cheerleader; sometimes I feel like a therapist. I go for beautiful steps that are easy to remember and execute, combined specifically to fit their song, which they\u2019ve provided when they booked the lesson, usually six months to three weeks before a wedding. I let the song guide the steps, but I choreograph the base. I also coach them on how to get the best photos of their dance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Q. What is more meaningful, the lessons or the dance?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A.<\/b> The dance is important and gives you the cheers, but fathers cherish the lessons because the one-on-one time and the experience with their daughter is what\u2019s most memorable. They don\u2019t have that anymore on a regular basis. It\u2019s a very special focus and specific bonding time.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s about reminiscing, seeing your daughter as a child and the woman she is now. A lot of dads get emotional during the lessons and cry, which is sweet.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Q. What\u2019s trending for father-daughter dances?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A.<\/b> Mash-ups or surprise dances. These consist of several 15- to 30-second songs strung together. The songs usually highlight different decades, have personal meaning to the father and daughter, and tend to be more energizing and upbeat, like \u201cSeptember\u201d by Earth, Wind & Fire, or \u201cStayin Alive\u201d by the Bee Gees. They end on a high note to get guests excited to start the party.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Interview was edited and condensed.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

This article originally appeared in <\/i>The New York Times<\/i>.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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