Xixi (Shi-Shi) Dance

For two people with four left feet, the first dance at our wedding was quite daunting. We absolutely wanted to put some effort into it, and do much more than just cling to each other and sway to the music. But we also wanted to feel calm and confident, and for our first dance to really reflect our chosen song and how we feel about each other. On all of these counts, Xixi absolutely delivered - she took our skill level into account and, with lots of laughter and fun over the course of 15 lessons in five months, helped us perform an enjoyable, natural, smooth dance that looked great and appeared far more complex than it really was. Throughout it all, Xixi also became a genuine friend - she' s a talented, patient, understanding teacher who will help make your first dance truly memorable.

We contacted Xixi after she was featured on the blog of our wedding coordinator, Kelly Cavanaugh of Clementine Custom Events. We weren't quite sure what to expect - we were hoping we could find someone who would be able to work with our lack of skills and choreograph a simple but elegant dance that looked natural (rather than a routine from "Dancing With the Stars"). It was obvious from our first meeting that we were in good hands - Xixi built our skills slowly and gave the learning process time to work, with the progression from week to week entirely natural. We would regularly stop and think about what we had just done, only to realize it was precisely the thing we swore we'd never be able to do just a couple of weeks earlier!

The end result was fantastic - with a couple of weeks still to go before the wedding, we were already practicing our full dance routine with Xixi and ironing out small issues to make it the best it could be. On the big day, it was just that - and certainly worth the investment of time and money. Thanks Xixi!

Xixi is a wonderful teacher who works well with non-dancers (such as my fiance and me). She's very clear, professional, and friendly. We were in a group class but received a lot of individual attention. We were also reluctant about taking the class but came to really enjoy it. We now feel much more confident about and prepared for our first dance thanks to her.

Xixi is a wonderful teacher, both patient and knowledgeable. We took 6 lessons from her for our June 2011 wedding and were very pleased with her teaching style and her in home studio. She is very pleasant to work with and is very accommodating. We highly recommend her!

Tiffany & Matt I.
Chicago, IL

Our experience with Xixi was great. My wife and I are poor dancers, but Xixi helped us feel confident and comfortable. Our first dance was a big hit and we owe that to Xixi.

The reason for the 4.5/5 on value is that the lessons did add up to be a bit of money. It was worth it since our first dance was important to us, however, for general dance lessons we wouldn't spend as much.

My fiancee and I started taking dance lessons with Xixi about a month and a half before our wedding. We took both the public lessons (5-6 couples) as well as several private lessons, we were very happy with Xixi and the end result. The public lessons were great in building a foundation for the basics as neither of us had any previous dance experience. The private lessons are essential if you want help choreographing and practicing your actual first dance.

Xixi was a great teacher and was patient and insightful on what we could do to improve our dance. We ended up doing a relatively fast waltz for our first dance, and our guests were very impressed. Not only did our dance go well, we both had lots of fun learning it with Xixi. I would recommend her to any of my friends. Thanks, Xixi!

What can I say about Xixi!

She was so incredibly patient with us while we stumbled through our lessons! At the end of each lesson, we felt far more comfortable with what we were doing, and by the time our wedding came, we knew we were giving our guests something beautiful to watch!

It felt great to actually *dance* with my fiance, and not just awkwardly stand on the dance floor for three minutes, shifting our weight back and forth.

We didn't decide to do dance lessons until a month before (I recommend going sooner for more time to practice!), but she was really flexible with us and got us in as much as possible (I think four times? five?). We appreciated that so much.

I can't recommend Xixi highly enough. She was perfect!

I posted this on Yelp too, but thought I should make sure it's on both websites.

My husband and I were largely hopeless (and terrified) when it came to the first dance. We didn't want to just stand there and sway, but we also knew that coordination wasn't exactly our strong suit (the typical, I want to lead, he can't find the beat combination).

Xixi was pleasant and understanding from the beginning. She helped us find the beat and created a dance designed for our song that was simple enough that we could pull it off and flexible enough that we could do what felt right.

Xixi is a competetive ballroom dancer with an apparent soft spot for those of us who have no idea what quick-quick-slow means. Regardless of your level, she will help craft your perfect first dance.

For us, that involved a lot of whooping from our friends and family who couldn't believe it when we actually pulled of that first twirl.

I would HIGHLY recommend XiXi and Chicago Wedding Dance lessons prior to your wedding day. My husband and are not much for dancing and procrastinated on taking lessons. We only took one lesson but felt XiXi gave us a lot of good pointers and we had a GREAT time during our lesson. We learned enough about dance posture and proper movement/footwork techniques that we were able to have confidence and fun during our first dance. We got LOTS of COMPLIMENTS regarding how we danced at the wedding. My only regret is that we only took one lesson. If i were to do it again....I would recommend taking more than one lesson (at least two or three). Chicago Wedding Dance and time spent with XiXi is well worth the money and time spent. And you will have fun too!

A little more than two months before our wedding, my future husband and I realized we cannot dance and we were going to look pretty silly at our wedding, so we decided to take dance lessons. It was one of the best wedding decisions we made. These were no ordinary dance lessons though. Dance lessons with Xixi are way better! You tell her what song you want for your first dance and she makes up a whole dance to go with it. We picked a really fast song and our dance was a combination of fox trot and swing. The lessons are totally private and personalized so you can go at your own pace and not worry about looking stupid in front of strangers. Xixi was also really flexible about scheduling. We had to cancel and reschedule often because of work, wedding crises, etc., but that was no problem. Both my husband and I agree that the lessons were really fun. It was a nice change of pace from stressing about other aspects of our wedding. We kept the fact that we were taking dance lessons a secret and on the day of the wedding, everyone was shocked by how cool our dance was and what good dancers we were! The look of surprise on everyone’s faces and the applause when we finished was well worth the time and money spent‼!

Xixi was a fantastic dance teacher and vendor from start to finish. She helped me (the groom) surprise my bride with dance lessons as a Christmas present by e-mailing her that morning. Our lessons went very well and the dance was a hit at our wedding. Our family was in tears! She even followed up to see how things went. I'd recommend her to any friends.

Xixi was absolutely fabulous! When my husband and I first started taking dance lessons with Xixi my husband had never danced before and didn't even know how to hear a beat in songs. Xixi was very patient and was successfully able to teach us a choreographed 3 minute dance for our wedding. It took us about four months but by the time we were done my husband and I were confidently able to walk out on the dance floor and complete our first dance. Our guests enjoyed it so much that they were on their feet clapping and singing while we were dancing and afterwards we received many compliments because it was choreographed so well.

Xixi also provided guidance when selecting our song to help us find one that would be a good fit and would be fun to dance to. I would highly recommend any couple that wants to have a unique first dance takes lessons from Chicago Wedding Dance. You will not regret it!

Xixi was a pleasure to work with, and her skill is such that she managed to turn two novices (like never danced a step, two left feet, etc) into people who pulled off a fantastic first dance. Xixi was professional and gracious, and we were never uncomfortable during our ten lessons. She methodically walked us through the basics and designed a first dance that was beautiful but not overwhelmingly complex. We were relaxed and confident on our wedding day, and our guests were blown away with the results. We highly recommend Xixi.

I would absolutely recommend Xixi to any couple looking to create a memorable first dance on their wedding day. Both my fiance and I had minimal dance experience coming in to our first lesson with Xixi. I know teaching beginners isn't always the easiest thing to do, but Xixi had infinite patience and really did an excellent job instructing us in a manner in which it was both fun and easy to pick up the dance moves quickly. We very much looked forward to our dance lessons each week! Plus, if you look at the other options out there, few are willing to provide such focused 1-on-1 instruction to actually create a unique, choreographed dance from scratch to the song of your choosing. In the end, she took us from essentially zero baseline ability to a couple that was confidently moving about the dance floor. And the actual dance on our wedding day was a big hit with the guests! Not only will Xixi create a memorable experience for you on your wedding day, you'll also find that you'll be thinking back fondly on the many lessons leading up to the big day.

Highly recommended!!! We took dance lessons from Xixi for our wedding reception and we will never forget the experience. I have no rhythm and tend to get frustrated easily. Not a problem for Xixi! She was incredibly patient and knew just how to get me focused. The whole process was simplier than I could have imagined. We provided the music and Xixi took it from there. She created a perfect, seemingly magical, dance for my husband and I. We were told by several people that it was the best wedding dance they had ever seen...they didn't need to say anything though, their faces said it all. It really couldn't have been better! As I look back on the experience, it is not only the end result that I am grateful for, it is the entire journey. Seriously, some people go to marriage counseling before they hitch... I say just take dance lessons! With Xixi's teaching style, you learn to embrace the frustrations and just enjoy the movement and connectivity with your partner. It strenghtened our relationship and made us work as a cohesive team. Thank you Xixi for a beautiful dance and an experience that we will always treasure.

We found Xixi's website and felt that her experience and willingness to structure lessons around us was just what we were looking for. One of us has dance experience while the other was hesitant, so we were hoping to find lessons that could would feel comfortable and worthwhile for both of us.

Xixi's rates were very reasonable, especially when compared with larger dance studios, and she is able to give a more personalized experience. Xixi really listens to the music chosen and creates a dance that is managable even for beginners from the start to the finish. We feel ready for our first dance, and we can't wait to foxtrot to our song!