Swiss Wedding Dance

Wedding dance lessons in Zurich and Aarau

Swiss Wedding Dance offers wedding dance lessons in Zurich and Aarau, and its site says it has done so since 2006 ("Seit 2006"). The teacher presented on the site is Christoph Buchholz of TanzPlus Zwicky, and several couples' reviews refer to lessons at the Zwicky dance school, so this is best understood as a wedding-dance offer taught by a teacher from an established dance school. The homepage's promise is to let couples shine like a star on their special day, and it offers all couple-dance styles according to the couple's wishes: a classic waltz, a fiery Salsa, an energetic line dance or Discofox.

The site is in German, and it does not say whether lessons are given in English. One of the couples' reviews on the homepage is written in English, by a couple who took private lessons with Christoph; a couple who needs English should still confirm it when they write.

The teacher

Christoph Buchholz brings, in the site's words, more than 22 years of dance and teaching experience in standard and Latin dances and in other partner dances such as Discofox, Lindy Hop, Boogie Woogie, Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba. The site names him as the winner of the Swiss Wedding Award 2024.

His approach, as the team section describes it, is to teach individually designed choreographies ("individuell gestaltete Choreografien, die genau auf eure Wünsche abgestimmt sind"), tailored to the couple's wishes, even for couples with no previous dance experience. The joy of dancing and fun in the lessons come first, it says, because that is how learning success comes by itself.

Dance styles on offer

The homepage sets out several directions a wedding dance can take:

• Klassisch. A classic waltz, which the site calls timelessly elegant and a guarantee of an excellent appearance before friends and family.
• Latin Dance. Salsa, Mambo, Bachata or Merengue, to heat up the audience with temperament and passion.
• Akrobatik. The site says one or two lifts are enough to amaze the audience. By acrobatics it means drops and lifts that put the man in the spotlight while the bride can let herself fall or simply fly.
• Wie im Film. A choreography like the ones danced by your favorite stars in films, or one built on figures you already have in mind.
• Moderner Hochzeitstanz. A modern Kizomba, Bachata or Salsa mash-up, following the latest music trends.
• Mash-up and Line Dance. A line dance, Latin or country style, which the site calls great for getting the audience going and presenting yourselves as a strong team.

That range is the practical draw: a couple who does not want a classic waltz has plenty of alternatives, and the site states it will go along with the couple's own ideas.

What couples report

The homepage carries a long list of couples' reviews, almost all in German, and they fill in the details the offer section leaves out.

On pace: Vanessa and Morten write that they had private lessons and that within 5 lessons Christoph worked out a choreography with them to a song of their choice. Gabriel and Anna say they made a lot of progress in a short time, and Dario and Susanne practiced a choreography Christoph had already prepared in very little time. Bruno and Vania learned two choreographies in a short time, one of them demanding.

On music: Madalina and Gerhard write that Christoph asked about their chosen song before the first lesson and put together a choreography that they developed further together. Their song was Musettas Walz by Puccini, and they say that without his creativity it would have become a rather unspectacular slow waltz.

On beginners: Rahel and Jens write that the wife was a beginner and the husband had some experience, and that Christoph built a slow waltz that looked good but was easy to execute, calmed her nerves and gave her confidence. Rahel and Jens add that their wedding dance was such a success that they performed it a second time at the end. Marcel and Janine, and J&M, describe themselves as beginners too; Marcel and Janine say the choreography suited two complete beginners from start to finish and that the private practice sessions were great fun.

On manner: Salome and Marc call Christoph patient and competent and say he made them feel safe on the dance floor. M&A write that he always made them feel comfortable and well looked after, and Angela and Yannick thank him for his patience, ideas and support. Madalina and Gerhard mention the many compliments they received on the day.

On practicalities: J&M valued that Christoph was always flexible with times, which helped with full-time jobs. Nicole and Sebastian, who learned a Disco-Fox, say he was reachable before and after lessons and responded to all their wishes. Nick and Julia booked 2 private lessons to refresh their wedding dance for an anniversary.

The English-language review, from Ninette and Rob, describes private lessons that mixed classical dance with Salsa and Bachata, and calls Christoph "very patient and reliable".

Contact

The site gives one phone number, +41 76 339 39 72, and the email address hochzeitstanz@swissweddingdance.ch. The menu includes sections on the offer, dance styles, team, reviews, locations and partnerships, and a contact page.

What the site leaves open

The homepage publishes no prices, no lesson length and no package. It names Zurich and Aarau as locations but gives no addresses, directions or parking information. It does not state a teaching language. It does not say whether a choreography can be taught at the wedding venue, whether guests can be included in a line dance lesson, or how far ahead to book. The reviews suggest 5 private lessons can be enough for one couple, but that is one couple's experience, not a published package.

Who it suits

Swiss Wedding Dance suits couples in the Zurich and Aarau area who want a private, custom first dance to their own song, in almost any style from a waltz to a Bachata mash-up or a lift or two, with a teacher who has a long record and a recent award. The reviews speak to patience with beginners and flexible scheduling. The caveats are a German-language site without prices or addresses, so the first email should ask about cost, location and language.