Many of Flying Dance Company's bride and groom clients probably never pictured themselves twirling each other about on the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife. In fact, if you asked them, they'd probably admit that before visiting the studio, they'd be lucky just to keep the beat. That's why Flying Dance is one of The Ring's new favourite finds.

Flying Dance's brides and grooms are turning their wedding dance into something fun and exciting, synchronized and choreographed - with a little help from Nico Kaburia, Founder and Director of Flying Dance Company, and his staff. Nico offers his twenty-five years of dance expertise and a repertoire of moves from salsa and tango to the waltz to help you and your new husband take the floor with style.

Flying Dance Company runs on a laid back, non-competitive atmosphere where dance is encouraged among everyone (even if you've never done it before!) and they offer customizable wedding packages with private and group lessons, free practice times in their Guelph studio and choreography of your first dance. Brides can also hold showers at the studio and include the bridal party and parents in dance lessons. With flexibility to suit your schedules and a convenient location, couples already rave about Flying Dance Company, and when we met with Nico in his hip and modern studio, we found out more. Here's what we discovered...

Personally speaking...

Nico admits that his university degree is not related to dance, but he has more than twenty-five years of dance experience. "From my experience, certification does not mean that you are a good instructor. I believe the best accreditations come from your clients, and there are many around," says Nico.

He adds that he will forever remain a student of dance as he endeavours to be the best dancer he can be: "I believe that no matter how good you think you are, there is always someone somewhere who can teach you something new..."

Nico passes what he learns on to his students, having taught dance lessons in Guelph since 2001 and opening the Flying Dance Company in 2007. Since May of 2007 Nico has been offering wedding dance classes to area couples. The Company has nine instructors in total who can teach everything from break dancing to ballroom dancing.

The Flying Dance Company has also hosted Dancing in the Park, a free, annual outdoor dancing event, and they have helped many non-profit organizations raise money as well as hosting events for the Guelph Chamber of Commerce. "We have been in the media on several occasions over the years (TVO & Rogers Community Television)," says Nico. "In January 2009, Rogers Television did a piece on the studio."

For the love of dance...

With increasingly popular shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, "the expectation for the couple to look good on the dance floor is higher," says Nico. Not to mention the benefits of dance being a great form of exercise, a stress reliever and a chance for you and your fiancé to spend more time together.

But long before popular TV shows, Nico recognized his passion for dance and teaching its beauty to others. "I love to dance," says Nico. "I love the breath of fresh air it gives people once they have mastered a dance step…the elated laughter it gives people as they share something new together."

Nico says that Flying Dance Company sees a variety of couples from those who love reggae to alternative music; but that no matter their style, what they all "want is to look good on their wedding day."

Sabrina Martelli and Ricardo Figueroa were married on September 6, 2008 and when we asked them what their favourite memories were from working with Flying Dance, they told us, "The friendship in Nico [and his staff] that we have established," and "The accomplishment that we felt in perfecting our routine and being able to share it with friends and family on our special day!"

"Anyone can learn to look great on the dance floor," is the philosophy Nico teaches by. "We haven't yet found anyone we can't teach," he adds. So, perfection in your dance ability isn't necessary, you simply need to know how to move together.

Because of this philosophy the instructors at Flying Dance teach in "a very relaxed and non-competitive atmosphere… We encourage our students to make as many mistakes as they can while dancing, then we can work on polishing those mistakes and making them look great."

"Nico is passionate about what he does and has a lot of talent," Heather and James McLean told The Ring. They went to Flying Dance Company to learn a dance routine for their August 2008 wedding. "Nico's choreography was really fun and classy and not too difficult to learn... he had a lot of great ideas to help us dance smoothly, especially with our height differences of 6'4" and 5'2". Nico is very patient with new students and was a pleasure to work with."

A dance for everyone...

Classifying themselves as a unique dance studio, Flying Dance Company say they offer a ton of dance styles and can choreograph a dance that's personalized and customized for you. They also have group lessons that include the bridal party or parents of the intended. Or, for a shower or bachelorette party, you can rent out the studio space for a unique location (with outside catering, bar and licensing being extra) with a great theme and activity to make the event memorable.

"We found that although you bought a 'wedding lesson package', Nico was totally flexible as to the type of dance and difficulty level of the choreography," explains Angela Dattolico who had a dance choreographed by Nico with her husband Aaron Ritkerk for their August 2008 wedding. "We wanted a first dance that was fun, entertaining and challenging (as we both love to dance), and that is exactly what we got," she adds.

Flying Dance Company also offers performances for the wedding day as entertainment where instructors can teach or dance a special routine. Or, surprise your new husband or wife with a special gift in dance as choreographed by the studio that you can perform at the reception.

Packages & prices

When the studio is not in use you and your partner can use the space to practice your dance as included in all Wedding Dance Packages (and there's no extra fee!).

"Our prices are very reasonable," says Nico. "We can meet all of your requirements, the only question is: how good do you want look on your wedding day?" Heather told us that "The lessons were worth every penny, especially considering that you not only get private lessons but there is a lot of effort in creating your choreography that happens in between sessions." Sabrina agreed, saying, "The cost factor was what we would have expected in comparison to other dance companies, however, the value was amazing."

Package 1 is their basic package and it offers one evaluation session, four private lessons and choreography of your first dance. This rings in at $390. The deluxe Package 2 adds on four additional private lessons and costs $675. You can also choose the premiere Package 3 for $949 and receive a total of twelve private lessons as well as free music editing. Nico told us, "Sometimes, the song or songs that the couple chooses are either too long or they want to mix songs together so that they can perform different dances. We do all that for them."

"The combination of personal choreography and private lessons (at a reasonable price) was exactly what we were looking for," says Angela of her experience with Flying Dance Company.

Walking you through it...

Call or email to book an appointment with Nico so someone is available to show you the studio. When you visit, Nico listens to the first dance song and decides with you what dance style is best suited for the music.

Nico makes sure that he understands every aspect of your wedding in order to come up with the perfect first dance. He discusses whether you're having a DJ or live band, dance floor type, bride's attire and whether you want full choreography or just a few moves. Sabrina told The Ring that "They were always positive and brought a lot of creativity to the dance floor and to our routine. They were always willing to hear our ideas and incorporate them if they worked.

After the initial meeting, you book your classes based on your schedule and studio availability (most classes run on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons). Nico suggests booking at least three months before your wedding, but earlier is always better.

Angela says her and Aaron "were so impressed with the way that Nico and [his instructors] read our personalities and our skill levels. Lessons were always fun, and they taught the steps in an easy and logical manner. The environment was very relaxed, and we really looked forward to our lessons, as it was a break from all of the wedding stress. We absolutely loved the dance they choreographed for us, it was unique and very entertaining and we were so proud to show it off."

Whatever style of choreography you choose, Nico affirms that Flying Dance Company "helps develop skills that go beyond the wedding day; we hope to keep everyone dancing ten, twenty or fifty years from now when they dance on their wedding anniversaries."

Details, details, details

• Nico says it's best to start working with them at least 3 months before your wedding day, but the sooner the better.
• Payment is due at the end of the evaluation session when you also decide which package you'd like.
• Lessons are normally done on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons, but Flying Dance will work out schedule details with you.
• Prices are subject to applicable taxes.

Keep the dance going

Contact Flying Dance Company for more details by phoning or emailing the studio at 519-767-2721 and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . They are located at 199 Victoria Road in Guelph. Founder and Director Nico Kaburia is ready to work with you on developing the right moves for your wedding dance. Find class descriptions and schedules online at www.flyingdancecompany.com.