Testimonials

An incredible wedding dance instructor! He made our first dance unforgettable by creating a beautiful routine tailored just for us. His patience, encouragement, and expert guidance turned our nerves into confidence. Highly recommend to any couple preparing for their special day! 🙂

Joanna & Tomasz
24th December 2024

We contacted Derek a week before our wedding for help with our first dance and he couldn't have been more helpful. He organised a venue to teach us the routine at a time that suited us. Derek is an excellent teacher who broke down the dance routine into easy to learn sections. He also recorded it for us so that we could practice at home.

Our first dance was a fun part of our wedding day and after Derek's guidance, it went from something we had been nervous about to something we thoroughly enjoyed. We would highly recommend Derek to other couples looking for help with their first dance.

Tessa Cagney
21st December 2024

Derek is such an easy going tutor. We had 5 lessons with him for our wedding first dance. The lessons were so much fun and we both looked forward to our session each week. Derek met us at our wedding venue 2 weeks before the big day to practice in that space. we had no real dancing experience and nailed our first dance thanks to his guidance. Would highly recommend Derek if you are looking to learn a few moves or a choreography for a particular song, he made it feel easy and enjoyable. thank you derek.

Brid Frewen
12th December 2024

Derek is brilliant. We decided about 3 weeks before the wedding that we wanted to learn a dance for our first dance and Derek wasn't phased in the slightest, he was very accommodating with lessons and super patient and we felt confident going on the dance floor for our first dance. Everyone remarked that the dance was brilliant so if you have any doubt on whether to do one I would recommend you do and I would recommend you get lessons from Derek!

Sally Watterman
21st November 2024

We found Derek just by random on google we read all his reviews and each and every one of them were all top marks . We booked Derek for dancing lessons for our wedding and he taught us a superb dance routine which i will have for ever as memories , his teaching skills we’re absolutely phenomenal, towards the end we found one step in particular difficulty and we became honest and told him and he took it on board and thanked us for been honest and gave us a new step and it went down fantastic . Derek is just fantastic in what he does he was born to dance and he was born to teach dance , his dance lessons are 100% something I would recommend he truly is amazing and I can’t wait to do more lessons with him as a hobby . Thank you Derek for all you have done for us you really gave us a hobby we didn’t think we’d like and now we absolutely love ❤️

Amy McCarthy
22nd October 2024

We had the pleasure of working with Derek for our wedding first dance. Derek is a talented instructor who made learning the dance enjoyable and stress free. He designed a perfect routine for us both. Our first dance was a highlight of our wedding, and we received many compliments. We highly recommend Dancing Derek to anyone looking for an exceptional dance teacher. Thank you, Derek!

Sinead O Connell
9th September 2024

Thanks very much to Derek who helped us learn some great moves for our first dance at our wedding in August! The lessons were really helpful and we felt a lot more confident once the big day came around. Derek was great and invented specific dance moves for our chosen song, and didn't mind adapting when we couldn't manage them all!! We'd highly recommend Derek for all your dancing needs .

Cait Nic Conmara
3rd September 2024

Would recommend Derek to any couple wishing to book dance lessons for their wedding. My husband and I enjoyed and looked forward to the lesson each week. I felt it gave us a chance to switch off from the wedding prep on the lead up and just have some fun. Derek was professional and fun and made the lesson enjoyable. Thanks again. 😀

Clodagh Corbett
3rd August 2024

We had the pleasure of working with Dancing Derek for our wedding first dance, and he was fantastic! Derek is a talented and kind instructor who made learning the dance enjoyable and stress-free. He crafted a perfect routine tailored to our abilities and vision. Our first dance was a highlight of our wedding, and we received many compliments. We highly recommend Dancing Derek to anyone looking for an exceptional dance teacher. Thank you, Derek!

Michael and Isabelle Hanrahan
10th July 2024

There's a lot goes into a wedding, and in my opinion the most nerve racking part was the first dance.

Its a hard thing to teach a man to dance that was born with 2 left feet. Harder still when his wife to be has 2 additional left feet.

Faced with 4 left feet - Derek accepted the challenge with professionalism, patience and more skill than words can surmise.

With only 4 lessons Derek brought us from 2 people who struggle to nod along to the beat to a fully choreographed routine for our wedding. We started lesson 1 nervous and dreading the first dance. By the end of lesson 4, not only were we comfortable and confident, we were looking forward to the dance. And it went wonderfully!

Thank you Derek. So very much.

Dylan Leahy
7th June 2024

We are over the moon with gratitude for our incredible wedding dance tutor, Derek! From the very first lesson to the final flourish on our wedding day, Derek was nothing short of phenomenal.

His expertise and passion for dance was evident from the moment we stepped into the studio. Derek took the time to understand our vision, skill level (which was zero), and comfort zone, crafting a personalized routine that was not only beautiful but also perfectly suited to us as a couple. His patience and encouragement made the learning process enjoyable and stress-free, turning what was our most daunting moment into a delightful journey.

Every session with Derek was a highlight of our wedding preparations. He made learning each step feel effortless with his clear instructions, gentle corrections, and unwavering support. His ability to break down the choreography into manageable segments helped us build confidence with each lesson, and his creative flair added a touch of magic to our routine. Practicing our dance routine between lessons also encouraged us to take a moment each day to just be together allowing us to unwind and de-stress from wedding planning and just enjoy being ourselves.

On our wedding day, our first dance was everything we had hoped for and more. We felt like stars as we glided across the dance floor, flawlessly executing the routine Derek had so thoughtfully designed. Our guests were captivated, and we received endless compliments on our performance, all thanks to Derek's exceptional teaching. What truly set Derek apart was his ability to make the entire process enjoyable and memorable. He infused each lesson with positivity, laughter, and encouragement, making our dance practice a cherished part of our wedding journey. His dedication and passion for dance were truly inspiring, and their personal investment in our success was evident every step of the way.

If you are looking for a wedding dance tutor who will transform your first dance into a breathtaking moment and make the learning experience unforgettable, look no further than Derek. He is a true artist, a brilliant teacher, and an absolute joy to work with. Thank you, Derek, for making our wedding dance a highlight of our special day!.

Eimear Leahy
7th June 2024

Absolutely fantastic! Derek made learning our wedding 'first dance' so easy and fun!! He came prepared to the very first lesson with ideas in mind and choreographed a beautiful routine, tailored to our skill level. He is patient, professional, fun and has SO much knowledge in the dance world. Derek made sure both of us felt confident for our big day and went above and beyond to make himself available to us. It was a gorgeous experience. Highly recommend!!! Thank you, again, Derek!

Brianne Marie
30th March 2024

It’s hard to know where to start but let’s just say my wife and I definitely fall into the category of two left feet! The thought of dancing without a few pints was intimidating to say the least. When you speak with Derek first it’s really straight forward, these are the packages I offer, which one would you like to proceed with, and have you thought of a first dance song. When you first meet he has a routine ready to go. He breaks it down into manageable sections and If you don’t like a piece, he changes it. He gives you sections to practice in between sessions so that when you come back for rounds two and three, you’re ready for the next piece. By the last day you are repeating the routine with ease, grace and confidence to make it second nature for the big day.

My wife and I had so much fun through the whole process and I honestly never thought I’d say that about dancing but it was all down to Derek and his amazing ability to teach and can do attitude. And for the record, we didn’t go for a slow song, we went all out with Shook Me all Night Long by ACDC. We would recommend Derek to everyone. Very professional, accommodating and he makes the whole process so much fun. Even if ye are nervous like we were, go for it, you won’t regret it

Niall and Aileen Mulcahy
7th February 2024

We were lucky to have Derek help us with our first dance. He already had ideas about the dance routine before we started our lesson even though the song was new to him.we had two 1 hour sessions and felt alot more confident dancing. I would recommend to try and get more lessons than we did however as practice makes perfect.

Denis Hurley
25th December 2023

We got married on July 22nd, and ahead of this we were super nervous about our first dance. We soon realised we needed to bring in an expert so began attending preparatory wedding dance lessons with Derek. Firstly, it’s such a fun activity to do amid all the stress on the run up to your wedding so I would highly recommend, and no better person to put you at ease than Derek.
He is fun, patient, extremely talented and brings such a positive energy to the dance lesson. Derek made it so easy for us, he choreographed a great dance routine for us which looked a lot harder than it was! I would highly recommend anybody feeling nervous about their big day to get in contact with him! We loved our first dance.

Jill Cunningham 17th August 2023

I absolutely love dancing, my now husband didn't have the confidence so went along with the idea of getting lessons for our first dance. We had three lessons locally and one at the venue. Derek was amazing and so patient. He met us where we were at regarding our capabilities in a very respectful manner. Each section was broken down and recorded so we weren't overwhelmed and could practice at home. Our first dance was in The Heights Hotel in Killarney on the 11th of August 2023. It was so much fun and so very special. We got a great reception especially the fact that nobody knew. The experience from start to finish was fun, challenging, bonding and the outcome exceeded our expectations. We would highly recommend Derek's expertise, experience and passion for anyone considering a beautiful choreographed first dance regardless of your capabilities.

Siobhan Murphy 16th August 2023

We went to Derek for some lessons for our first dance in the lead up to our wedding. We didn't know what to expect but we were pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed the whole process. Derek's teaching style and encouragement made the whole experience really enjoyable and our first dance was a very special part of our day. We would highly recommend Derek. Thanks Derek.

Joan –Marie O’Leary
6th August 2023

We did 4 sessions running into our wedding. Derek was great fun, read our ability and worked with us. He was also super accomodating when covid hit. Thank you. We had so much fun.

Siobhan Kennedy
23rd March 2023

We had 4 lessons before our wedding where Derek helped us learn some steps to the song we had chosen. It was definitely an enjoyable experience and we enjoyed doing our first dance on the day.

Mary - Louise Coughlan
12th September 2022

We took lessons with Derek for our first dance at our wedding. He was brilliant was very committed and really arranged a great routine for us!. Mix of foxtrot, cha cha cha and jive! Loved doing the lessons. They were great fun and no pressure!.

Jess Angland
25th August 2022

We took lessons with Derek for our first dance. Derek is a patient, kind, and knowledgeable instructor. He was flexible with dates, times and locations. He choreographed a routine for us that perfectly fit our song choice and our ability. He pushed us out of our comfort zone and we are really happy with the end result. We really grew in confidence with his support and putting in the practice. We are very happy with our experience overall. We highly recommend Derek for dance lessons. Thank you for everything Derek

Tina McCarthy
6th August 2022

My husband and I contacted Derek ahead of our wedding in an attempt to do more than just shuffle around the dance floor for our first dance and we were thrilled with the result. In just four lessons we had a routine that included the Quickstep and Cha Cha Cha, twists and turns. It gave us so much confidence, especially my husband who, before this, was allergic to dancing. Now he is talking about taking it up as a hobby. We put our trust in Derek and he did not let us down.

Carol Kelly
25th July 2022

Derek helped us out with some dance lessons before our wedding recently and it was a very enjoyable experience. He was very patient and his touch of humour made us really relax into it and enjoy it. Derek was very open to our suggestions and met us where we were in terms of our experience. We would highly revommend him, particularly if you are a nervous about getting started like we were.

Darren and Aoife
24th July 2022

We loved our time with Derek! He gave us a great dance for our first dance at our wedding and it made the night so special!. He has a really positive and patient attitude and i could not recommend him enough!

Jenifer Elaine
17thn December 2021

I contacted Derek to arrange a few dance lessons for our wedding. Not knowing what to expect, we were highly nervous as we have never danced before and unsure whether we would be able for what Derek had planned for us. It turned out, we didn't need to be nervous at all. From start to finish, Derek was a pleasure to work with. He broke down every lesson into challenging but exciting segments, and made something so daunting in our heads (dance), an activity we would love to continue in the future. Every guest at our wedding were blown away and couldn't stop talking about our first dance. We really want to thank Derek for all his help, and i'm sure we will be back again for further lessons.

Patrick Mc Sweeney
12th December 2021

We sought the help of Derek for our first dance for our recent wedding and are so glad we did. Within a very short time he had us confident with our dance and it is something we would recommend highly. Thanks, Derek

Sinead Loughnane
17th December 2019

So happy we got Dancing Derek to guide us through our first dance!. He had so many amazing ideas and kept the routine within our comfort zones. It was much fun and we were so happy and comfortable on our wedding day. The first dance went off so well and we really enjoyed it!. Thank You Derek!!

Marion Drumm
1st September 2019

Thanks Derek for helping us with our first dance for our wedding. It was a great esperience and was something fun to do together in the run up to the madness of the wedding. We would definitely recommend you!

Amy and Aidan
7th August 2019

Derek is a great teacher, especially with myself and made the lessons very enjoyable!

John Walley
3rd August 2019

Derek is such a nice person!. He was super patient when me and my spouse kept messing up our dance. Really helped us, gave us awesome ideas for the dance and overall, such a brilliant man! We would recommend if anyone wants to have a laugh while dancing!

Martin Yesayan
18th November 2018

I can't recommend Derek highly enough. Lessons were always fun and covered exactly what we needed. We had so much fun with our first dance and got a great reaction from friends and family 5/5.

Eddie Daly
26th October 2018

For someone with 2 left feet, Derek showed me some moves that actually fooled people into thinking we could dance well on the day of our wedding .He is very patient and even did the last class at our wedding venue prior to the wedding which we both found very helpful.

Shane Ryan

16th September 2018

So glad we decided to get first dance lessons with Dancing Derek for ourwedding! He was fantastic throughout- so nice and so so patient! He made the steps easy to remember by choreographing them to match with the words of our chosen song. He also let us be very much part of the choreographing process, giving us various options to choose between for the different parts of the dance as we went along. We would highly recommend him and indeed friends of ours who got married a few weeks after us and also got first dance lessons from him likely said how enjoyable they were. Thanks for all your help Derek, Claire & Aidan X

Claire and Aidan

August 16, 2018

My husband and I recently took first dance lessons with Derek in the build up to our wedding. I cannot praise him enough and would highly recommend him to anyone who is thinking of doing a first dance at their wedding. He was patient and enthusiastic throughout the lessons and could tailor the dance to your own specific needs. He can make the first dance routine as difficult or as easy as you like and really puts people at ease- especially those who are not used to dancing of any sort! Overall the lessons with Derek were great fun, they settled our nerves on the day and we enjoyed every minute of them. Derek is very professional, has a great manner and is excellent at what he does. If you are considering getting dance lessons he’s the dance instructor to go with!

Heather & Mark

August 16, 2018

Thank you so much Dancing Derek for all your help. We really enjoyed our first dance , and that is down to you. Your lessons took away the stress and anxiety we had about the first dance and allowed us to really enjoy our moment together on the floor. It didn’t even feel as if anyone else was in the room with us. We really enjoyed the lessons also, we both found that during the lessons with Dancing Derek we just switched off and enjoyed each other’s company. We would highly recommend any couple getting married to go to you for lessons before their big day.http://www.weddingdancelessonscork.com

Brid and John

August 16, 2018

Hi Derek,

Our first dance went fantastically well, so good in fact that the band asked us to dance it again for the last dance. We really enjoyed it. Thanks again for everything.

Donal & Muirin

August 14, 2015

1st dance went great Derek. We were so pleased with it and really enjoyed it. Derek was very helpful and kept checking with us to see were we happy with everything. Thanks for all your help and we will definitely recommend this service to our friends and colleagues.

Theresa and Michael

August 14, 2015

Hi Derek,

Thanks for everything. Our first dance was great and the jive went down surprisingly well. Everyone complimented us on it. Thanks again.

Niamh and Joe

August 14, 2015

Derek, thanks a million for the first dance lessons. Everything went to plan on the night. No damaged toes! Really went down well and we will be delighted to recommend you to our friends.

Martin and Deirdre

August 14, 2015

Our first dance was a great success. The routine you put together for so just worked so well. We would like to thank you for the work you put in and the way in which you worked around or busy schedule. Thanks so much Derek. We had great fun learning to dance with you to the song we chose. We would like to commend you on your great patience and professionalism. Best of luck in the further and hope you keep bring joy to couples like myself and my new lovely wife.

James & Orlagh Ryan

August 14, 2015

We hired Derek to help us with our first dance for our wedding. We had an upbeat song and wanted to do a dance that would give people something to remember. The only problem was that neither of us were born with dancing feet. Derek was fantastic to deal with. Although he could see that we needed a lot of work he never said! He was always patient and encouraging and showed great faith in us. The routine he gave us was fantastic and worked a treat. The first dance was a great success and definitely left out guests with something to talk about! Thanks a million Derek.

Davina & Eamonn

August 14, 2015

We were absolutely delighted with everything Derek showed us. He made us feel at ease and we really enjoyed the experience so much so we're still taking dance lessons long after the wedding. We were such a mess at the start, two left feet is an understatement! We found Derek to be very patient with us and he always reassured us that it would be alright on the night despite our own lack of faith! Our guests were completely blown away on the day as our 1st dance was a jive, very fast and not the traditional waltz. There is no way we could have had our chosen song without the lessons. We would highly recommend Derek to anyone wanting an extra special memory for their big day.

Lisa & Padraic

August 14, 2015

Choosing a song we loved to have as our first dance song was easy, figuring out how we were going to dance to it was not so easy until we found Derek. Having listened to our choice of song he choreographed a wonderful routine for us and worked with us with such patience and enthusiasm until we were ready. He is a fantastic dance teacher and we thoroughly enjoyed our dance lessons the weeks running up to our wedding.

Derek thank you so much, you ensured our first dance was truly memorable! We would recommend you to anybody.

Lisa & Pat

July 30, 2015

We hired Derek for private dancing lessons for a specific song that we wanted to dance to at our wedding. Derek took the song, and designed a dancing style and routine for the 3 minutes. Having 4 left feet between us at the time, we were skeptical about our chances of success. However, Derek managed to get us where we needed to be in the time we had. He demonstrated the utmost of patience and professionalism, and we are truly grateful for the dedication and faith he showed in us. It was great fun learning the steps and routine. The practice routines at home were particularly colourful!

Success thanks to Derek!

Elaine & Reinhold

July 30, 2015

Derek is an excellent teacher. We have been attending his classes for the last two years and really enjoy the experience. Derek has been teaching us a range of dances to suit a number of different occasions. We got married this year and Derek gave us some private lessons at the hotel in the weeks running up to the wedding, helping us to develop a routine for our wedding dance which went down very well on the night.

Meabh and Dale

July 30, 2015

Hi Derek,

Fred and Ginger played a blast last night on the dance floor. Thanks a mill for the dancing lessons over the last few weeks. Can you send us on details of your group classes. Thanks again.

Finola and Jerry

August 14, 2015

Hi Derek,

I’m doing very good with your group classes and I will be back in September. Thanks.

Patrick

August 14, 2015

We asked Derek to teach us to dance for our 1st dance at our wedding.
James and Kay 1st Wedding Dance ClassesWe gave him our song of choice and he came up with a routine for us. At first we thought we would never master it, however with Derek's endless patience, encouragement and enthusiasm after 4 lessons and plenty of practice at home we were ready. Derek was very accommodating arranging the class times around our schedule. We were delighted with our 1st dance on the day of our wedding, we surprised all our guests with our routine, so much so that we ended up doing it twice.
Thanks Derek we could never have managed it without you.

August 6, 2015

I thought your group classes in Newmarket CYMS were great. I am delighted I have learned the basic figures in Social Foxtrot and Slow Waltz. I never danced these dances until I started the classes with you in October 2013 so I am very pleased and I think it was a great idea to continue as a beginner again since January 2014. I like the music you play and you are a great teacher. Thanks Derek

Nora

July 30, 2015

I was in urgent need of some one-on-one ballroom dancing lessons prior to a summer engagement.

Derek very kindly accommodated me to fit in as many classes as we could before my summer party. Derek's manner was very friendly and perfectly professional. He made me feel at ease immediately. His skill and way of teaching was just right for me.

Firstly explaining each dance, and the movements and then going on to doing it in front of me himself, and then dancing with me. The step by step approach was just right for a beginner and I seemed to catch on quickly enough to feel confident to dance one or two dances at my summer party.

Thank you Derek, I would definitely come back to your classes when I am able to.

Barbara Barrett

July 30, 2015

Hi Derek, Thanks a mill for such a great dance lesson at our Hen party during the Summer (June13) We had an amazing time. Dancing Derek was brilliant from the selection of music to the section of different routines it was certainly a great and energetic 1.5hours for us ladies...

Hen Party

July 30, 2015

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