“As the Bard once wrote, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

My dad and I wanted to do a choreographed father-daughter dance but were not born great dancers. Nor had we yet achieved greatness in the realm of choreography.

Fortunately, working with Ryan, greatness was thrust upon us. Quite literally, with canes, hats, wonderfully detailed moves and choreography that told a story.

My dad and I are both hams, and Ryan innately understood this, playing to our theatrical instincts. We’re also kinesthetic learners and needed repetition to get a move down. Ryan was unbelievably patient in helping us run the steps over and over, watching every detail, helping us to shape the dance.

Ryan was also tremendously flexible. When the choreography terminology proved challenging to remember, he let us change the names of the steps. Bob insisted on called quick-ball-changes “cat prances” and jazz squares where we shook our hands “finger-finger-finger-finger.” Ryan would use these phrases while running the dance. He was also very patient when we needed breaks to eat copious amounts of chips and hummus to fuel the genius happening on the dance floor.

As a bride, Ryan brought up questions that helped make the dance as easy to perform as possible. He asked if my dress had a bustle (I didn’t know what a bustle was, really). He inquired about the band’s positioning and the size of the space. His thinking ahead took a lot of pressure off of me!

Ryan is also a delight of a human being and a total pleasure to work with. I hope you get the opportunity to do so! Our rendition of “One” from Chorus Line was an absolute hit at the wedding, took our guests by surprise, and created an unforgettable memory. Learning the dance with my dad was a cherished experience. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. Thank you, Ryan, for making it happen! ”