About Us
How The Wedding Dance Specialists Began
In 1997 Deborah was a professional dancer working for area studios. In 2000, Deborah Joy and Brian Block were engaged and planning their own wedding. They discovered that while there were many dance studios and instructors, none of them were focused on customizing services to the unique needs of engaged couples. As a result, they experienced a lot of challenges, disappointments and setbacks that cost them time, money and energy. They realized the opportunity to make lemons into lemonade and help others by creating The Wedding Dance Specialists, the nation’s very first wedding-focused dance instruction company.
In the years since, The Wedding Dance Specialists became the premier national experts for wedding dance. They inspired an entire niche industry worldwide, and while others have tried to replicate their unique business model, The Wedding Dance Specialists remains the ONLY specialists in the DMV area and the most recommended wedding dance company according to engaged couples, wedding professionals, celebrity clientele, and the media.
The Wedding Dance Specialists have been featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Network, Telemundo, and “Real Weddings by the Knot”, the nation’s first wedding reality show. They have been featured in numerous radio, TV, print and online media, including but not limited to: The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Washingtonian Magazine, Washington Jewish Week, The Hill, The Knot, Wedding Wire, Brides and Weddings, Perfect Wedding Guide, Junebug Weddings. The company has over 300 rave reviews!
More than 30,000 couples, including many celebrities, have trusted The Wedding Dance Specialists to help them sparkle in the spotlight.
Meet Our Team
Deborah Joy
CO-FOUNDER AND LEAD INSTRUCTOR
Deborah Joy Block Throughout high school and college, she spent many weekend nights dancing throughout the local Latin D.C. salsa and merengue scene. On one of their early dates, her future husband Brian took her for lessons at a nearby ballroom dance studio. After a few years working as an apprentice and instructor at several studios and getting coaching from national experts, Deborah founded The Wedding Dance Specialists in 2001, when she was engaged. Deborah and Brian danced a sultry Argentine Tango for their guests.
Deborah Joy is passionate about working with nervous beginners to help them blossom. She instills her dance students with confidence and enhances their non-verbal communication skills to ensure a fantastic and photogenic first dance and parents dance. She believes that there’s much more to dancing than just the steps – dancing enhances romance, patience, teamwork, trust, respect, and cooperation – all the same attributes that contribute toward a happy marriage!
Brian Block
CO-FOUNDER, PERFORMER AND GROUP INSTRUCTOR
Brian Block invited Deborah on a dancing date night since he knew it was her hobby and inspired her professional dance pursuit. After a few lessons, HIS passion for dance was born too! Throughout the years, Brian became skilled in various dance styles, with Argentine Tango being his favorite — and the one that Brian and Deborah performed as their first wedding dance. Brian had the additional pressure of marrying a professional dance performer/instructor and knowing that the majority of their wedding guests were skilled dancers.
Brian teaches wedding dance workshops and performs dance demonstrations at various public events. Like most other grooms, Brian was not a professional dancer and dancing lessons empowered him with confidence. During the workshops, Brian engages with dance-reluctant grooms to provide the male perspective, a calm demeanor, and a sense of humor to his instruction.