Wedding fun: Waltz your day away
Feb 28, 2008
THE wedding of Ivan Senfuma and the human resource officer of Standard Chartered Bank, Irene, is worth writing home about. First, it coincided with the birthday of the bride, groom and their mothers. Second, the couple were treated to a sumptuous 10-tier cake that was made for them at no cost.
By Titus Serunjogi
THE wedding of Ivan Senfuma and the human resource officer of Standard Chartered Bank, Irene, is worth writing home about. First, it coincided with the birthday of the bride, groom and their mothers. Second, the couple were treated to a sumptuous 10-tier cake that was made for them at no cost.
But the best part was the bride and groom’s dance that livened up the event.
Gone are the days when the bride and groom sat back to be entertained. Today, the bridal entourage dances to the high table, when cutting the cake and as they serve their guests.
Forget the popular march locally known as Oluddewo Okumpasa. People now dance to salsa, tango, cha-cha, waltz and even to Afro-beat music. “The bride and groom are always the most bored people at weddings I have attended.
They are told when to do everything — stand up, sit, eat and dance. Even the gate crashers enjoy weddings more than the hosts!†says Irene.
About a fortnight to their wedding, Ivan and Irene practised their dance.
They stunned their guests when they walked into Gracelands, Kansanga, their reception venue, dancing vigorously to Mafikikizolo’s Utagwanjalo. Little wonder the couple sent their guests into frenzy.
On her wedding day, Daphne Ntegyerize got up from the high table and asked the MC for the microphone. She sang Shania Twain’s From This Moment for her husband, Dan Oboth.
“Originally, at weddings, married villagers danced amagunju and bakismba to welcome the newly-weds into marriage. But today, traditional dances have ceased to matter.
In the 1970s, waltz, salsa and tango were popularised by those who had studied in Britain. By the mid-1990s, the in-thing was local artistes entertaining guests.
Today, wedding dance studios like bridal parlours are making lots of money. Michael Kasaija, a ballroom dance maestro, has full house every weekend. He charges sh30,000 to teach a couple how to waltz.
Kasaija has a special programme for couples that have a few days to their wedding.
He charges sh45,000 per couple for a few hours and still gets many people queuing up to his dance theatre at the Uganda German Cultural Society in Kamwokya.
According to Irene Senfuma, dancing at a wedding helps the newly-weds become more familiar with each other.
THE wedding of Ivan Senfuma and the human resource officer of Standard Chartered Bank, Irene, is worth writing home about. First, it coincided with the birthday of the bride, groom and their mothers. Second, the couple were treated to a sumptuous 10-tier cake that was made for them at no cost.
But the best part was the bride and groom’s dance that livened up the event.
Gone are the days when the bride and groom sat back to be entertained. Today, the bridal entourage dances to the high table, when cutting the cake and as they serve their guests.
Forget the popular march locally known as Oluddewo Okumpasa. People now dance to salsa, tango, cha-cha, waltz and even to Afro-beat music. “The bride and groom are always the most bored people at weddings I have attended.
They are told when to do everything — stand up, sit, eat and dance. Even the gate crashers enjoy weddings more than the hosts!†says Irene.
About a fortnight to their wedding, Ivan and Irene practised their dance.
They stunned their guests when they walked into Gracelands, Kansanga, their reception venue, dancing vigorously to Mafikikizolo’s Utagwanjalo. Little wonder the couple sent their guests into frenzy.
On her wedding day, Daphne Ntegyerize got up from the high table and asked the MC for the microphone. She sang Shania Twain’s From This Moment for her husband, Dan Oboth.
“Originally, at weddings, married villagers danced amagunju and bakismba to welcome the newly-weds into marriage. But today, traditional dances have ceased to matter.
In the 1970s, waltz, salsa and tango were popularised by those who had studied in Britain. By the mid-1990s, the in-thing was local artistes entertaining guests.
Today, wedding dance studios like bridal parlours are making lots of money. Michael Kasaija, a ballroom dance maestro, has full house every weekend. He charges sh30,000 to teach a couple how to waltz.
Kasaija has a special programme for couples that have a few days to their wedding.
He charges sh45,000 per couple for a few hours and still gets many people queuing up to his dance theatre at the Uganda German Cultural Society in Kamwokya.
According to Irene Senfuma, dancing at a wedding helps the newly-weds become more familiar with each other.