Wait For It… a blog by Andy Ross

World’s Greatest Wedding Dancer

When I say that I’m the World’s Greatest Wedding Dancer, I hope that doesn’t come across as cocky or vain. I am simply stating a fact, like “the sky is blue” or “towels are for drying things.” I am the World’s Greatest Wedding Dancer. Fact. Period. Done. Fact.

It’s not an insult to anyone else’s dancing. It’s not a challenge. Believe me, it’s not a challenge. It’s just something I’ve come to accept about myself, and something I’m finally starting to embrace.

I don’t know how it happened. It’s not like I dreamed as a young boy of becoming the World’s Greatest Wedding Dancer. I never trained for it or took lessons. I just sorta fell into it. I guess it was that perfect mix of natural talent and luck. The opportunity (read: weddings) presented itself, and I rose (read: pop and locked) to the occasion.

Part of it is that I don’t just move to the music; I become the music. Earth Wind & Fire, Prince, Sister Sledge—the rhythm enters me through my chest and streams out through my limbs. It’s as though my body becomes a conduit so that the beat can gain physical form. Sometimes I feel like the music takes over, and I watch myself from the outside as I shake my hips. What I see looks good.

It’s not just all hips with me, either. As the World’s Greatest Wedding Dancer, I am not afraid to throw my hands up in the air if the situation calls for it, which it always does.

Listen, I don’t go into a wedding reception to intentionally outshine the bride. Strike that. I guess I do. But, there’s nothing malicious about it. In fact, I believe I’m helping the bride by making her wedding the most memorable day possible. Without me and my World’s Greatest Dancing, it’s not really a reception; it’s just some sad get-together after the ceremony.

As the World’s Greatest Wedding Dancer, I go to a wedding with one goal in mind—to have every guest there saying, “Who is that amazing dancer? No, no, the chubby guy over there spinning and spinning. My god, he’s incredible. And sweaty.” If I hear that, I know I’ve done my job.

Twirling, shimmying, hustling, electric boogalooing, dropping it like it’s hot—as the World’s Greatest Wedding Dancer, that is what I bring to the table. That is my gift to the bride and groom. (Sometimes I’ll buy them an ice cream maker, but the real gift is the dancing.) And, it is also my gift to the world.