I met Deborah at a law school party when I was a second-year student. She was thinking about applying to the school.
The first thing that caught her eye was my gold Chai necklace! She immediately exclaimed “Shalom Fellow Tribesman! You must be the only other Jew in Northern Virginia!” We ended up talking for the next three hours.
On one of our early dates, we went with some of her friends to a Salsa club in D.C. Deborah was an experienced dancer. I wasn’t. I sat by the bar having a drink and trying to talk to her over the booming music. Her friends were all dancing. Finally, bored, Deborah grabbed a guy and danced for a few songs.
Realizing how joyful Deborah was on the dance floor, and how important dancing was to her, I saw that I’d better learn how to dance. The next week I surprised Deborah by signing us both up for a series of couples’ dance lessons. Within a year, teaching dance became her career. (She did not apply to law school.)
Fast forward to September 30, 2001, five years later, and we were standing under our home-made gold satin Chuppah (and draped with my late grandfather’s tallis), exchanging rings, making vows, and smashing a wine goblet.
Brian and Deborah under the home-made gold satin Chuppah at their wedding in Oxon Hill, MD on September 30, 2001
Our first wedding dance was an Argentine Tango. Marrying a dance instructor, the pressure was on. Most grooms just have to avoid stepping on the bride’s feet or dress, twirl her a couple of times and make it through 3-4 minutes without doing the “high school prom sway.” I had to perform.
We chose the tango because once on a trip to New York City, we’d seen the Broadway show “Forever Tango!” and fell in love with the dancing. Learning it was an eight-month project.
I changed out of my whitetails and into a black tuxedo and fedora. Deborah changed out of her golden wedding gown into a slinky, sexy, red tango dress and we made our grand dramatic entrance. The crowd loved it!
Afterward, I changed back into my whitetails and Deborah into her wedding gown. Easier for me than for her as she had about 40 buttons up the back of the gown.
Brian and Deborah at the Kotel on a trip to Israel in October 2017
Deborah started her own dance business, marketing specifically to the wedding dance niche because she enjoyed teaching beginners and helping marriages “start off on the right foot!” Over the years, I’ve co-taught Wedding Dance Workshops for 5-15 couples with Deborah.
I’ve sent many of my real estate clients who were getting married to Deborah for dance lessons. And, likewise, she’s sent me her students looking to buy or sell a home. It’s a great synergy—she teaches them to dance and I help them “Dance into their new home!”
BESHERT!
Brian and Deborah Block live in Alexandria, Virginia. Brian is the Managing Broker of two RE/MAX Allegiance offices and sells residential and commercial real estate in the D.C. area. Deborah owns The Wedding Dance Specialists and has taught over 10,000 engaged couples how to dance for their weddings over the last 20+ years. They are active in local Chabad centers and founded the non-profit RUACH Fund to combat antisemitism. Married 18 years, they enjoy dancing anywhere, even in supermarket aisles when a great song comes on.