I wrote The Dance Dragon because the book I needed to read on dancing before I walked into a dance studio had not yet been written. Here is my story.I was a lifelong dance avoider until my daughter’s wedding. My own wedding reception was held in a small bar on the lower East Side of Manhattan.  Part of our decision on the reception location was driven by economics and the need for an open bar for a few hours. I was also determined to select a location where there would be no chance of dancing. At my daughter’s wedding, the situation was different. It was her dream to have an outdoor wedding in a tent with a dance floor.  She was marrying a musician so there was no way there wasn’t going to be lots of music and dancing.  I was not going to spoil it by mentioning my fear of the Dance Dragon. So, I snuck off to a dance studio to learn. The more dance lessons I took in secret, the more I realized that I was not the only man who felt insecure about dancing.More than two million weddings occur in the United States each year. Many new husbands and fathers of the bride dread one major part of the event...the wedding dance. Most men will never admit it that they fear the moment when they walk onto the dance floor in front of their guests, and risk making a fool out of himself. Some, with the help of the bride to be, decide to take a few dance lessons.  Some even choose this route on their own, but more often they are the fathers of the bride.  Can they find the right dance instructor? Will the dance lessons make them more confident? How much will it cost?  These are some the questions men ask themselves. The Dance Dragon is the story of my attempt to secretly prepare for that dreaded wedding dance and what I discovered in the process.There is a big difference between preparing yourself for a single wedding dance and learning how to dance. I have not met anyone who could learn to dance in a few lessons.  However, with the help of a good instructor and an easy going dance partner, most men can learn enough about a particular dance or two to get through their wedding dance requirements. The dance world is complicated. The more you know about the culture of dance studios and the parameters within which instructors operate before you walk in the door, the more likely you will achieve your goal.My hope is people that read the book will benefit from my experience and maybe find the love of dance themselves.