"First Dance" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber, included as a track on his debut release, My World, released on November 17, 2009. Featuring his mentor, R&B singer Usher, the song was written by the two with Jesse Wilson, Ryan Lovette, Dwight Reynolds, and Alexander "Prettyboifresh" Parhm, Jr., with the latter also producing the track. "First Dance" is a R&B and teen pop song, that sees Bieber and Usher trade lines, with lyrics literally about a first dance. Most music critics were skeptical of the lyrical content presented in the song, and according to Jon Caramanica of The New York Times, the song's melody is similar to that of Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone." After the release of My World, due to digital sales, the song charted in the lower regions of charts in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Background[link]

"First Dance" was written by Bieber, Usher, Jesse Wilson, Ryan Lovette, Dwight Reynolds, Alexander "Prettyboifresh" Parhm, Jr. With the exception of Usher, all other contributors to the song do not have any other credits on the album. The track was one of three songs on the standard edition of the album that Bieber co-wrote.^[1] The song was recorded by Jeremy Stevens at Icon Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and was mixed at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, California, by Jaycen Joshua and Dave Pensado, assisted by Giancarlo Lino.^[1] Dwight "Skrapp" Reynolds is responsible for the keyboards in the song.^[1]

"First Dance", described to be in a moderate pace, is a R&B song with a length of three minutes and forty-two, with inclinations toward teen pop.^[2] Bieber described the song as "a slow groovy song that people can dance to".^[3] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said that the song echoed Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone."^[4] The song is set in the time signature of common time, and has a tempo of 100 beats per minute.^[2] It is written in the key of A minor, and vocals in the piece span from the low note of G₃ to the high note of E₅,^[2] and features the chord Em₇.^[2]

Reception[link]

Critics appreciated the appearance of Usher (pictured) as the album's only feature.

Critical reception[link]

Ashante Infanty of Toronto Star complimented the song containing the album's only feature, commenting "but good to see the business minds didn't overwhelm the young 'un's [sic] first recording with guests or gimmicks".^[5] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post called the song as a "yearning ballad".^[6] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times was skeptical of the lyrical content presented in the song, commenting, "unlike teen-pop stars a whole two or three years older than he is, Mr. Bieber isn’t shy about planting the seeds of corruption".^[4] Marc Hirsh of the Boston Globe said that the song combines the Disney route of songs comparing love to a fairytale, and unintentional comedy in the lines "'Ain’t no chaperones. . . Girl, I promise I’ll be gentle/ I know we gotta do it slowly’ in a song literally about prom."^[7]

Chart performance[link]

On the week ending December 5, 2009, due to digital sales after the release of My World, "First Dance" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100, at the positions of ninety-nine and eighty-eight, respectively.^[8] It dropped off both charts the following week.^[8] In both territories, it was also the lowest non-previously released song from My World to appear on the charts.^[8] In the United Kingdom, after the release of My World, "First Dance" appeared at number 156.^[9]

Credits and personnel[link]

• Songwriting – Justin Bieber, Usher Raymond IV, Jesse Wilson, Ryan Lovette, Dwight Reynolds, Alexander "Prettyboifresh" Parhm, Jr.
• Production – Prettyboifresh
• Vocal recording – Jeremy Stevenson
• Mixing – Jaycen-Joshua Fowler and Dave Pensado, assisted by Giancarlo Lino.

Source ^[1]

Charts[link]

Justin Bieber portal

References[link]

v t e Usher singles Usher "Can U Get wit It" "Think of You" "The Many Ways" My Way "You Make Me Wanna..." "Nice & Slow" "My Way" "Bedtime" 8701 "Pop Ya Collar" "U Remind Me" "U Got It Bad" "U Don't Have to Call" "U-Turn" Confessions "Yeah!" "Burn" "Confessions Part II" "My Boo" "Caught Up" Here I Stand "Love in This Club" "Love in This Club Part II" "Moving Mountains" "What's Your Name" "Trading Places" Raymond v. Raymond "Papers" "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" "Lil Freak" "OMG" "There Goes My Baby" "More" Versus "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" "Hot Tottie" "Lay You Down" Looking 4 Myself "Climax" "Scream" Soundtrack "Call Me a Mack" Featured singles "The Party Continues" "I Need a Girl (Part One)" "Lovers and Friends" "Same Girl" "Better on the Other Side" "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" "Somebody to Love" "Fed Up" "Dirty Dancer" "Promise" "Without You" Other songs "Here I Stand" "First Dance" Portal:Usher

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Aristocrats gathering around Emperor Franz Joseph at a ball in the Hofburg Imperial Palace, painting by Wilhelm Gause (1900).

The first dance is an element in a number of traditions, being an opening of a certain dance function: ball, prom, etc.

Balls[link]

In the context of balls, the term "first dance" has two meanings.

At various formal balls the first dance was led by the guest of honor, which was usually the person of the highest social position in a given context, such as a member of the royal family, if any were present. Their dance was the opening of the ball. As these were generally long country dances, the guests of honor would be the first people to go down the set, not the only two people dancing for the entirety of the first piece of music.

In 17th-century France, the minuet, also called "the Queen of Dances", was the first dance.

In the Victorian era of Great Britain the first dance was a quadrille.^[1]

In 19th century Russian Empire balls were opened with Polonaise.

Another meaning is the first occurrence of a young lady in a social gathering. It could have happened either during a usual ball or during a specially arranged debutante ball or cotillion.

Weddings[link]

The "first dance" of a married couple is a popular element at many post-wedding celebrations in modern European and American traditions. Exactly like an old-fashioned ball, the idea is that the married couple, as the guests of honor at a dance, open the dancing, not that they perform a choreographed duet for spectators.^[2] First dances, because they are intended to open the dance for all guests, are inappropriate and therefore omitted when there is no other dancing planned for the guests.

In the past, the first wedding dance was commonly a waltz. In modern times ballroom dancing is no longer a widespread skill, and rehearsing the "first dance" has become a lucrative business for dance studios and independent dance instructors. Today more popular dances include the foxtrot, merengue, and swing. Alternatively, many couples just do a "slow dance". More recently, some couples have been known to introduce a surprise into their dance to shock and humour their audience e.g. by dancing to a song in a mock disco style.^[3]

Other[link]

• At "Studniówka", a kind of prom in Poland, the first dance is usually a polonaise, which students usually have to practice before the ball.

Metaphorical use[link]

Since these times the phrase "to open the ball" has become a figure of speech for initiating an activity which will be subsequently continued by others. The term has been used in descriptions of battle scenes.^[4]

Notable occurrences[link]

• The first dance of Cinderella was the "first dance" in two senses: it was her first dance, and she was asked to open the ball by the prince

See also[link]

• Wedding music

References[link]

1. ^ Thomas E. Hill, "Essential Handbook of Victorian Etiquette" (1994) ISBN 0-912517-12-3 (paperback)
2. ^ Martin, Judith; Jacobina Martin (2010). Miss Manners' Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 272. ISBN 0-393-06914-1. 
3. ^ The Brubaker Wedding Dance
4. ^ From Rudyard Kipling's "The Drums Of The Fore And Aft": Over that pock-marked ground the Regiment had to pass, and it opened the ball with a general and profound courtesy to the piping pickets; ducking in perfect time, as though it had been brazed on a rod.

The Clays were an influential nineteenth century U.S. political and business dynasty.

List of Clays[link]

• Brutus Junius Clay (1808–1878), U.S. Congressman from Kentucky.
• Cassius Marcellus Clay (politician) (1810–1903), publisher, U.S. general, U.S. minister to Russia.
• Clement Claiborne Clay (1816–1882), U.S. Senator from Alabama.
• Clement Comer Clay (1789–1866), U.S. Senator from Alabama.
• Green Clay (1757–1828), member of the Virginia and Kentucky legislatures; Speaker of the Kentucky Senate.
• Green Clay Smith (1826–1895), U.S. Congressman from Kentucky and Territorial Governor of Montana.
• Henry Clay (1777–1852), U.S. Representative and Senator from Kentucky; Speaker of the House of Representatives; U.S. Secretary of State.
• Henry Clay, Jr. (1811–1847), Lt. Col. in the Second Kentucky Regiment, killed in the Battle of Buena Vista.
• Henry "Harry" Clay (1849–1884), Arctic explorer; candidate for Kentucky House of Representatives.
• James Brown Clay (1817–1864), U.S. Chargé d'affaires at Lisbon, Portugal; U.S. Representative from Kentucky; member of the Peace Conference of 1861; commissioned to raise a regiment for the Confederate States of America.
• James Brown Clay (1848–1906), aide-de-camp to Major General John C. Breckinridge.
• John Morrison Clay (1821–1887), thoroughbred racer and breeder.
• Josephine Russell Clay (1835–1920), thoroughbred breeder and author.
• Laura Clay (1849–1941), a leader in the women's suffrage movement.
• Mary Barr Clay (1839–1924), president of the American Woman Suffrage Association.
• Matthew Clay (1754–1815), U.S. Representative from Virginia.
• Matthew Clay (c.1795-1827), member of the Alabama Senate.
• Nestor Clay (1799–1835), Texas pioneer; representative at the 1832 and 1833 Texas Conventions.
• Susan Clay Sawitzky (1897–1981), U.S. poet.
• Tacitus Thomas Clay (1824–1868), mayor of Independence, Texas; Confederate army officer.
• Thomas Clay (b 1750), member of the first Kentucky Constitutional Convention.
• Thomas C. McCreery (1816–1890), U.S. Senator from Kentucky.
• Thomas Hart Clay (1803–1871), U.S. minister to Nicaragua and Honduras.
• Thomas Jacob Clay (1853–1939) Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, who participated in the second capture of Geronimo.
• William Claude Clay (1917–2004) member of 2677th Office of Strategic Services Regiment (United States) and 2671st Special Reconnaissance Battalion (United States) of the Office of Strategic Services, won various medals of valor.

External links[link]

• Clay Family Papers at the Library of Congress
• James Brown Clay
• James Brown Clay
• Laura Clay
• Mary Barr Clay
• Nestor Clay
• Tacitus Thomas Clay
• Tacitus Thomas Clay
• Thomas Jacob Clay
• Various family members active in politics