Can my daughter practice for a dance during Sefira for a wedding right after Shavuos?

Question:

My 11 year old daughter is making up a dance to a specific song for all the nieces to do at my sisters wedding which is a few days after Shavuos.

They started practicing before Pesach. Can they continue even though it is now Sefira? Otherwise they won’t be able to do it at the wedding as they won’t have enough time.

Answer:

Although there is room for leniency, still best to avoid.

On Lag Baomer it is permitted, and one may even be lenient during Shloshes Yemei Hagbalah.

The dance practice (without music of course) can also be done on Shabbos, so long one does not verbalize that the purpose is to prepare for a wedding which will happen after Shabbos, on a weekday.

Sources:

צדדי היתר: הדעות שאין אבילות בקטנים, שהוא לצורך מצוה כמו תפירת בגדים חדשים לצורך חתונה בבין המצרים, שהוא רק להתלמד (להדעות שגם בזה שרי. ובפרט בימי הספירה דלא חמיר כולי האי. וכש״כ בתחילת הלימוד. וראה שו״ת זכר שמחה סז. צי״א טז, יט).

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