DANCE, ETIQUETTE ‑ TIPS FOR SOCIAL DANCE
Those of us that have been in the social dance scene for a while know our basic social dance etiquette like we know the back of our hand.
For some though, dance etiquette doesn't seem to come as easy, and those lacking these nonverbal rules can come off as rude without even meaning to be These rules encompass almost all the social dances. Here's a few simple rules and tips to help you understand the best way to approach the social dance floor.
1 ‑ Personal number one rule, and pet peeve, no critiquing on the dance floor! We are all always learning, and it is very rude to critique, tell someone they are not doing something right, give funny faces, or try to correct them while social dancing. Even when someone asks you to tell them if they do something wrong, don't do it because it's distracting and breaks people's spirits.
2 ‑ Make sure your outfit is "social dancing" proof. Are your earrings too
heavy? Do the buttons on your coat/shirt tangle in girl's hair? Is your skirt/dress too revealing when spinning? Test it out before you head out to dance.
3 ‑ Wash your hands' Not just when you go to the restroom, but every once in a while too. Remember that in social dancing, you're touching someone who has toüchéd 10 other people, and those people have touched 10 óther peoplè, and so on.
4 ‑ Don't pressure or guilt‑trip someone into dancing if they don't want to.
5 ‑ Always hold your lady's hand and walk her on to the dance floor.
6 ‑ Lead her to a safe and open spot. Don't have her go first expecting her to pick the spot unless she asks to.
7 ‑ Do basics in the beginning to assess your dance partner's level and adjust to his/her level.
8 ‑ Do not try to show off by going crazy on someone who is not comfortable with patterns, you'll intimidate them and likely make them scared to dance with you again.
9 ‑ Build up the energy by taking it easy at first, and then really go off once the music starts poppin'.
10— Ladies, don't back lead. We have a certain amount of control over our styling and how we look, but leave the patterns up to the guys.
11 ‑ Guys, if you're practicing a new move and it's not working after two or three attempts, then try again on a different dance partner when you're done dancing with your current one. It may be that your partner is not quite that level to follow that pattern yet.
12 ‑ Always smile! Nothing is worse than looking sour while dancing, even if you don't mean to. I understand it's hard to smile while thinking really hard about doing the pattern right or making sure you're following well, but try your best to make a habit of smiling.
13 ‑ Don't look too distracted while dancing with your partner. Partner dancing is all about connecting with another person, so when you are, (or look) distracted, it takes away from that pleasure.
14 ‑ At the same time, don't stare uncomfortably at your partner the entire time. Maintain a good balance of connecting visually.
15 ‑ Guys, be diligent in taking care of your partner. Guys who throw girls around in turns, dips, cross body leads, without looking around first put that girl in danger of getting hit or stepped on. Please, look around, make sure there's enough room for her to step when you take her there, and be aware of any crazy dancers around you as well.
16 ‑ Be courteous to others by staying IN YOUR SPACE when the dance floor is very full. It's very annoying to get hit constantly by the same person or to be pushed into this tiny space on the edge of the floor. For Ballroom dancing this would mean move in the line of dance. If you are not real proficient, go the the center, out of the line of dance.
17 ‑ Ladies, don't let styling get in the way of following well. Following comes first, styling is secondary.
18 ‑ This goes without saying, but I am going to say it anyway. Do not feel up on your partner if she/he doesn't want to be felt up!! Don't be that guy (or girl) that everyone refers to as "The Perv."
19 ‑ You should not be doing any tricks that could put your partner or others around you in danger. Simple dips are usually pretty safe for the social dance floor, but make sure nobody is right above your partner as your bring her up, and remember that lifts aren't appreciated on social dance floors! Safety first!
20 ‑ If you're belligerent and drunk, it's best not to dance with anybody. Trust me, you'll thank me later for this advice.
21 ‑ When the dance is over, thank your partner politely for the great dance.Hold your lady's hand and walk her off the dance floor and back to her seat.
22 —Above all, HAVE FUN! It's not social dancing if it's not fun, so enjoy it without worry.
Share this in your dance community and raise awareness about these topics so that you may have a social dance environment with good etiquette!!! These ethics apply to any dance situation anywhere. Below are some Palladium Specific items that will contribute to a harmonious fun evening at the Ala Wai.
1 – Don’t socialize on the dance floor. Sure we all like talk story, but do it off the dance floor. Besides it is dangerous, as people in the line of dance could run into stationary objects. Also if you socialize off the dance floor, don’t stand in front of others that are seated, especialy during an exibition. Blocking the view of others is just plain rude.
2 – The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. BUT NOT ACROSS THE DANCE FLOOR! Do not walk across the dance floor while others are dancing. Again it could lead to injuries when dancers and j-walkers collide.
3 – Help out the club sponsoring the event. At the close of the evening, place your chairs back on the rack. But if you place other chairs back, be sure the person sitting there has left and is not still on the dance floor and expecting to have a seat when they return.
4 – Remember common sense and courtesy are contagious, and make for a plesant evening.
