Dancing is a pretty involved activity, you can't just be zoning out while you're dancing with someone and expect everything to go perfectly. Check out these 20 helpful tips on social dancing etiquette. Following dance floor etiquette helps everyone to have fun. If you're a lady/follower, don't backlead! Don’t push yourself too far or too fast, especially if you are a beginner. Long story short, be responsible when drinking and dancing and don't go on the dance floor if you can't dance safely. A lot of times men are too rough because they have bad timing and start their moves too late so the woman doesn't have enough time to respond and the man's incorrect solution is to force her through it instead. Don't hit on a woman by asking her to teach you how to dance. If you find yourself apologizing all the time, maybe the problem isnât just everybody else. Using only an equipment that you know how to use. Dancing should be treated as discovery process, learning and seeing new things along the way. Getting angry isnât going to solve anything. Observes personal safety protocol to avoid dehydration, overexertion, hypo- and hyperthermia during MVPA participation PEH11FH-Ik-t-10 11. 1. It helps you avoid offending or upsetting your partner and other dancers. Gentlemen, please escort your lady onto the dance floor and find a good spot to dance in. It's okay to have one or two drinks, but if you're full-on drunk, blacking out, or wasted, stay away from the dance floor! And just like a conversation, it's really rude and annoying when the other person is zoned out and not paying attention at all to what's going on. Leaders, don't feel that you need to whip your partner around in order to dance with them. In addition, he may know some moves that you don't, which is perfectly fine and actually normal. 7. You don't want to blantly ignore your partner or avoid looking at them because that's kind of rude, not to mention it makes it more difficult to dance because you can miss out on a lot of visual cues/leads on what to do next. If you are dancing with a woman who is a beginner or not as advanced as you, then adjust your dancing accordingly. Such rules include the way in which the participants should look and the way in which they approach, dance with and leave their partner. While many experts stress the importance of proper rest, there are no specific guidelines on the frequency and amount of rest. While dancing with this person may not be one of life’s peak experiences, a dance is only three minutes long and the experience will not kill you. It helps you fit in with the social dance crowd and makes social interactions easier. Yay, non-verbal communication! You don't have to dance with him/her again if you didn't like it. The two main categories of injuries are: Traumatic injuries and over-use injuries. Don't do crazy moves or tricks when you're out social dancing. In partner dancing, the proper amount of pressure and connection to use is the least amount necessary to get the desired result. Do not own the equipment as your own. Identifies school and community resources in case of an injury or emergency PEH11FH-Ii-j-11 12. It's borderline rude and presumptious to expect a random stranger to be your personal dance teacher. Similarly, shadow, shuffle and two-step dancers should pay attention to dance clear of the west coast swing slot. Just be polite, take it down a notch, dance out the rest of the song, thank them for the dance, then go home and scream into a pillow if needed. A lot of dance moves are similar but have diffierent variations, endings, or ways that you can pair them together. If you are escorting your partner off the dance floor, you can thank them once you've finished walking them back. If you see someone breaking the rules, let it go. Traveling dancers (two-step and shadow) travel around the West Coast Swing dancers in the usual counter-clockwise direction. However, there are some people who will get really offended, so if it's a matter of personal safety/risk of injury (because the guy is whipping you around and hurting you), then you have a right to politely excuse yourself from the rest of the dance in order to avoid getting hurt or injured. However, you should not treat the place as your own personal stage and expect that everyone get out of the way and clear the room for you. However, there are other women who are perfectly fine with their frame/responsiveness, so don't go swinging around every woman who dances with you without first gauging her ability to follow. If other people are bumping into you, or if it's the same people over and over, try and find another spot on the dance floor away from them. It makes you a more desirable dance partner. Most people think they poses social graces already or just don’t care about anyone else’s … I hope that these tips help you navigate the social dance world and let you have a good time. The Ultimate Guide to Gym Etiquette Written by Jordan Shakeshaft on December 11, 2014 From yoga and Pilates to circuits and supersets, there’s no right or wrong way to get in shape. Keep office correspondence brief and avoid interjecting personal opinions unless it is necessary. In addition, it interferes with the guys attempts to lead you through something that he knows, because you might end up doing something else than what he wanted when you go around guessing what's coming up next. Take care in using facilities and equipment.. Always try to hold onto your partner with both hands, keep her close, and don't dip her too low. Answer: Yes, it is perfectly fine and totally acceptable to ask someone of the same gender or sex as you to dance. You want to look at your partner and pay attention to what they're doing when you're dancing with them. Generally, you don't want to be telling your partner what to do. Gauge your partner's skill level by looking at how comfortable she feels. It's very rude and dangerous to go around doing huge moves, traveling excessively, and bumping into other people as a result of that. If you do not know the dance but want to practice, it is best to stay towards the edge of the dance floor away from the lines of dancers. Do not drag her behind or walk off ahead without her. Just be mindful of the people around you. Anya is a professional dance teacher in Oakland. This is important for both men and women. I understand that sometimes you need to grab onto your partner in order to avoid a collision with another person/couple on the dance floor, but that's a dance emergency/safety issue. Don't surprise her with a dip either in the middle of the dance because she might lose her balance and fall down. If you didn't like the dance, try and still be as pleasant as possible and don't be rude about it. Smile, and apologize. If they tell that they're interested in learning more, I'll give them my website, business card or phone number so they can contact me and come in for lessons during normal business hours. Never assume that just because you did x,y,z in that order in your group class or private lesson, that every guy you dance with is going to do x,y,z too. So take it down a notch (or twelve) and remember that you're there to have fun, not prove to your partner that you are the best dancer who ever lived, and that she should be grateful to have had an opportunity to experience your amazing talents! Apply all the precautions and prevention to avoid injuries in dancing. Don’t chew gum or bring food and drinks (a closed water bottle is okay) into the studio. When you hold onto him too tight, it hurts his hand, strains his shoulder, and makes it a lot harder to do his job. In a short bond paper, think of a recreational game an make guidelines and/or rules and the materials needed. Just like table manners, dance etiquette is guidelines for "correct" (or polite) behavior while dancing. o You are wearing the proper … Social dance etiquette is important because: Keep it classy when you're out dancing by following the correct social dance etiquette tips listed here. Proper dance shoes distribute load, absorb impact, and support your foot. If they are genuinely interested in learning how to dance, but might be feeling very shy and self-conscious about it, I might show them the basic and do some backleading so we could dance one song together. Don't carry drinks onto the dance floor. 4 Why do we consider proper etiquette and safety in engaging into physical from TLE 8 at Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology 4. Drink plenty of water before, during and after dancing. Nightclubs and parties are for you to practice what you've learned, they're not classes. Two-step and waltz are traveling couples' dances. No sports trainers, which tend to stick to the floor and can cause injury, and definitely no high heels or stilettos. the purpose of going is to relax and have fun. As Sundance Saloon gets more crowded, it becomes even more important to be courteous and respectful of those around you. In general, if you really want to learn how to dance, either go to the group class at the beginning of the night or sign up for dance lessons at your local studio. If you're at a place that's more of a bar/nightclub/drinking sort of place and there's literally 20 people making out and grinding up on each other, fine, that's a different story. It's in bad taste to use dancing as excuse to feel up or grope a woman on the dance floor "accidentally" and then getting all offended when she gets mad. Faster dancers should not move faster than they can safely go, regardless which lane you are in. 3. Being touchy-feely and making your partner uncomfortable is a sure way to turn off your partner, make her not to want to dance with you, and show to other women who might be watching that you can't be trusted to keep your hands to yourself. Don't hurl yourself around the dance and expect the guy to do damange control for you. Safety Precautions. It shows that you care about and respect other people there. 2. Injuries can be caused in many ways and occur for a variety of reasons. (Common Sense) Dress appropriately and come prepared. 5. I've had lots of men complain to me about women who backlead because it makes it incredibly difficult to dance with them, since they are the ones deciding on the moves and yanking the guy around to do them. Always thank your partner for the dance at the end of the song and be polite about it. You might be able to have them show you the basic step just so you can get through one song together, but don't expect any more than that. It helps ensure your evening/event goes more smoothly. Bring back all equipment in place after use. West coast swing dancers should leave room at the ends of the dance floor for other dancers to get by. However, you should always be guided by safety precautions even without the presence of your teachers. Stand close to the wall so we don’t experience the incredible shrinking dance floor. It helps you keep the peace and avoid getting into conflicts with other dancers.