Dance Floor Courtesy
By Mylie Arnold
Dance floors across America are becoming more crowded than ever and it is a wonderful sight to see! Driven by popular television shows such as Dancing With The Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, ballroom and social dancing are gaining popularity. Ballrooms and clubs are filling wall to wall with enthusiastic newcomers and die-hard dance fanatics alike. When all dancers observe dance floor etiquette and common courtesy, the space can accommodate its maximum capacity and still permit movement and enjoyment for dancers of all levels.
One of the fundamentals of dance floor etiquette involves understanding the dance type and its pattern of movement around the floor. Social dances are classified as either progressive dances, which travel around the floor, or spot dances, which cover very little space. As a general rule, progressive dances such as the Foxtrot, Two Step, and Tango only move around the floor in a counter clockwise direction. However, all progressive dances have some patterns that don't travel very much. With these, it is best to stay in the center in order to avoid impeding the movement of others. Beginners should dance toward the center of the floor, leaving the outside of the floor—AKA “the fast lane”—to the more experienced dancers who tend to move swiftly around the floor.
In spot dances, such as the Cha Cha, Swing and Salsa, the couples dance as much in place as possible, taking care not to invade others space. While there is no officially-designated area for newer dancers versus experienced dancers, clusters of each do tend to form on the floor. This is advantageous to everyone since it is far easier to share space with couples that are dancing at a similar level. Advanced dancers are comfortable executing faster, more complicated patterns, in much closer proximity to the other couples on the floor than less experienced dancers.
When entering the floor, do so with respect for those already dancing. For traveling dances, think of it as merging onto the freeway. For spot dances, it is best to walk around the floor instead of cutting through the middle if you would like to reach the other side.
Couples should not stop on the dance floor to make conversation, argue or discuss the working of a dance pattern if they will interfere with others who are dancing. Collisions are going to happen sometimes, and with everyone moving it is usually difficult to determine who is at fault. When you do bump into someone, or you are bumped into, good manners dictate that you apologize. When an accident occurs, it is far more pleasant when both parties smile and apologize rather than glare at each other—silently indicating they are quite sure who is at fault.
When the dance floor is particularly crowded, everyone should refrain from “performing”, which means dancing patterns that are too complex for the current floor conditions. This is the perfect time for more experienced dancers to get to know some of the new faces on the floor and enjoy some casual social dancing. When the floor becomes less crowded, there will be plenty of opportunity to try out hot new moves with fellow advanced dancers. When the dance is finished, always say thank you and gentlemen should escort their partner off the floor.
Off the dance floor, courtesy is equally as important. When you wish to ask someone to dance, don't interrupt a conversation, wait for a break. Always ask politely, and if your desired partner declines, accept it graciously. If they say, “Not right now, I would love to later,” then feel free to ask again. There are many reasons for declining a dance, perhaps they just need a bit of a break, or are engaged in a conversation they don't wish to end at that moment.
Avoid monopolizing one partner’s time (unless you are attending the dance as a couple) and dance with a variety of people throughout the evening. If you would like to dance more than once with someone, saying, “I'd love another dance this evening,” is a good way to see if they feel the same. If you get an enthusiastic, “Yes,” feel free to ask again. If their response is not as enthusiastic, it may be better to leave the next dance request to them.
Dancing with partners of all levels is important for another reason. I have always believed that for each time I was lucky enough to dance with a better dancer, I owed several dances to those who were less experienced than myself. Since the number of advanced dancers in any community is usually small, it just makes sense. While dancing with a more experienced dancer is always exciting, it is also fulfilling to give that same gift to a novice partner. You never know which of these might become a dance fanatic as well and turn into one of your favorite partners in a few years.