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Tips for Proper Dance Etiquette
written by Bill Sherman
Elements of Dance Etiquette
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Tips for Proper Dance Etiquette
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The basis of proper etiquette is consideration for others. In
particular, that includes your partner(s) and the other people at the dance.
Here are a few tips:
1. Do not hurt your partner! This is of particular importance
to leaders in general, but followers occasionally hurt their partner by gripping
his hand too hard or the wrong way (make sure to have a loose grip while
spinning).
2. It is still most common for a man to ask a woman to
dance, but these days it is also quite acceptable for a woman to ask a man to
dance (in some settings other possibilities are accepted, but that varies). It
is particularly important for men that they should politely ask the woman they'd
like to dance with (ie don't ask the guy she's talking to for permission to
dance with her - this ticks off a lot of women). Generally a simple "Would you
care to dance?" or "Pardon me, but could I have this waltz" is fine.
3. If someone asks you to dance, the answer is "Yes,
thank-you" except under unusual circumstances (eg that person is in the habit of
hurting his/her partners). In the ballroom community strangers routinely dance
with each other - many people take it as a personal insult if you refuse to
dance with them. The most acceptable rejections are "I'm sorry, but I've already
promised this dance to someone else, maybe we can have the next dance," or "I'm
sorry, I'm a bit tired and I'd like to sit out a dance, maybe we can have the
next dance." Of course, if you use the latter excuse and then dance with someone
else, you are likely to insult the person who asked you first. In any event, if
you suggest a later dance, then you should expect to actually dance with the
person later. (Generally speaking, you should expect to dance at least once per
night with everyone who asks you.)
4. If someone agrees to dance with you, you should hold their
hand as the two of you walk on/off the dance floor.
5. Try to make yourself comfortable to be near: make sure that
you have recently showered and brushed your teeth (or at least freshened your
breath since your last meal/smoke). People with long hair should make sure it is
somehow held in place so it doesn't hit their partners when they spin. Make sure
there are no bulky items such as keys or wallets in your front right pocket (you
will probably look and feel better if all your pockets are empty while you
dance). Don't wear sharp rings or any long, dangling jewelry. (Note it is common
in some areas for people to bring towels and multiple shirts to dances so as to
avoid getting overly sweaty.)
6. Make sure to use good floorcraft when dancing. Always be
careful not to crash into or corner other couples on the dance floor. (It is, of
necessity, the primary responsibility of the better dancers to avoid the less
experienced dancers on the floor.)
7. Do not otherwise block the flow of the dance:
Progressive dances always move counter-clockwise around the outer portion of the
dance floor. If you want to be on the dance floor during a progressive dance,
then either move with the flow or move to the middle of the floor. Going to the
edge or the corner of the dance floor to "get out of the way" puts you exactly
where the other dancers are trying to go. (Bear in mind that just because you
are doing a dance which is not progressive, doesn't mean that nobody else is
doing a progressive dance - make sure you leave room for some couples to do fox
trots while you're doing swings.) Finally, clear off the dance floor when you're
not dancing - don't stand around chatting with your partner if you happen not to
like the next dance.
source: dancesport.lv
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