Beginners Guide to Dancing
If you’ve always felt like you have two left feet when stepping onto a dance floor, it can be awkward when your partner or friends want to have fun. It can also be highly embarrassing when you don’t know the basics to attempt to join in and friends tease you for avoiding dancing.
While we can’t all have the natural grace and sophisticated moves of Craig Revel Horwood, there are some simple yet key things to know which will allow you to hold your own on the dance floor without blushing.
While Part 1 of this guide series looked at how to get started with the basics of moving to music, the following guide will give you some important advice when tackling an actual dance floor.
1 – Basics When Going Out
It’s a good idea to have a drink when out to help you loosen up, although do avoid getting drunk as this will surely end in you feeling mightily embarrassed the next day! If you don’t enjoy drinking or are under age, try some breathing exercises and affirmations of your dance-worthiness to help calm you and improve your mindset so that the music can take hold.
While you’re doing this, it’s wise to initially scope out the dance floor to see what sort of dancing people are doing before you join them. If it’s fast dancing and you want to take it more slowly for example, you can simply wait it out until the pace changes.
If it’s your first foray on a dance floor, it’s best to go with a friend since it’s always easier to pluck up the courage to do something you’re worried about when you’ve got support.
Finally, be sure to dress well – it will give you confidence, plus at least if your dancing isn’t brilliant you’ll still look great!
6 – Covering your Bases
Another tip when taking the leap on the dance floor, especially if the crowd is thin, is to stand near someone who is drawing a lot of attention to their moves (whether it’s good or bad), since this will draw eyes away from you so you can feel less self-conscious.
Also stay on the outer side of the dance floor, avoiding the centre, since the latter option will focus more attention on you. Finally, keep in mind that many dancers will be feeling just as self-conscious as you are, but most of the time people are focussing on the music rather than watching others.
7 – Enjoy Yourself!
If you’re smiling, making eye contact and generally appearing confident, chances are you’ll be fitting right in.
Keep an eye out every now and then for what others are doing on the dance floor so that you get a sense of what the crowd is feeling and can follow their movements if you suddenly feel lost.
Another tip is to always keep your hands at or below shoulder level so that you don’t accidentally knock them into another dancer – what’s more, flailing arms are the surest way to draw attention to yourself.
9 – Caution against Getting too Uninhibited
While it’s great to lose your inhibition and move freely to the music, if you suddenly get the urge to start busting moves made famous by Usher or Justin Timberlake, it’s time to take a break! The same goes for trying a John Travolta (Saturday Night Fever) motion or starting a conga line.
Also avoid grind dancing – unless you know the person you’re with extremely well, this type of intimate dancing could earn you at best a look of utter disdain or at worst total sudden desertion by your partner on the dance floor.
All in all, it’s best to know when enough is enough – once you’ve had a few dances and enjoyed yourself, it’s a good idea to get off the dance floor before you do something foolish. The point of getting used to dancing in public is to take it easy and do it in small steps.
Conclusion
The above guide gives beginners some top tips on what to do when making it onto a public dance floor. Always bear in mind that while not all of us are blessed with the dancing flair of someone like Craig Revel Horwood , we can all learn to hold our own while enjoying music.
Author Bio: Rio Spelling is a choreography and dance enthusiast.
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