Dance, as with any social activity, is governed by its own code of etiquette. Proper conduct is just as important as mastering technique and perfecting each specific step. More than just a sport, social dancing is an art form, a manifestation of cultural heritage and human creativity? Understandably requiring a higher form of conduct is just plain sportsmanship.
While it is true that you can master dancing as a solo performer, learning the art will require you to be paired with another person in one way or another ?it's simply unavoidable. The fact is, dancing is made to be shared, either with your audience or with a partner. Learning how to dance means learning the highest form of human expression, Mastering dance is mastering bodily communication.
The point of these dances is human contact, to establish a relationship with the body. As such, they are held together by certain rules of conduct to aid in fostering social interaction between dancers.
Don't be alarmed. A lot of these rules are pretty much common-sense, and all are made to keep the dance alive and enjoyable. Here are some of these rules:
Enjoy! If you are not having fun, then find something else to do. Besides the great exercise and the opportunity to express oneself, one of the main reasons people dance is to enjoy themselves. If you are going to dance, do it with a passion that will entice you and your partner to dance better. The more you enjoy it, the better you will be at it.
Be sensitive to your partner needs. Dance is about being in sync with your partner. Try to determine your partner level of skill beforehand, through asking or stern observation. This will allow you to either up the ante or level down for your partner sake.
Dress the part. Whether you are in a formal gala or a dance studio, the proper clothes make the dancer. If you are in clothes that you are comfortable in, the more you are likely to dance your best. Rubber shoes can cause injuries as they tend to stick to the floor during certain moves (as they were designed to do so) wear dancing shoes whenever the occasion is. Also, being properly attired will get you better reactions on and off the dance floor. It is a social activity after all.
Tie your hair. Nobody wants to be whacked in the face by their partner's hair after a perfect textbook turn. It's also very unsafe to risk having a dancer's hair tangle with a Partner's accessories and body parts? It just hampers the dancing.
Thank every person you have danced with. Really, it's simple and easy to do, and your partners will be very grateful for the gesture.
Etiquette on the dance floor isn't as hard as you might think and is, as said before, pretty much common sense. Except for the stricter dances where the rules of etiquette are very specific (like the tango with its system of approaching the partner, commencing the dance, and leaving the partner).
Passion, honesty and respect all that needed to master any social dance. - 29874
While it is true that you can master dancing as a solo performer, learning the art will require you to be paired with another person in one way or another ?it's simply unavoidable. The fact is, dancing is made to be shared, either with your audience or with a partner. Learning how to dance means learning the highest form of human expression, Mastering dance is mastering bodily communication.
The point of these dances is human contact, to establish a relationship with the body. As such, they are held together by certain rules of conduct to aid in fostering social interaction between dancers.
Don't be alarmed. A lot of these rules are pretty much common-sense, and all are made to keep the dance alive and enjoyable. Here are some of these rules:
Enjoy! If you are not having fun, then find something else to do. Besides the great exercise and the opportunity to express oneself, one of the main reasons people dance is to enjoy themselves. If you are going to dance, do it with a passion that will entice you and your partner to dance better. The more you enjoy it, the better you will be at it.
Be sensitive to your partner needs. Dance is about being in sync with your partner. Try to determine your partner level of skill beforehand, through asking or stern observation. This will allow you to either up the ante or level down for your partner sake.
Dress the part. Whether you are in a formal gala or a dance studio, the proper clothes make the dancer. If you are in clothes that you are comfortable in, the more you are likely to dance your best. Rubber shoes can cause injuries as they tend to stick to the floor during certain moves (as they were designed to do so) wear dancing shoes whenever the occasion is. Also, being properly attired will get you better reactions on and off the dance floor. It is a social activity after all.
Tie your hair. Nobody wants to be whacked in the face by their partner's hair after a perfect textbook turn. It's also very unsafe to risk having a dancer's hair tangle with a Partner's accessories and body parts? It just hampers the dancing.
Thank every person you have danced with. Really, it's simple and easy to do, and your partners will be very grateful for the gesture.
Etiquette on the dance floor isn't as hard as you might think and is, as said before, pretty much common sense. Except for the stricter dances where the rules of etiquette are very specific (like the tango with its system of approaching the partner, commencing the dance, and leaving the partner).
Passion, honesty and respect all that needed to master any social dance. - 29874
About the Author:
Tom James's DanceCrazy.com is a website where you can purchase well-crafted instructional dance DVDs and also learn several tips about dancing. To know more about him and his website log on to http://www.dancecrazy.com.
