Dance Etiquette

These tips are courtesy of Dancetv.com. For more helpful tips including some basic dance steps, see their website.

While traditional etiquette stipulates that the man asks the woman for a dance, it is becoming increasingly common for women to ask men. People who ballroom dance are there to do one thing: ballroom dance. In other words, you don’t need to feel pressured into doing anything more than dancing. Tired of those silly one-liners? Well, in ballroom dancing there’s only one one-liner, and it never gets old. The only pick-up line in ballroom dancing is “May I have this dance?” And ladies, you can ask the men to dance with this same one-liner. Pretty easy, isn’t it?

When you get more than two people out on the dance floor, collisions can become a problem. So here's another rule of etiquette. Ladies, if you see an oncoming couple about to collide into you and your partner, simply tap your partner gently on the shoulder. This is known as the “internationall dance panic signal.” Remain calm! Do not grab on for life. If you do, you will probably end up startling your partner and colliding into the oncoming dance team.

Another point of etiquette comes at the conclusion of the dance. Men, it is polite to walk your partner back to her seat. (Generally, it is the man who walks the woman back even if she asked him to dance.)

The last and most important point of etiquette is this: No matter what happens, have fun! Ballroom dancing is meant to be enjoyed - like a fine wine or an afternoon walk in the park. Mingle. Get to know other dancers. Watch the way they move and improve upon your own dancing. Enjoy yourself!