![]() It is very acceptable for an individual of either dance role (lead/follow) to request a dance of an individual of the opposite dance role (lead/follow).Consider asking them if they want to dance at a later time. Should you want a consecutive dance with your partner, ask them first. One dance at a time is the norm within our dance community (in contrast, there are other dance communities where two consecutive songs per partner is the norm).Ask politely, "Would you like to dance?" Avoid grabbing a partner and pulling them onto the dance floor.Notice what the person is doing before you ask them to dance.Feel free to break the ice if they don't. For the most part, few people within the scene are intentionally reinforcing this perception. This is a by-product of the fact that many dancers have been dancing together for a long time and know each other better. Sometimes a perception exists that good dancers only hang out with other good dancers. Other tips include bringing a towel or handkerchief to the dances or using baby powder. Dancing is good exercise so be prepared to sweat! Many people bring extra shirts to change over the course of an evening.You may also wish to wear deodorant or cologne. Some dancers avoid eating certain foods (garlic or onions, for example) on dance days. You may want to chew gum or bring breath mints (Altoids are popular.and bring enough to share!). Don't be stinky! You will be dancing in close quarters with a lot of new people.Moreover, not talking while dancing is not considered bad etiquette either. ![]() Swing dancing is a social dance, therefore talking while dancing is okay and not considered bad etiquette.However, if your mistake may have physically hurt your partner, please apologize and make sure they are okay. The point is not to have a perfect dance, but to have fun. It is not necessary to apologize to your partner if a particular move is not executed perfectly.If you are not dancing, it is also considered polite to clap after a lengthy solo, however this is not expected of active dancers. It is polite to clap for live performers when they finish a song and for DJs when they finish their set.For follows this means avoiding back-leading or other actions that make the lead feel "unimportant." For both leads and follows, if you stay aware and adaptive of your partner's feelings, you will be a popular dancer. For leads this means being conscientious of your partner's skill and adjusting your lead to the situation. Your job is to make the person you are dancing with look good. This confirms that you are paying attention, yet you are not staring. If this is difficult for you, one trick some people use is looking at their partner's shoulder or their earlobe. Make eye contact, however do not stare down your partner.Try to follow the Golden Rule: treat others as you wish to be treated.In short, ask everybody you can to dance. In the context of having fun, you can have fun dancing with anybody and everybody. Ideally, you should be able to lead/follow with anyone. Similarly, dancing with less experienced dancers is a prime opportunity for you to work on your lead/follow skills. ![]() In the context of enhancing your skills, dancing with more experienced dancers often helps you to improve. It is beneficial to dance with people of all experience levels. More importantly, please remember that lacking prior experience does not preclude anybody from enjoying the dance. Avoid dwelling on what you know or don't know. In fact, the teachers spend as much time as anybody improving their dancing. Even then, nobody ever learns everything. It may take a few months for you to feel completely comfortable swing dancing. If you are a new to dancing, notice that most of the better dancers have been working at it for quite some time. However, everybody starts out as a beginner. Encouraging Words for Beginnersīecause there is a wide range of people in the swing scene, skills and experience levels vary greatly. This document contains advice, not rules. It is our hope that it will serve as a useful list of suggestions from many veteran swing dancers. This document was created to give dancers a better sense of common dance etiquette.
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