DANCE FLOOR ETIQUETTE

Please Do:

Dance in lines! – We are not here to Squiggle Dance

Listen to the DJ to know what dance is being played and for any floor-splits being called – it will help you ensure that you are doing the same dance as the person next to you

Ensure that if you are sitting at the edge of the dance floor your chair does not block anyone in – and if you are getting up to dance, please just push your chair under the table to allow people to walk past

Move forward when asked by the DJ – you may feel comfortable in your current position on the floor, but other dancers may be struggling for space behind you! If you are in the front row act confident because don’t forget: everyone else is following YOU

Leave the dance floor when the music ends, unless you are staying for the next dance

Be aware of your surroundings – remember to take smaller steps when a new dance is being taught, or a popular dance is being played (the dance floor may be fuller than normal) and NEVER kick to high or jump with both feet off the floor (it’s not a gymnastics class!!)

Please Don’t:

Walk across the dance floor when music is playing to reach the other side of the Hall as this is dangerous not only to yourself but to other dancers who may not see you – you should ALWAYS “walk around”, and not “cut across”

Try to join an existing line once a dance has started – you can dance in ANY line not just the one with your friends in it! There are no “RESERVED” signs for places on the dance floor

Try to join an existing line where there is not enough space for you to do so … you wouldn’t like someone to “push in” beside you, so please don’t do it to anyone else!

Bend down in the middle of the floor to tie the laces on your sparkly shoes – this is very dangerous as you immediately become a hazard to the other dancers moving around you

Carry drinks across the dance floor at ANY time whether there are people dancing or not … this causes a slip hazard for EVERYONE – all spillages should be cleaned immediately

Other Information:

A “floor-split” is when 2 dances are being done at the same time to the same piece of music – this will almost always be split between front and back. It is very important that if you are joining the rear of the “front” dance, you MUST leave space between yourself and the front row of the “back” dance to ensure that no-one collides once both dances have begun

You may very occasionally find that partner-dancing is being done around the edge of the dance floor. It is acknowledged that partner dancers have the right-of-way, so just be aware of this if you are dancing in a line bordering the edge of the dance floor

Please remember everyone was a beginner once, and that newcomers should be encouraged – but similarly, please don’t get up for a dance that you don’t know … you may become a hazard as other dancers move around you, or if you then try to exit from the dance floor in the middle of the song

It is courteous to apologize to a fellow dancer if you bump into them, or kick them accidentally (unless you don’t like the person, in which case you should always seek to blame someone else! HA HA)