Ballroom and Latin Dance Barnstaple

Ballroom Etiquette

 

No-one wants to do something embarrassing when they go out dancing and there are centuries of traditions to ignore, so here's our rough guide to ballroom etiquette.

 

Almost everything on this page is just common sense and common courtesy. If you're generally polite and considerate of others, it's unlikely you'll upset someone just because you went out dancing.

On the other hand, a lot of people get nervous the first time they go to a big ballroom event: there are lots of traditions and until you've been you don't know which ones people still follow. Also, some of the conventions during class sessions aren't obvious until you've been a couple of times, so you might like to know in advance how things usually work.

 

Asking someone to Dance

This is the 21st century, and it's perfectly acceptable for ladies to ask men to dance as well as the other way around.

Traditionally, to invite someone to dance you would ask something like 'May I have this dance?' or 'Would you like this (dance name)?' These are still commonly used, but no-one's going to be offended if you're less formal about things, particularly in a crowded beginners class!

If you don't want to dance with someone, it's perfectly polite to decline on the basis that you're sitting that one out, but it's rather bad manners to go and dance to the same music with someone else instead if you've done this. (The exception, obviously, is if you had already agreed to dance it with that other person when you were asked.) If you don't want to dance that particular track but you're worried about upsetting someone who has asked you specially, you can always offer to find them for a different dance later.

The corollary to this is that you shouldn't be upset if you ask someone to dance and they turn you down. It happens all the time, and it's probably not your fault. People get tired, need a drink, prefer different rhythms, or just don't like a particular piece of music. Also, just because someone turned you down, that doesn't mean you can't ask them again later, particularly if they said they'd come and find you when they declined before. If you're turned down by the same person twice, you might want to wait and see if they ask you to dance later instead, as they might have a good reason and you don't want to hassle them.

You'll find dancers at levels from beginner to advanced at social dance events. Naturally, people will dance mostly with others of a similar experience level. However, there's no rule against asking someone to dance just because they're much more experienced than you are. 

If someone has come with a partner, it is normally assumed that they will dance the first and last dance of the session with that partner, so it's unwise to ask them for a dance at those times. At traditional ballroom events, the last waltz is usually announced so you have time to find your partner before the music starts.

It is also worth noting that just because someone has said yes to a dance it does not mean they've consented to anything further! Please do not harass people at classes and socials - nor, indeed, in the rest of your life beyond the dance class.

 

Floorcraft

Dancing is a contact sport, as the saying goes, and inevitably on a crowded floor you'll brush up against other couples occasionally. However, this is not an excuse to charge into them with reckless abandon, particularly using your partner as a battering ram! Always be considerate of others: if you can't dance around a couple who are in your way, it's much better to stop, let them move off and then carry on than it is to hit them, trip them up or step on their toes!

In Latin dances, be aware of the space around you before you start shooting out those arms or flicking your legs all over the place. In Ballroom dances, if there's not a lot of room, ask yourself whether it's really a good time to do that big, sweeping line figure from your class last week or to practise your quickstep charges in and out of the other couples. Also, be aware that just because you're dancing a routine you learned at a class, not everyone else will be doing the same. You might have got away with stepping backwards without looking when the couple behind you were doing the same thing at the same time, but in a crowded social dance they might not be! The rule for choosing which figures to dance is simple: if in doubt, don't and just keep it simple.

 

Personal Hygiene

This one's pretty obvious, really: if you're going out dancing, be in a state where other people would be happy to dance with you!

We're not talking about the unkempt look here: it's not obligatory for men to be clean-shaven with hair gelled down like a matinee idol, nor for ladies to spend two hours putting their hair up and make-up on. Just make sure you're clean and sweet smelling and please don't go out dancing in a crowded room if you're bringing some unpleasant lurgi with you.

With experience you'll find that some clothes are much more comfortable for dancing on hot days than others, but if you tend to sweat a lot and you're worried, you can always bring a small towel with you and take along an extra shirt to change into. Ladies often bring a fan with them.

NB: PLEASE DO NOT CHEW SWEETS OR CHEWING GUM DURING THE LESSON! 

This is highly dangerous as you could easily choke and we do not want to practice the Heimlich Maneuver on the dance floor!

 

Care of the Dance Floor

Good dance floors are hard to find, and cost a small (or sometimes, not-so-small) fortune when venues buy them, so it's important to take good care of them.

It is often useful to brush suede-soled dancing shoes during a dancing session. If you do this, please don't do it over the dance floor where everyone else will just tread in the dirt you brush off. Use a bin, go outside, or find a brushing area with a mat if the studio you are using has one.

If the floor is particularly slippery, you can improve the grip of suede-soled shoes by applying a little water. Again, if you are going to do this, don't pour the water onto the dance floor itself, and don't apply so much to your shoes that you're leaving footprints on the dance floor. Never use stickier alternatives, as these spoil the floor.

For ladies, make sure dancing shoes have properly fitted heel protectors, so there's no danger of scratching the floor if your heel tip is wearing out. (This is good for prolonging the life of your shoes, too!)

And of course, if you're carrying food or drink, be very careful not to get any on the dance floor. Try to go around the outside rather than walk on the floor itself, in case someone knocks into you and something spills.

 

And always remember....

Never forget that dancing is supposed to be fun, not a means to tie yourself in knots over P's and Q's that you spend the rest of the evening trying to undo. You're there to have a good time, and so is everyone else. If you're not sure about something, just look for someone who seems to know what they're doing and ask politely. Dancers are by nature a pretty friendly bunch, and you'll find plenty of help if you need it. Now stop worrying and go and dance!