Etiquette Tips

Etiquette Tips

    • Ask people to dance! You dance more when you ask more, so don’t be shy–go ahead and ask folks to dance. Please ask verbally.
    • Accept or decline dances nicely. We encourage you to be enthusiastic about dancing with lots of different people. It’s a great way to have a fun night and expand your skill. But it’s also just fine to politely decline a dance, for any reason at all. Be nice about it, but a polite “No, thank you” is no big deal! Saying no is perfectly okay, so don’t take it personally if someone says no to you.
    • Don’t assume dance role. Lots of folks lead and follow. It’s nice to ask your partner which role they would prefer for a given dance.
    • Dance one song with one partner, usually. The tradition in our scene is to dance one song with your partner, then thank them and find a new partner. If the song ends and you’d like to dance with the same partner for the next song, ask them.
    • Practice good floorcraft. It gets crowded at our dances! Be careful not to run into other dancers. If you do, apologize and make sure they are okay.
    • Ask before you do dips. Small dips are okay, if you know how to do them safely. But please check with your partner first–some people may have injuries or other reasons to not want to be dipped.
    • Leave the lifts and aerials at home. Our dances are very crowded, and lifts and aerials can lead to drops, falls, and getting kicked in the head!
    • Bring a change of shirt or a towel. It gets hot in our dances, so bring something to refresh yourself when you start to get sweaty. Your future dance partners will thank you.
    • Introduce yourself to new people. We strive to be a welcoming community, so if you are new, please introduce yourself and say hello! And if you’re a regular and you see someone new, be an ambassador for our scene, say hello, and make them feel welcome.