I think most of us remember our first middle school dances. Mine was an overwhelming culture shock where I realized just how clueless I was when it came to dancing. Up to that point, the extent of my dancing career involved frequenting the annual sock-hop at my elementary school and performing poorly choreographed dance routines in my backyard. No ballet lessons, no tap dancing, no hip-hop, no nothing. I was starting from square one, and boy did I have a lot to learn. And so that night my dancing education began, with intensive observation of the gangly teenagers surrounding me. Over the years I have continued to learn, and I now feel prepared to offer up my observations and advice to any novice dancers out there:
1. Some songs have pre-established dance routines. These are your best friends (once you learn the dance, of course). Songs like the “Cotton Eyed Joe,” “YMCA,” and the “Macarena” may not be works of musical genius, but they are three glorious minutes of knowing exactly what to do with both your hands and your feet. Of course, if you don’t know the routine, find a YouTube tutorial ASAP because when you say things like, “Teach me how to Dougie?” people assume you’re just singing along and will not actually teach you how to Dougie.
2. Other songs offer a chance to make up your own moves but contain suggestions during certain parts of the song. “Putting your hands up” and “getting low” are two moves to learn immediately, as they are often mentioned in songs. For both, it is important to warm up first and to maintain an appropriate distance from other dancers so as not to impale them with your enthusiastically waving appendages. It is also important to practice “getting low” and to ascertain exactly how low you can go before you need to switch to the next move, known as “standing back up.” Pro tip: if you’re having trouble understanding the lyrics and are worried about missing crucial moments, stare intently at the person next to you and follow his lead regarding hand-raising and getting low.
3. Everyday activities translate extremely well to the dance floor. Two classic examples include the “changing a lightbulb” and the “shopping for groceries,” but there are endless possibilities. Some of my favorites include the “waiting for the pasta water to boil” and the “flipping channels.” Be sure to exaggerate your motions and act excessively happy, whichever move you choose.
4. If someone appears to be casting an invisible fishing pole in your direction, play along. Pretend to be hooked and hop towards them like a fish fighting for its life. A variation of this move involves being lassoed, in which case you should act more like a calf with its legs tied together. These are prime opportunities to show off the graceful dancer within you. Do remember, however, that there are many fish in the sea. This is a rather advanced move, so if no one is casting their pole your way, keep working on your dancing skills and better luck next year!
5. As mentioned above, many songs give you the opportunity to create your own dance moves. Too many songs, actually. Going to a dance will involve a lot of making it up as you go along. This is an extremely personal process, and you must decide what feels right for you, but basically, you should try to move your arms, legs, head, neck, and hips simultaneously, feeling the rhythm of the music. I would also recommend closing your eyes and singing along at emotional moments in the song to add an edge to your dancing.
I know that dancing can be overwhelming at first, but I hope that these tips will help y’all to be more prepared for whatever happens on the dance floor!
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