Country Dancing

Show Respect on the Dance Floor

on

No matter what bar/club you go to, there is a definite need for dance floor etiquette. Hopefully most teachers review the basic “rules” during their lesson, but if people don’t attend class, they might not know. It is common sense and courtesy to show respect on the dance floor.

Recently, I witnessed first-hand how inconsiderate people can be. First let me explain what happened in both instances, and then I will include a few common etiquette rules. Both scenarios took place at the same bar, on separate nights, when a country band was playing. This place has a decent sized dance floor and attracts line dancers, ballroom style, basic couples and free style.

The first incident involved a group of line dancers, of which I was one, and a group of ballroom dancers from a local franchised location of worldwide dance studios. Two of the ballroom dancers walked on the floor in between the line dancers, stopping when they got to the middle, then stood there and “shimmied” their shoulders while laughing. The line dancers avoided running into them and continued to dance, and the ballroom dancers eventually left the floor.

A group of line dancers (including yours truly) were also involved in the second incident, along with a few “competition” dancers. I never found out what type of dance style they compete in, but they were trying to follow the line dancers and kept running to get behind different dancers as we turned to various walls. They created unnecessary chaos.

Considering both of these groups learn in a structured studio environment, I was surprised that none of them showed courtesy and knowledge of dance floor lanes and areas. Generally the line dance area is the center of the floor. Ballroom and free style dancers can use the area closest to or furthest from the stage/band. The outside lanes are for couples traveling around the edge of the dance floor. You should never purposefully enter another dancer’s space (as both of the aforementioned groups did). If you are a beginner, you should be in the center of all the other line dancers so you have someone to follow no matter which wall you face.

This is just a small portion of the list, for more details ask your local dance instructor or there are several websites you can search (suggested links below). Remember, dancing is meant to be fun, and respect on the dance floor is a courteous first step.

World Line Dance Newsletter/Tips For Beginners

Lonestar Dance Etiquette

Dori Yez teaches Country Line Dancing on Mondays at Rolling Mills Bar in Girard, Ohio and Wednesdays at Social 45 in Lisbon, Ohio. For more information, check out the clubs Facebook pages.

Recommended for you

6 Comments