Dancing on a crowded floor

[pygmalion]

A dance studio I once attended used to give the most hilarious classes, entitled,"dancing on a crowded floor." They taught specific, beginner-level moves one can do to rescue a tight situation, and gave some basic guidelines for how to manage a tiny floor (or a HUGE crowd.) At the end, they'd block off an area about one eighth of the ballroom, and make us dance inside. What a hoot!


Just wondering if we can recreate some of that advice here, for the newbies, and maybe not-so-newbies.

Any pointers for managing a crowded floor (other than sit this one out LOL)? And is managing a crowded floor different depending on what kind of dance you're doing?

[Genesius Redux]

I think it's definitely way easier to do Rhythm, Latin, and Swing on a crowded floor, simply because people basically stay put!

[Pacion]

From a salsa perspective, smaller steps and certainly for the ladies, to ensure that you keep your elbows bet whilst in open position, so that you stay closer to the guy (which you should be doing anyway)

[jon]

Lots of little things. Moving compactly. Keeping limbs close to the body. Adjusting position and direction. Not dancing near dangerously flamboyant people. Being ready to put your body between your follower and the person who's about to run into her. Being willing to stop moving in a dangerous situation. Scanning the environment constantly for new risks. Looking at the place you want to put your follower before putting her there. Being willing to abort a lead. Recognizing when you have a follower who won't understand an aborted lead, and being proportionately more cautious.

Mostly it's just common sense and placing safety above patterns, neither of which are taught in formal classes.

[Chris Stratton]

One thing I find is that's it's important to be able to communicate a less than maximum movement to your partner - in light crowding you can wait for an opening and then GO, but in heavy crowding hover & swoop leaves you moving one measure in 3, during which you usually collide with someone anyway.

[Sagitta]

Small steps. Small movements. Think you want to stay clsoe to your partner. You want to almost stick together. :)

[squirrel]

try to take steps as big as possible, use your heels when you step, wave your arms around as much as possible, do as many dips and tricks and acrobatics as you know and even try out some new stuff that you saw at a show a couple of months ago, stand in the middle of the dance floor chatting with friends, holding a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other...


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

PS good advice, right?! :roll: :oops: :wink: :twisted:

[Sabor]

In such hazardous situations i use the ultimate fool proofy technique.. and that is, simply to get the lady to stick to me so as not one millimeter between us is wasted :roll: .. less space between us.. more space for those around us :wink: .. oh its amazing how much i care for surrounding couples isn't it? 8) .. i constantly amaze myselfy i tellya LOL

[MacMoto]

In such hazardous situations i use the ultimate fool proofy technique.. and that is, simply to get the lady to stick to me so as not one millimeter between us is wasted :roll:
Yes, I'm aware of this technique. Whether I think it's a good technique or not depends on who I'm dancing with. :wink: :lol:

[Sabor]

In such hazardous situations i use the ultimate fool proofy technique.. and that is, simply to get the lady to stick to me so as not one millimeter between us is wasted :roll:
Yes, I'm aware of this technique. Whether I think it's a good technique or not depends on who I'm dancing with. :wink: :lol:

would u dance with me in an overthetopcrowded floor MacMoto? :mrgreen:

[pygmalion]

Sabor, you are priceless! :wink: :lol:

[Pacion]

Sabor, you are priceless! :wink: :lol:

Did someone say ebay :shock: :twisted: :lol:

[Sagitta]

ebay

[MacMoto]

In such hazardous situations i use the ultimate fool proofy technique.. and that is, simply to get the lady to stick to me so as not one millimeter between us is wasted :roll:
Yes, I'm aware of this technique. Whether I think it's a good technique or not depends on who I'm dancing with. :wink: :lol:

would u dance with me in an overthetopcrowded floor MacMoto? :mrgreen:
Not if you are gonna be as sweaty as your avatar. :lol:

[Sabor]

In such hazardous situations i use the ultimate fool proofy technique.. and that is, simply to get the lady to stick to me so as not one millimeter between us is wasted :roll:
Yes, I'm aware of this technique. Whether I think it's a good technique or not depends on who I'm dancing with. :wink: :lol:

would u dance with me in an overthetopcrowded floor MacMoto? :mrgreen:
Not if you are gonna be as sweaty as your avatar. :lol:

its just the t-shirt.. i'm dry.. so, off with the t-shirt then? :lol:

[squirrel]

hmmm and how are you going to take it off...? computer technology or have another photo done (no T-shirt...)??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Vin]

To tell you the honest truth the events I have been at where there have been truly no space to dance I can count on one hand.
There are two hardwood floors one a little higher than the others. For some reason people refuse to go dance on one of the floors. I usually take my partner to the other floor and we dance there. I have been to one place where the floor was uniform throughout but there were four poles marking the boundary of some imaginary dance floor that people felt they had to stay inside. Dance on the fringe I say. I was at a live band show at a bar where there was a whole seperate room right next to the main room, sure you couldn't see the band, but you could hear them, what difference does it make.
In those rare situations where there does not exist space I have some salsa/merengue tips.

Stay in closed position more than open.

Stay away from complicated moves involving spins. Even inside turns can be dangerous.

Lots of cross body leads. As a lead you should keep your eyes on the floor and those around you.

If you must do some tricks pick a corner or spot near the edge of the floor, that way you can do tricks with the follow pointed from other people on the floor.

Avoid attracting too much attention even in the corner. Somebody will see that have a prime location and might try to muscle in on some of it.

[ShyDancer]

From a standard prospective..you can still dance on a crowded floor in relative comfort as long as you keep your eyes open, elbows low, keep figures basic and keep as close to the outside LOD as possible.

I danced the most beautiful waltz on a tiny floor the other night, Im not kidding when I say 4 basic boxes and you were at the end of the floor!
I danced 2 songs with only the boxes, natural and reverse turns out of the corners, a whisk here and there and a couple of those walk kinda things (someone help me out with a name?? Its where you take all 3 steps straight back for the lady, forward for man).
It was lovely.

Also managed to dance a lot of New Vogue dances but as they all move in the same LOD it was easy as long as you kept the ariels fairly low and compact....even though some people were having a bit of fun playfully kicking the people in front of them in the behind :lol: :lol: :lol:

All you non- aussies need to get into this NV style!

[Sagitta]

Tonight I got pissed. Big time. Two dancers who kept on edging me and dancing with what I consider disregard of others. Wild dips etc on a crowded dance floor. Sending the heels of their follower into mine etc etc etc. :headwall: Next time I got to have some moves to hit them with and put them in their place. (Make life very uncomfortable for them, be right there as they do a move and smash into them with all the momentum that I can get.) I've seen them around doing this too often and even though they are latinos, great dancers, blah blah blah...that is no excuse for their behavior. I'm tired. I've lost my patience with them. They want to take up half the crowded/packed dance floor? I'll be there and conveniently bump at the wrong time. What happened? :? :twisted: :)

[squirrel]

Sagitta... we have such people too... just hit them back... sometimes yelling at them helps! :lol: :lol:

[etchuck]

Wear protection: helmet, elbow pads (with sharpened tips), stilletto heels, shin pads, a cup...

Or maybe just wear an obnoxious green outfit. 8)

[MacMoto]

Wear protection: helmet, elbow pads (with sharpened tips), stilletto heels, shin pads, a cup...
Sagitta in stiletto heels? I want to see that... :lol:

Or maybe just wear an obnoxious green outfit. 8)
Or a big, bright purple hat? :lol:

[cocodrilo]

I wanna see Sabor in a sweaty Spiderman outfit, and Sagitta clocking someone in the face with spiked heels. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Sagitta]

I just might do so. I would be a horrible follow, and...then in heels? Mama mia!!! I wouldn't have to try and hurt those uncouth disrespectful latinos. It would come naturally. :)

[Sabor]

I wanna see Sabor in a sweaty Spiderman outfit, and Sagitta clocking someone in the face with spiked heels. :lol: :lol: :lol:

something tells me this lady is really stranger than she writes :lol:

[vey]

Just wondering if we can recreate some of that advice here, for the newbies, and maybe not-so-newbies.


Oh gosh, this topic hits my sore spot. As salsa becomes more and more popular and the same old clubs can't comfortably accomodate larger crowds, dancing becomes more and more dangerous! And newbies do not get enough instruction on how to dance safely!!!

IMO instructors do not stress enough that
1. Leaders have to look out for their partners and make sure that they don't get hurt

2. Leadres should know that safety comes first and many combinations can be done only when the dancefloor is not crowded (and not try to pull through smth complicated almost killing a few people in the process).

3. Followers have to look out for their partners as well, since they can't see whats behind them.

4. Leaders should dance tightly in a compact area of the floor and not to get in other couples territory.

5. Ladies wearing spiky heels shoud be particularly careful not to rise their feet high (especially when stepping back) and not to step with the whole foot. Personally I follow Edie's the Salsafreak advice and hardly lift my feet of the floor at all! And it pays off, since I havn't nailed a single person yet!