Ballroom and Social Dance Etiquette

[pygmalion]

I personally feel that many of the finer points of etiquette are the same regardless of the type of dance, but are there some areas unique to ballroom/social dance? What do you think?

http://www.dsp.rice.edu/~aria/etiquette.html (Ballroom Dance)
http://www.dsp.rice.edu/~aria/beyond.html (Social Dance)
http://hcs.harvard.edu/~hma-bdc/etiquette.html

[jon]

I personally feel that many of the finer points of etiquette are the same regardless of the type of dance, but are there some areas unique to ballroom/social dance?

Line-of-dance etiquette doesn't apply at swing and salsa dances. Partnering etiquette doesn't apply at line dances and lead/follow etiquette doesn't apply at round dances. Nice clothing etiquette doesn't apply at contra dances (to the men, that is).

Civilized behavior etiquette applies everywhere.

[pygmalion]

Yup, jon. I started this thread hoping that someone would talk about line of dance etiquette and floorcraft etiquette as they pertain to ballroom dance. Anybody who wants to talk about C&W, folk, or other types of dances is welcome to chime in here, too. :D

[jon]

Yup, jon. I started this thread hoping that someone would talk about line of dance etiquette and floorcraft etiquette as they pertain to ballroom dance.

Can't say anything about floorcraft that hasn't been said many times before. The problem consists of people who are either not aware of it, not skilled enough to practice it, or too arrogant to think they should have to practice it. The first two categories are generally fixable; the last is unreachable by etiquette (or much of anything else short of a 2x4 applied to the offending body parts, probably).

The compliment I most appreciate hearing is "there's nobody I'd rather dance with on a crowded floor", because that means I've done the most important thing right: protect my partner. Would that more leaders agreed with me.

[pygmalion]

Hey jon.

I think you're on to something there. A lot of people don't even know what the appropriate ballroom floor etiquette is. Like the new couple I was "coaching" on Saturday night. They wanted to dance a smooth line-of-dance dance, but were afraid to get on the floor, with experienced dancers whizzing around them. They didn't know that the middle of the floor was essentially reserved for newbies like them.


I've seen actual diagrams of the "lanes" of dance on a ballroom floor. Why don't dance teachers share that with their students?

[Vince A]

Yup, jon. I started this thread hoping that someone would talk about line of dance etiquette and floorcraft etiquette as they pertain to ballroom dance.

Can't say anything about floorcraft that hasn't been said many times before. The problem consists of people who are either not aware of it, not skilled enough to practice it, or too arrogant to think they should have to practice it. The first two categories are generally fixable; the last is unreachable by etiquette (or much of anything else short of a 2x4 applied to the offending body parts, probably).

The compliment I most appreciate hearing is "there's nobody I'd rather dance with on a crowded floor", because that means I've done the most important thing right: protect my partner. Would that more leaders agreed with me.
jon hit it all right on . . . everything has been said.

If I had a dime for everytime I've had to defend myself from some discourteous couple who are "not aware, not skilled, or too arrogant, (and add drunk)," I'd be a very rich man right now.

There are the drunk "rock and rollers" (no offense intended) who are dancing in the middle of the line of dance for a 2 Step . . . the beginning Waltz couple who will not get in the middle and out of the way of those who want to travel . . . to the WCS dancers who jump in the middle of a song and are dancing perpendicular to the slots that everyone else is dancing to. . . and . . . yea, I could go on. We very seldom go to places where there is a lot of alcohol . . . as I'm not into fisticuffs as much as I used to be, especially now that I'm becoming older . . . I'd rather just dance!

Much of the problems could be resolved if the DJ's (announcer, whoever) would come on every now and then and remind the dancers . . . or before each dance that requires a l-o-d movement, what the rules are, etc.

[pygmalion]

I found some good tips on ballroom etiquette at these sites. :D


http://www.dancetv.com/tips -- good basic info on line of dance, ballroom etiquette, etc


http://www.outdancing.com/Ballroom -- this site has a really good section "Name that Dance" which gives typical ballroom tempi and a sample song listing.