Etiquette should be considered at public dance events, competitions during open floor, practice time at lessons in a studio or social dancing at the local honky tonk or speakeasy.

Dance Floor Etiquette: The Summary.

• Traveling dances stay to the outside of the floor in a counter-clockwise rotation.
• Stationary dances stay in the inside of the floor, towards the center.
• Watch where you are going.
• Try not to run into others.

Those are the basics for any dance floor!  Pretty simple.  Yet, in practice, seem much more difficult. 

Many times you may find people line dancing, doing Cha-Cha or Swing dances in the corners of the dance floors, creating a squeeze for traveling and stationary dances.  While they believe they are staying out of the way, they actually create more congestion on the dance floor!

 Typically, if you handle the first three bullet points mentioned above, the fourth will happen naturally.   Most people do not enjoy being hit  on the dance floor, or in general.  If you can prevent your partner or yourself from hitting someone else, do your best to try.  Accidents do happen, but awareness of yourself and partner always prevent simple accidents. 

Now, back to the 1950′s prom picture: imagine the white gloved finger pointing at you in warning: The golden rule is try to make it nice for everyone.

Call it an addiction if you must.  West Coast Swing is a multi-faceted dance that has a sharper learning curve than many other dances.  It also allows one to incorporate style, moreso than other dances.  And lastly, because it can be done to so many different types of music, the dance is almost new for each dance.

Sharper Learning Curve:
There are a handful of basic moves in West Coast Swing, both 6 and 8 count moves.  Because the counts are changing, the moves can be modified, hijacked and syncopated, the dance can be difficult for a new dancer to learn.  In addition to footwork, connection is a large piece of West Coast Swing.  Without the rubber band effect, the dance may lose quality, which makes footwork harder to manage. 

Suggestion: start with the basic moves and build from the basic move, slowly.  Dance with individuals who understand timing and connection and will dance to your level, not above.

Style:
West Coast Swing lends itself to individual style.  Style comes from music, rhythm, connection, etc.  This eclectic dance can take on a smooth style for smoother jazz and blues, a funkier style for pop, funk and hip hop, or a humorous playful style through any type of dance.  The beauty of West Coast Swing and the reason dancers are not bored with the dance, is because of the styles that can be brought forth not only by themselves, but by the other dancers.

Try dancing your West Coast Swing to different types of music and tempos.  See what results come naturally to you through a change in music.  Maybe the syncopations change.  Maybe the rhythm in your body changes.  Maybe you feel new moves and styles that you normally would not hear.  Start with the basic movements and add on as you see fit!

Are you thinking of competing?
Now is the time to find a coach and settle on a plan for the year.  You may start with only one competition, or have a plan mapped out for the year to do several!  January really is the best time to get that plan together so that you have enough time to get ready for whatever it is you plan to do.

So go out, dance and have a great time!

Now is a fantastic time to settle into a routine and look into the dance opportunities for all ages.  Kids now have the opportunity for the after school dance programs.  Adults have a little more time to get back into fitness and dance programs.  College students are looking for places to meet new friends or re-aquaint themselves with old friends.

So get out there and dance!

1. Side to Side
   Night Club Two Step requires the dancers to travel mostly in a side-to-side pattern.  Instead of trying to create a hard “shape”, simply  drive sideways  from your center (belly button level on either side of your rib cage) and let your body take on a more natural shape. Forcing a “C-Shape” will generally look fabricated and odd on the dance floor.
2. Drive Drive Drive!
   The elegance and power of Night Club Two Step come from a slight bend in the knee and a drive from one foot to the other.  The controlled push allows the dancers to slide sideways across the floor at an even level.  If you take a step, allow the movement to go somewhere across the floor – this is a sweepy dance, not a dance contained in a box!
3. Don’t Bounce!
   Some Night Club Two Step dancers you may see have a bouncy up and down motion to the dance.  While it feels fun and part of the music, it actually looks just as it sounds – bouncy.  Stay into your knees in Night Club Two Step to give your dance a little bit of class and style.
    See items #1 to help smooth out the bounce.
4. Directions Don’t Matter
   Most trained dancers go a little crazy when dancing a Night Club Two Step because of its inability to follow a consistent pattern.  The beauty of this dance comes from its liquidity in movement: rotation of choice, direction of choice, distance of choice, etc.  Mix slow turns with quick turns, large steps with small to create a more dynamic dance.
5. Watch Your Partner
   A commonly made mistake of Night Club Two Step is looking away from your partner.  Unlike Waltz, Night Club Two Step is actually a “lovey” dance where you are allowed to look at your partner and act like you enjoy their company.  Avoid staring at the floor.  Still avoid running into other couples but take a moment to add eye contact into your Night Club Two Step to give the dance the romance it deserves – regardless of your partner.

Tips to get you dancing when no one else wants to go:

1. Choose Wisely
   No, not your friends – your venue.  If you like to dance but others don’t (or they aren’t sure yet), pick a place that has some other attraction besides dancing: pool, live music, food, drink, karaoke, etc.  This will give you all an opportunity to do something fun.  Who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone out there who also likes to dance.
2. Ask Around
   You would be suprised at the people who like to dance, and you’d never guess that they do.  Math teachers, construction workers, computer geeks, horse trainers, doctors, lawyers and others – believe it or not they dance and they walk among us!  If you happen to get in a conversation with someone you know, ask if they like to dance.  You never know who will suprise you when you find out they dance.
3. Make a Date
   Whether your friend/boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife doesn’t dance, try encouraging them to take a lesson with you sometime – just for a night of something else to do.  As so many of us get in our every day rut and our every day lives, we often look for something just a little bit out of the ordinary to go do.  Try a dance lesson – they’re fun, they’re frustrating, they’re something different to do. 
4. Just Go!
   As you become more confident (or frustrated with your non-dance acquiantances), you’ll soon find that if you want it bad enough, you’ll just go on your own.  Sometimes friends will go with you, sometimes they won’t.  Regardless – someone will be out there waiting to dance with you.
5. Ask For a Dance
   So you’ve gone out on your own and no one is there with you.  You don’t know anyone.  Scope out the territory - avoid breaking up marriages and long term relationships, but if you see someone who likes to dance, ask them to dance!  If you really just want to dance with no strings, make your point clear ahead of time to avoid any misconceptions.  “Hey, I just want to dance”.   You might suprise yourself with how many people out there just like to dance. 

Walk (forward)
Walk (forward)
Tri-ple-step  (to the side)
Tri-ple-step  (into open promenade = ladies turn 90 degrees to the right)
You should both be facing forward down the line of dance

Walk (forward)
Walk (forward)
Tri-ple-step (bar-rel-roll)
Tri-ple-step  (cross-in-front) (both facing back line of dance)

Walk (face each other)
Walk (forward)
Tri-ple-step (ladies half turn to closed)
Tri-ple-step  (back to closed)

Basic pattern
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 >> Mens Footwork Video
 >> Ladies Footwork Video
 >> Dancing it Together Video

When the Stars Go Blue – Tim McGraw
Tougher Than the Rest – Chris LeDoux
I Know She Hung the Moon – Toby Keith
Just Got Started Loving You – James Otto
Winner at a Losing Game – Rascal Flatts
To Be Loved By You – Wynonna
It Just Comes Natural – George Strait
There’s No Gettin’ Over Me – Ronnie Milsap
Here I am – Billy Currington
That Ain’t No Way to Go – Brooks and Dunn
Busy Being Fabulous – Eagles
Don’t – Billy Currington
Missing You – Alison Krauss
She Never Lets it Go to Her Heart – Tim McGraw
Learing How to Bend – Gary Allan
Don’t it Make my Brown Eyes Blue – Crystal Gayle
Unburn All Our Bridges – Josh Turner
Rollin’ With the Flow – Mark Chesnutt
I May Hate Myself in the Morning – Lee Ann Womack

The counts for this particular pattern in Triple Two Step are 1, 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6. Or, you may count it as “walk, walk, tri-ple-step, tri-ple-step”. Remember, you must change the weight on your feet (be able to pick up the other foot) on each count, and each “and”.

Gentlemen start with your left foot – walk, walk, tri-ple-step, tri-ple-step translates to Left, Right, Left-Right-Left, Right-Left-Right. Each time you do the pattern, you will start with the opposite foot, such as Right, Left, Right-Left-Right, Left-Right-Left.

Ladies, it is the exact opposite for you: you start with your left, then every other pattern will be with your right.

Here’s a video of the basic Triple-Two 180 turn sequence with “leapfrog action”:

Watch the Video

Here’s a video of the men’s footwork:

Watch the Video

Men: Things to Keep in Mind:
(1) Walk straight forward
(2) Walk straight forward
(3 and 4) As you turn (R), think “side (3), together(and), forward (4)” (she leaps forward)
(5 and 6) As you turn (R), think “cross(5)-in(and)-front(6)” (you leap forward)
(1) Walk straight forward (contrabody)
(2) Walk straight forward (contrabody)
(3 and 4) As you turn (L), think “cross(3)-in(and)-front(4)” (you leap forward)
(5 and 6) As you turn (L), think “side (5), together(and), forward (6)” (she leaps forward)
(1) Walk straight forward
(2) Walk straight forward

Below is the ladies footwork on video for the same basic 180 degree turn sequence.

Watch the Video

Ladies: Things to Keep in Mind:
(1) Walk straight backward
(2) Walk straight backward
(3 and 4) As you turn (L), think “cross(3)-in(and)-front(4)” (you leap forward)
(5 and 6) As you turn (L), think “side (5), together(and), forward (6)” (he leaps forward)
(1) Walk straight backward (contrabody)
(2) Walk straight backward (contrabody)
(3 and 4) As you turn (R), think “side (3), together(and), forward (4)” (he leaps forward)
(5 and 6) As you turn (R), think “cross(5)-in(and)-front(6)” (you leap forward
(1) Walk straight backward
(2) Walk straight backward