How to Get Asked To Dance
Social dancers who are new to a dance scene or club may have a harder time knowing how to get asked to dance. Without having an existing reputation or being a familiar face in a new dance setting, follows (and leads) can have a trickier time getting invited to share the dance floor. Read on for five fantastic tips to increase your chances of getting asked to dance.
Have a Good Waiting Strategy
The key to getting asked to dance is to create the least path of resistance for inquirers. Place yourself close to the dance floor, preferably in a higher traffic area where potential dance partners will be walking by. Standing up and grooving to the music while waiting will make you appear more approachable and like you want to dance. Make eye contact and smile with other dancers. Avoid sitting down, burying your head in a smart phone, or investing yourself in deep conversation to max out your opportunity to getting asked to dance.
Dress to Dance
Wear dance shoes! Not only will this enable your dancing skills, but will also solidify to onlookers that you came to tear it up on the dance floor! If you are new to a dance club, the only thing that people who haven’t met you yet can tell about you is what they gather from your appearance. Dress nicely so you look presentable and ready to dance. Think about the event you’re going to before you head out of the house. What you would wear to a salsa club will be different than what you would wear to a formal ball or a country two-step bar. Looking like you put some thought into being well dressed can go a long way. Brighter clothing can help you stick out if the dance club has dimmed lighting. Be careful not to wear attire that could inhibit your dancing like clothing that is too tight or revealing.
Dance to Impress
When you do make it out onto the dance floor, take advantage of the opportunity and capitalize! Have fun, connect with your partner, and show what you’re capable of. If you look like you are enjoying yourself, bystanders will notice and be more likely to want to join in on the fun with you. Having good dance mannerisms and paying attention to your lead/follow will increase the chances your current partner will return to ask you to dance.
The best way to get people to want to dance with you is to be a good dancer. Continually work towards being a better lead/follow. Take classes with us at Bella Ballroom to get the private instruction needed to hone in on your social dance skills. If you’re headed to a new club that offers a dance class before the open floor dancing, take it. You will both pick up new skills and meet dancers early on in the night. Take the opportunity to suggest that the partners you meet in the class “save a dance” for you later on in the evening.
Have Good Social Dance Etiquette
Nobody wants to dance with someone who has poor social dance etiquette. Being rude, unaware, smelly, drunk, or egotistical are just a few of the ways to scare off potential dance partners. To get your dose of “Social Dance Etiquette 101” read: Social Dance Etiquette
Just Ask!
Why wait around for someone to ask you to dance when you could simply ask someone yourself? While traditionally the lead invites the follow to dance, it is not uncanny for the inquiry role to be reversed. Skilled followers who are new to a club can discover who the best leads are and ask them to dance. This will give the follow the opportunity to show her talent and that she can keep up with the lead. Furthermore, the experienced lead will often chose to dance in a part of the club that is better showcased to onlookers. Leads standing by will be sure to notice the “new” follow and be more inclined to ask her dance once she comes off the floor.
I hoped this article will help you get your dance on. Best of luck and happy dancing!
By Bella Ballroom Dance Studio Instructor, Ziva
