Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 5: Dance freely
• Method 3 of 5: Dance at a wedding
• Method 4 of 5: Make the right moves
• Method 5 of 5: Dress up to dance
• Tips
• Warnings

Do you also find it so annoying to always be the wallflower while the rest is having fun on the dance floor? Do you have a party soon that requires your feet to be lifted? If you can't dance well because you're insecure or don't know how to move, don't worry. If you take a moment to master a few basic moves, you can quickly learn to swing in the disco, shuffle romantically, or just amaze everyone at the next family wedding.

To step

Method 1 of 5: Dance freely

1. Move your head up and down to the beat. To start, determine the beat of the music. If it helps, try counting to the beat, clapping your tongue, or clapping your hands. Once you get the rhythm through, move your head to the beat.
   • As soon as you start moving your head, you will be able to get the rest of your body moving more easily.
   • Try to find the beat by listening to the drums or the bass. Those instruments usually carry the rhythm of the song. Practice finding the rhythm of a song by listening to songs with a clear and distinct beat. For example, try clapping and moving to the beat of a song like "Juke Joint" by Johnnie Taylor.
2. Shift your weight from one foot to your other. Once you get a feel for the beat, you can start adding some simple footwork. To start, shift your entire weight to one foot. You can lift your other foot slightly off the ground to make sure all your weight is off. Switch back and forth to the beat of the music.
   • Every other count, shift your weight completely to your opposite foot. You can also shift your weight with every beat, but starting slowly will help you feel comfortable before you start dancing faster.
   • Keep your legs loose and your knees slightly bent. In principle you should just try to "bounce" a little while you shift your weight. So shift your weight from one foot to the other and subtly cradle to the beat in place.
3. Move your feet to the beat. As soon as you feel comfortable shifting your weight to the beat of the music, start moving your feet. Move your first foot a little at first, just before transferring your weight to that foot, even if only one to two inches from where it stood before. Keep your foot fairly close to the ground as you move it.
   • Stay on the balls of your feet so that you can move them easily and keep rocking up and down.
   • If you are dancing with a partner, adjust your movements to match your partner's as much as possible so that he or she can easily move with you.
4. Let your hips move with you. As you shift your weight to one of your feet, move your hips (and your body) slightly toward that foot. As you shift your weight on your right foot, shift your hips to the right, for example. You can also rotate your body a little to add some extra movement.
   • For example, as you move to the right, move your right shoulder forward a little while moving your left shoulder back. Do the opposite if you move to the left.
5. If you're uncomfortable, you tend to keep your arms close together or let them hang limply. Instead, move your arms around. Keep your hands open or in loose fists. You can raise your arms in the air or bend them at your elbows and keep them at your sides, like when you run. Whatever you do, don't get stuck in one movement; keep alternating! You can also try one of the following moves:
   • Roll dice. Make a loose fist and shake your arm and hand just like you do when shuffling dice before rolling them. After a few shakes, you "roll" the dice. Don't overdo this move or you risk it turning comical.
   • Mow the grass. Bend over and grab the starter of an imaginary lawn mower with one hand. Then pull your hand back as if you were pulling the starter. Consider taking a few steps in between while you're mowing.
   • Swing a lasso in the air. Grab an imaginary lasso and swing it overhead as if you were about to catch a cow. Shift your weight to the foot opposite your "lasso hand" and simultaneously push your hips in that direction.
   • Pump with your fist. Make a fist and then make a pumping motion in a festive way.
6. Try to find your own style. While you're dancing freely, just do whatever you feel like doing. You may soon feel that you are only good in one movement, but the better you feel the rhythm, the more natural your movements will become. By listening to details in the music, you will also be able to train certain movements with your body better. Be creative, that's the most important thing! If you understand and trust your own body, you can easily create your own dance movements.
   • Try out different movements, steps and speeds as you dance.
   • Don't be afraid to make up your own moves. Free dancing is all about improvisation and individual expression.
   EXPERT TIP

   Get in the right position with your partner. Stand face to face with your partner and assume the basic position. When you are leading, put your right hand on your partner's shoulder blade and take his or her right hand with your left hand, both holding your hands in the shape of the letter C. Your partner will put his or her left hand on your right shoulder.

   • Depending on what you prefer, you can keep your clasped hands at eye level, or at the height of your waist. In any case, just keep them relaxed, with a comfortable bend at the elbow, taking care not to lift your partner's shoulder.
   • Make sure there is about three to six inches of space between yourself and your partner.
   • Before you start dancing, make sure you and your partner agree on who will be leading!

   Tip: Usually a man and a woman dance to slow songs, with the man as the leader, but you definitely don't have to stick to this classic pattern. Choose a partner of whatever gender you want and work with him or her to decide who will lead, based on your confidence, height or whatever.

   
   
7. When you're ready to start dancing, move your left foot to the side in a smooth, sliding motion. Your partner will mirror you with his or her right foot. This is the first part of the so-called "step-touch", or the basic movement of shuffling.
   • If your partner is leading, let him or her take the first step, but try to move with your partner as smoothly as possible.
   • Try to time your steps to the beat of the music. It can help to count with the music in your head.
8. Bring your right foot to your left foot. After taking the first step with your left foot, slide your right foot over your left foot so that it touches your left foot. Your partner should mirror this movement.
   • While moving your feet together, try not to "bounce" or move up and down. Instead, try to move smoothly and smoothly.
9. Repeat the foot movements in the opposite direction. Once you've brought your feet together, step your right foot to the right. Then bring your left foot to your right foot so that your feet come together. Follow this pattern throughout the rest of the dance.
   • For a change you can also take two steps to the left and then two steps to the right.
10. To move around the dance floor, use your hands to guide your partner. If you want to move around the dance floor, use your hands to gently push or pull your partner in the direction you want to go. After bringing your feet together, push with one hand and pull with the other as you step out on the next beat of the bar.
    • For example, if you step to the left but want to turn to the right, move your right foot to the left first. Then push your partner's right hand with your left hand while at the same time gently pulling on his or her shoulder with your right hand and stepping to the left.

Method 3 of 5: Dance at a wedding

1. For lighter songs, do the chicken dance. The chicken dance is very popular at weddings in America, among other places. It is an easy dance with no more than three basic movements, which you alternate to the beat of the music. Moreover, it is a very accessible dance: it really doesn't matter if you do it wrong. You do the chicken dance like this:
   • Raise your arms to shoulder height and form a chicken beak with your thumbs and forefingers. Then create a cackle by moving your thumbs up and down.
   • Next, ball your hands up and put your fists under your arms as if you had wings. Flap your wings up and down to the beat of the music.
   • Keep flapping while keeping your wings in place, but now at the same time extend your butt, bend your knees and wiggle your butt down towards the floor.
   • Repeat these movements over and over until the song is finished.
2. For Jewish weddings, make sure you know the hora. The hora is often danced at traditional Jewish wedding receptions to the song "Hava Nagila" or other traditional Jewish music. The hora is simply dancing in what is known as a "vine" pattern:
   • Step to the right with your left foot. Let your right foot follow. Now step with your left foot behind the right foot. Follow again with your right foot.
   • This dance is done in a circle, with the dancers either holding hands or wrapping their arms over each other's shoulders.
   • The pace of this dance is usually fast. Sometimes the music starts slowly, but the band gets faster and faster as the songs progress.

   Did you know this?. At Orthodox Jewish weddings, men and women dance the hora separately. At more liberal weddings, male and female guests dance mixed.

   
   
3. Do the so-called Dollar dance based on shuffling movements. For American weddings, guests sometimes line up and pay a dollar (or more) to dance with the newlyweds. You can use the basic movements of the shuffling for this dance, although this dance is not really about the movements. It's more about having a moment alone with the bride or groom to congratulate him or her and compliment the ceremony and party.
   • Often the men dance with the bride and the women with the groom. But it also happens that both the men and the women dance with the bride.
   • It is fine to just hold each other and simply move back and forth in place. As long as you can have a conversation comfortably.

Method 4 of 5: Make the right moves

1. Take a dance class to learn some basic movements. There are dance classes for every style of dance, from hip hop to ballet and from break dance to salsa. Search online for classes near you. Whatever dance style you are interested in, chances are you can benefit from a ballroom dancing class. The basis of the steps of many other dance styles stems from the most classic forms of ballroom dancing.
   • When learning the steps, look carefully at what the teacher is doing and try to imitate it exactly. If it doesn't work out, look at the teacher again and try to pay attention to the little things he or she does to make it easier.
   • Don't hesitate to ask your teacher for tips. Experienced instructors have worked with hundreds of students and have ideas that can help you learn exactly what you are struggling with.
   • Even a few hours of lessons can help you learn some basic steps and gain confidence.
   EXPERT TIP

   Join a so-called flash mob or "flash mob" to gain confidence. A flash mob is a spontaneous public performance - usually a dance - that seems to arise out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. These dance performances may seem spontaneous, but in reality they rehearse quite well in advance. You can find flash mobs on the internet, learn a dance with the group by participating in a rehearsal period of several weeks, and then perform with the mob somewhere in front of an audience.

   • Some flash mobs post videos on the Internet with instructions for learning and rehearsing the planned dance.
   • Flash mobs allow people of all skill levels; it's mainly about having fun and creating a happy scene. That is why the more people participate, the better.
   • In addition to learning some fun new dance moves, you will also get to know other people who love to dance.
2. For inspiration, watch dancing on television. Dancing is a very popular activity, and you can invest quite a bit of time in it just by watching TV. Take a look at so-called reality dance competitions.It may be difficult to focus on the precise steps, but notice how loose the dancers are, how confident they radiate, and how much fun they have on the dance floor.
   • Examples of contemporary dance shows that are very popular in America Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Think You Can Dance.
3. Rent a classic dance movie to get new ideas. There are a lot of dance movies that you can choose from. Watch as many as you can or choose the movies that suit your interests. For example, look at:
   • Dirty Dancing or Shall We Dance to see how 2 newbies on the dance floor develop confidence and grace and learn to perform with spunk.
   • Footloose or Flashdance to see the power of dance as a form of resistance to authoritarian authorities and personal circumstances.
   • Films starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to be inspired by the grace and elegance of these oh-so-famous dance partners.
   • Stormy Weather, where you can see how the Nicholas Brothers push the boundaries of tap dancing.
4. Enter a dance competition to hone your skills. Ballroom dance competitions, also known as Dance Sports Events, are held all over the world. Search the internet for a match near you. By entering a dance competition you can easily set specific goals for yourself. It will encourage you to brush up on your skills.
   • Check out websites such as those of the Nederlandse Algemene Danssport Bond or the Stichting Danssport op Maat, just to name a few.

   Tip: If you don't feel confident enough to enter a competition yet, you can check it out first. By attending a match as a spectator you will be inspired and get an idea of ​​what to expect when you enter.

   
   

Method 5 of 5: Dress up to dance

1. Put on comfortable dancing shoes. For the dance floor, choose well-fitting shoes with a flexible, thin sole. Do not wear platform shoes, because with such thick soles and heels you cannot feel the floor well. Also make sure that your shoes offer your feet enough comfort and protection. It is best to leave sandals without a strap at the back at home. For salon dancing, do not wear gym shoes or other shoes with rubbery or sticky soles for salon dancing. You cannot easily move your feet across the floor with such shoes.
   • Different dance styles require different types of shoes, so do some research to find out what type of shoe is best for your favorite style. Athletic shoes, for example, are ideal for hip-hop or disco dancing, but for Latino styles such as salsa, as a woman, it is best to wear heels.
2. Be prepared to get hot. If you tend to sweat, opt for natural fiber clothing. Sleeveless tops and T-shirts may look nice, but sweaty or clammy skin can be a turn-off for a potential dance partner. Put a small packet of moist tissues and some powder in your pocket so that you can freshen up in between if necessary.
   • If you are going to dance with a partner, avoid wearing silk or other overly slippery materials. If you wear very slippery clothes, your partner could get in trouble if he or she has sweaty hands and wants to hold you.

   Tip: If you really sweat a lot, take a spare top or extra set of clothing with you.

3. Wear clothes that allow you to move easily. Tight satin can look and feel good if you don't move too much, but on the dance floor it will be harder for you to move in. In fact, one wrong move can leave you an embarrassing rip. Choose clothing that is either loose enough to allow you to move or stretchy enough to move with your body. Choose a top with sleeves that allow you to move your arms freely. You are supposed to be able to lift your arms above your head.
   • Try out your outfit at home to make sure you can dance comfortably.
   • To avoid accidents, make sure your clothes fit properly and don't slide out of place when you start moving around fanatically!

Tips

• Smile and try to look like you are having fun, even if you are nervous and not quite sure what you are doing. Acting confidently will also naturally make you feel more confident.
• It helps to learn to dance to your favorite music, especially if you memorize the lyrics so that you can sing along. You will then be better prepared for changes in the music so that you can adjust your dance moves accordingly. Also, you will have more fun if you like the music you dance to.
• Look at other dancers. If you are unsure of how to dance to a song, follow the directions of other dancers. Don't try to copy them exactly (unless it's a standard dance), but you can find inspiration by watching other dancers.
• If you feel shy or if you are unable to take certain steps, don't give up; keep practicing.

Warnings

• Don't over exert yourself or try to do dance moves that make you feel uncomfortable and that you haven't practiced extensively yet. Good dancers can easily make difficult movements look easy, but don't let that fool you. You can seriously pull a muscle or trip and fall (especially if you wear heels). Believe it or not, you can look great dancing without having to do all those spectacular things.