Dance tips for non-dancers just before the big party

This hub is for all those men (and teenager kids) who have no clue about dancing but sometimes situation demands them to be in a dance party for example, prom or a cousin's wedding. The nearer the date approaches, the faster the pulse blips. Even I fell in the same category but thanks to some great friends, I now know how to handle such situations. I dont claim to be a great dancer but I can manage just fine without making a fool of myself.

Nobody likes to make a fool of himself, so I thought I would play the good guy and come up with a 5 minute tutorial for those who have a date for such parties. For those who don't have a date, they don't need this tutorial. They can rock the way they want and have fun - no pressure at all.

I have gone a bit further and apart from writing about tricks I learnt myself or through these friends, I have also browsed through some related pages on web. Here are some thoughts and quick tips for non-dancers caught in such a situation. These tricks can be used for a wedding dance party, a disc, a social do or a business party. The only difference would be the distance between the guy and girl.

In fact, after I finished writing this hub, I realized that it is most useful for the kids going for prom and being 17, are self conscious and nervous like hell. So, all the moms out here can also take help of this hub if their little one comes asking for help just before the prom night.

First some pep talk to boost your confidence and make you comfortable

1. First of all, be assured that if you have a date, she likes you for what you are. You don't have to be a great dancer to impress her.

2. No need to be disturbed and perturbed because of this shortcomings. Be man enough and let your date know in advance that you can't dance. Who knows, you may actually earn brownie points for this dance-challenged status of yours.

3. If your date is close to you, she will try everything to teach you some hot steps before the party. When I was dating my current partner, she said that she actually found it very 'cute' (whatever that was supposed to mean). May be, because she found another area where she could control my 'moves', but that is my story. If she teaches you, you are a winner - whether you learn her moves or not is just insignificant if you know what I mean :-)

4. Most men are not great dancers, so you are in an elite company. Most of the men look dumb, out of place and morons kicking in walls. Point is, you do not have to be conscious about your moves and how you are looking like on the floor. 90% chances are that you are being as obnoxious as the man in the next couple on the floor, so you don't really loose anything. This is the biggest confidence pill I can give you.

Now the actual stuff: how to play around

There can be two forms of dancing - slow and fast.

Slow dancing:

Personally, I find it easier and believe I can pass out fine if it is a slow songs night. It is the simplest two steps bit. Just a little swaying around the music and you are aces. Here are a few things you can do with slow dancing

1. Just put your hand on your date's waist, grab her right hand with yours and do two small steps back and forth. Always remember one thing. Girls want you to stare at them, so instead of watching others' reaction, you are supposed to gaze in her eyes.

2. Put your hands on her hips and she in your neck or on your shoulders, then just sway side to side, moving slightly and gracefully, barely lifting your foot. Pretend you are completely in love by constantly gazing in her eyes. Yours will look the best pair if you can get that lovey-dovey love feeling in your eyes.

3. Turn in a very slow circle. If you gently and slowly rotate around, it will give you both something to look at while the song is playing. It also makes it look like you are dancing, instead of rocking back and forth.

Fast dancing:

In a fast song-dance routine, not even 5% men know what they are doing on the dance floor. And more than 95% girls know this fact. As long as you're not flailing your arms and legs too much and not kicking others, you should come out fine. If they are playing fast songs, you can do a few things -

1. Listen to the music and feel the beat. Do a bit of chair dancing. Sway your body while you are relaxing and the moment you hear a song you like, hit the floor

2. Let the girl take the lead and you just follow her. If it is getting complicated, tell her to slow down. She will oblige (no girl would ever want her pair to look out of place).

3. Someone commented on a webpage that simply swaying your body around the beat is dance. This is correct and becomes more relevant when your partner has gone to the ladies room and you are on the dance floor. Try a simple routine in this case.

• Feet together
• Step with your right foot out to the right and back (around 25% of a full stretch)
• Same with the left
• Repeat (in any direction you want)

You can do the same bit with your partner as well (specially in a setting where the two are not close enough)

4. Don't make your upper body and arm stiff. Let them loose and sway gently with the music. You don't really have to move them, just let them sway naturally. Loose self consciousness and this will happen automatically

Now some practical advice: these are actual tips I can give from my life

1. If you still have some time, PLEASE find a friend, or a sibling or even one of your parents - whoever you are most comfortable with. And then have some practice - even half an hour or an hour for 3-4 days will make you well prepared. It actually helped me. I did practice with my partner's girl friend and boy was she jealous :-)

2. Don't try too hard. It shows and you become a laughing stock.

3. Take frequent breaks to relax and soak in the environment. This is the time when you can have a quick look at other couples and pick up some of their simplest moves.

4. Take time out to get both of you relaxed while dancing. Make a witty remark or unexpected move. If you are not having a very intense and intimate time, talk to her while dancing - creates a lot of comfort (Thanks to a good comment on Yahoo)

5. Be quick to imitate. There would be a lot of men who would have devised their own emergency plans. Imitating them is a smart thing.

If you are still not confident on the big day, don't concentrate on dancing. Instead try to behave a nice guy and have a good time anyway. Let her know that you are not comfortable with dancing and she can dance with other friends of her. Keep joining them for 5-10 minutes on a song which you know and can at least lip sync on an imaginary microphone. This way you can make your presence felt. Your date will understand and your friends will applaud. THIS HAPPENED WITH ME AND SHOULD ALSO WORK WITH YOU.