The school dance is just around the corner, and you don’t know what moves to do, let alone how. Performing in front of other people can be intimidating, especially if you’re already self-conscious.
Nevertheless, there are a few dances you can learn that will help you have enough tricks in your repertoire to make everyone think you’ve been dancing forever.
Freestyle Dancing
In freestyle dancing, you make up the moves as you go. You may feel awkward and unsure on the dance floor if you have never danced before. You can become more comfortable with a little practice. Practice in front of a full-length mirror if you have one so you can see which moves look good and which ones need improvement.
You can learn some basic dance moves that will help you dance to almost any song.
Step-Side-Step
It is a simple dance move that even a novice can perform well:
- You should step right with your right foot.
- Place your left foot next to your right foot so that they are side by side.
- Take a left step.
- Make sure your right and left feet are side-by-side.
That’s all I have to say. This move can be advanced by lifting your right hip as you step to the right with your right foot, and then lifting your left hip as you step to the left with your left foot.
Bounce to the Beat
Do you have two left feet?
- Your feet should be slightly apart as you stand.
- You may need to bend your knees a bit.
- Continually bounce.
As you bounce up and down, you can move your torso slightly to the left and then to the right.
Grapevine
A grapevine is a simple dance move that appears in many line dances. A right grapevine is described in the directions below. Upon completing the right grapevine, repeat the steps on the left. In order to perform the grapevine, follow these steps:
- Put your feet together at the beginning.
- Step to the right with your right foot.
- Put your left foot just slightly behind your right foot and swing it behind your right foot.
- Step right with your right foot.
- The left foot should be brought back to the starting position with feet together, but it should not be completely lowered. The left foot will be tapped into place instead. Additionally, you are able to go right into your left grapevine by keeping your weight on your right foot.
Step Ball Change
A step ball change is another simple dance move that will make you look like you were born on the dance floor.
- Start with feet together.
- Step forward with right foot.
- Bring the foot back to start position, but tap the ball of your foot.
- Stomp your left foot.
- Now, step forward with your left foot and repeat the entire process.
You can mix this dance move up by kicking the foot instead of stepping forward or stepping sideways instead of forward.
One of the biggest mistakes that novice dancers make is keeping their arms glued to their sides. The first rule to good dancing is to keep your arms away from your body. Try:
- Lifting both arms over your head
- Keeping one arm bent and the other straight and then switching them
- Snapping your fingers
- Bringing one arm up to your chest and the other straight out the side and then switching
- Lifting one arm straight over your head and keeping the other arm straight down in front of you and then switching.
Staying on Beat
It’s important to listen to the rhythm of the music. You don’t want to dance slower or faster than the beat. The beat can be heard in the drums. For most songs played at school dances, the beat is easy to hear.
If you’re not sure, watch the other dancers for a minute while you sway slightly from side to side and smile at those around you. Once you pick up the beat, you can join in the dance.
Specific Dances
Specific dances that go with a popular song appear frequently at almost any dance event. Fortunately for the inexperienced dancer, they are easy to pick up. Once you know the basic steps, the dance simply repeats.
The Cupid Shuffle is often played at school dances. The song itself gives you the instructions you need to follow along, telling you when to kick, step right and step left. Even though the dance is simple, the video below will give you ideas of how to jazz it up a bit and let you see how other people perform this dance. You’ll want to practice this one, because it’s sure to crop up.
The Macarena is a dance that has been around since the song by the same title was released in 1994 on the A mi me gusta album by the group Los del Rio. The hand movements in this song are key and it is a typical line dance, where you do a set of moves, turn to the side, repeat the moves and turn again and again until the song is over.
The Electric Slide is a dance that dates all the way back to the 1970s. However, you’ll still see the moves in current line dances or you can incorporate some of them on your own. Below is a video that helps break down all the moves. Once you’ve learned the basics, you can watch more videos of the electric slide and learn variations.
This fun, high-energy dance repeats the same moves, so learning how to jump up and down and where your arms should be placed will prepare you for keeping up with everyone else on the dance floor.
Slow Dancing
It’s bound to happen…just when you hit your groove with the Cha Cha Slide, the DJ puts on a slow song and invites the couples to dance. If you’ve never slow danced before, it can be difficult to know what to do. Don’t worry, though.
Slow dancing is probably the easiest dancing of the night for most teens. No one expects you to perform like a ballroom dancer, so you don’t need to know fancy moves.
Boys typically put their hands at the girl’s waist and girls place their arms up on the guy’s shoulders. Guys are supposed to lead, but if a guy isn’t leading, it’s okay for the girl to go ahead and sway slightly from side-to-side and maybe he’ll get the idea.
You’ll also want to look your dance partner in the eyes and try to have a conversation. It will make the dance goes easier and you’ll be less nervous about dancing with another person if you are talking about how much you both love the latest action movie that came out last week.
Confidence Is Key
It’s natural to be a little nervous about dancing in front of your peers. It’s possible to forget a dance move, be off-beat, or forget what to do with your hands at some point during the night. It is less likely that others will notice if you smile and keep moving.
When you’re nervous, you tend to look down at the floor and bite your lip. As a result, everyone around you will see that you don’t know what you’re doing and that you’re scared.
Lift your head, straighten your shoulders, and smile even if it is difficult. You need to make sure that your body language conveys confidence and that you’re having fun when you’re dancing.
You’re going to your school dance to have fun with your friends and let off some steam. Listen to your favorite songs and dance to them. If you need to take a break, do so. The most important thing is to have fun. Making memories that will last a lifetime is what you’re doing.