How to Dance at Prom
Move your head to the music., Move your feet to the beat., Move your arms., Put your hips into it., See what everyone else is doing., Sing a few lyrics., Move around., Have fun dancing with your date.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Move your head to the music.
When you first get on the dance floor, you may be feeling a bit nervous, whether you're standing next to your date or just standing with a group of your friends.
The first thing you should do after you hit the dance floor is to get a feel for the beat.
Once you get it, move your head to the music, and start moving your body up and down slightly, so you're really feeling the beat.
Get your shoulders into it.
Move them up and and down slightly along with your head.
Don't just bob your head up and down like some kind of robot.
You can move slightly the left, and then the right, as you get a feel for the music. -
Step 2: Move your feet to the beat.
If it's a faster song, you'll need to pick up the pace; if its slower but not a slow song, then move your feet slower.
If you're an absolute beginner, then you don't have to put in too much effort in the footwork department.
Just bend your knees and move up and down to the music.
The important thing is that you keep your feet moving, not that you look like a professional.
Once you're comfortable with just moving your feet, you can do the "two step." In this dance move, all you have to do is step your right foot about a foot to the right, move your left foot over to the right, and gently tap the ground.
Then, do the move again starting with moving your left foot to the left, and repeat. , Now that your head, shoulders, and feet are really into it, you can start moving your arms too.
Remember that, ideally, you should start moving all of your body parts at once.
Starting with the head and feet will help you feel the rhythm, but you shouldn't keep your arms at your sides like dead fish.
You can move your arms up and down to the music near your sides, down by your knees, or even up in the air, like you're dancing while washing a window.
Mix it up.
Dance with your arms moving at your sides, and then have 'em move up in the air.
Don't underestimate the power of the "raise the roof" move at the right time. , Your hips are a separate entity and they should not be ignored.
Move them up and down along with the music, or move to the left and then the right, so your hips match the movements of your feet.
Ladies, if you're feeling less shy, you can even gyrate your hips a bit to the music. , Check out your friends on the dance floor.
Pick a friend who is particularly confident and has great rhythm.
See what move she's doing? Now steal it.
That's right.
Pick something simple to do with your arms and feet when you're getting bored with your simple moves, and see what happens.
If your friend is doing it and looks good, then you can try to do the same.
You should also dance with the song in mind.
If it's a funny song with a regular beat and people are clapping their hands, join in. , This is a great thing to do when you feel like you don't know what you're doing.
Look at your friends, mouth out the lyrics to the song, shake your head, and look like you're having such a great time with the song that you don't really care how you look. , Don't just stand in one place or dance in the same two square feet of space.
Move around by shuffling your feet and finding your friends.
Keep it interesting and even make some light conversation with your friends or your date if you can do it without shouting too much.
One thing you can do is stand in a circle with your friends and take turns moving in the center of the circle to show off your dance moves.
Don't be nervous: when you dance in the middle of a circle, it'll normally be something silly. , If your date is a wallflower and doesn't want to join you and your friends right away, wait a few songs before pulling your date onto the dance floor.
But if you're dancing with your date to a fast song, just make sure you're following the same rhythm, standing at a comfortable distance, and having a great time.
Some schools will have regulations about how close you can get, so make sure you know what your school requires of you.
After that, just have fun.
During fast songs, you can still be in similar positions as you would in slow songs: a guy can put his hands on a girl's hips, and the girl can keep her arms around his neck.
If you want to grind with your date, make sure it's allowed by your school.
This is a more sensual dance move than most. -
Step 3: Move your arms.
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Step 4: Put your hips into it.
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Step 5: See what everyone else is doing.
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Step 6: Sing a few lyrics.
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Step 7: Move around.
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Step 8: Have fun dancing with your date.
Detailed Guide
When you first get on the dance floor, you may be feeling a bit nervous, whether you're standing next to your date or just standing with a group of your friends.
The first thing you should do after you hit the dance floor is to get a feel for the beat.
Once you get it, move your head to the music, and start moving your body up and down slightly, so you're really feeling the beat.
Get your shoulders into it.
Move them up and and down slightly along with your head.
Don't just bob your head up and down like some kind of robot.
You can move slightly the left, and then the right, as you get a feel for the music.
If it's a faster song, you'll need to pick up the pace; if its slower but not a slow song, then move your feet slower.
If you're an absolute beginner, then you don't have to put in too much effort in the footwork department.
Just bend your knees and move up and down to the music.
The important thing is that you keep your feet moving, not that you look like a professional.
Once you're comfortable with just moving your feet, you can do the "two step." In this dance move, all you have to do is step your right foot about a foot to the right, move your left foot over to the right, and gently tap the ground.
Then, do the move again starting with moving your left foot to the left, and repeat. , Now that your head, shoulders, and feet are really into it, you can start moving your arms too.
Remember that, ideally, you should start moving all of your body parts at once.
Starting with the head and feet will help you feel the rhythm, but you shouldn't keep your arms at your sides like dead fish.
You can move your arms up and down to the music near your sides, down by your knees, or even up in the air, like you're dancing while washing a window.
Mix it up.
Dance with your arms moving at your sides, and then have 'em move up in the air.
Don't underestimate the power of the "raise the roof" move at the right time. , Your hips are a separate entity and they should not be ignored.
Move them up and down along with the music, or move to the left and then the right, so your hips match the movements of your feet.
Ladies, if you're feeling less shy, you can even gyrate your hips a bit to the music. , Check out your friends on the dance floor.
Pick a friend who is particularly confident and has great rhythm.
See what move she's doing? Now steal it.
That's right.
Pick something simple to do with your arms and feet when you're getting bored with your simple moves, and see what happens.
If your friend is doing it and looks good, then you can try to do the same.
You should also dance with the song in mind.
If it's a funny song with a regular beat and people are clapping their hands, join in. , This is a great thing to do when you feel like you don't know what you're doing.
Look at your friends, mouth out the lyrics to the song, shake your head, and look like you're having such a great time with the song that you don't really care how you look. , Don't just stand in one place or dance in the same two square feet of space.
Move around by shuffling your feet and finding your friends.
Keep it interesting and even make some light conversation with your friends or your date if you can do it without shouting too much.
One thing you can do is stand in a circle with your friends and take turns moving in the center of the circle to show off your dance moves.
Don't be nervous: when you dance in the middle of a circle, it'll normally be something silly. , If your date is a wallflower and doesn't want to join you and your friends right away, wait a few songs before pulling your date onto the dance floor.
But if you're dancing with your date to a fast song, just make sure you're following the same rhythm, standing at a comfortable distance, and having a great time.
Some schools will have regulations about how close you can get, so make sure you know what your school requires of you.
After that, just have fun.
During fast songs, you can still be in similar positions as you would in slow songs: a guy can put his hands on a girl's hips, and the girl can keep her arms around his neck.
If you want to grind with your date, make sure it's allowed by your school.
This is a more sensual dance move than most.
About the Author
Carolyn Graham
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
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