So You Say You Can't Dance?!

Everyone can dance. It's a basic fact. Our bodies were made for it (otherwise, we wouldn't have these appendages so long). So stop thinking, "Crap! It's Prom! I can't dance!" Because you can. It's like Ratatouille - anyone can cook if they have the confidence to give it a shot.

Still, some seem more natural than others. Why is that? What makes the difference between a good freestyle prom dancer (freestyle = unrehearsed or unchoreographed dancing) and just another bouncin' kid? Are there any tips for unlocking the dancer in you? Plus, what makes a good dancing song?

Freestyle Prom Dancing

You're going to hate me when you read this but it's completely true. To succeed in dancing, you have to dance from your heart and follow it through the steps. Dancing is really not a brain centered activity. Seriously - sit down and watch Dancing with the Stars on a Monday night. The stars that analyze and try to do it "the brain way" typically fail miserably in some manner (it's very sad :'( ). The best advice I can give is that you find something that really inspires you and dance to honor that. Focus on 'feeling' the music (some call this becoming a second antenna for the radio waves... I think that comes off kind of sketchy but I suppose it makes the point). Dance because it's important to you - your passion or the dancing itself. The moment you think about what everyone else may or may not be thinking, you're going to start losing it. That's also when things get awkward for you. The sad reality is no one else is watching you. Literally, everyone else is busy panicking about dancing in front of other people, too. So just start focusing on yourself - dance like no one is watching because no one is.

Small Note: Dancing with Someone Else/In a Group

Well, it's awesome for starters BUT if you don't 'listen' to your partner's actions and react, then it's going to be weird. Pay attention! It's about you and that one other person (or your group if you're in a group). Forget the rest of the world - just let it fall away (if it doesn't do so effortlessly). Make it about your partner/group and having fun together. If you know who your partner might be ahead of time (for example, s/he is your date), get together a head of time. Dance around to iTunes music in a parking lot or a yard or a friend's living room. Get comfortable with dancing together. You can even be a little flirty while you practice. Remember: It's ok to be embarrassed but at the end of the day... well, this little light of mine - I'm sure as Sam-Heck going to let it shine!!

Top Tips

1. Join the music committee or the prom committee so you know what songs are going to be played (or at least some of them)
2. Practice to iTunes
3. Break in shoes in advance (really - nothing screws up prom night quite like blisters exploding on your date at post prom -- believe me!)
4. (really a corollary to #3....) Wear socks while you break in your shoes. THICK SOCKS.
5. Practice in your shoes - get used to them. Ladies: walk around the house in your shoes. When you buy them, dance a bit in the shoes store - better to look stupid for 2 minutes than find out that your new shoes are too high or too tight or fall off when you twirl when you get home or worse - at prom.
6. Eat something! Before you leave your house - eat a slice of bread. Eat at dinner. Sure, follow the swimming rule and wait 15 minutes before you hit the floor (you don't want to puke) - it's worth it. Maybe worse than throwing up is passing out on the dance floor. Seriously - chaperones will come running and cart you off so some EMT can take your blood pressure twenty times.
7. IF YOU'RE WEARING A LONG DRESS: Get used to the length. Especially if it has any kind of train on it.

So You're Selecting the Songs, or Some of Them anyway

What makes a great dancing song?

One that magnetically pulls you to your feet, obviously. But where does that come from? A great song can ignite a passion in you - the best songs can do it for many people. If you're building a playlist for anything, consider all the different kinds of people who may be attending your event and put a little something for everyone. Balance your energies: if everything you play is bubbly pop music, people will get bored and maybe somebody's eyes will make a magnificent exit from her/his face. On the other hand, if all you play is slow, break up songs - well, it's your party but don't say I didn't warn you. Vary your beats and melodies, too. Bored people aren't any fun. Think about the most popular radio station and how it plays a little bit of everything. You can learn a lot if you listen to the radio for an afternoon.

Alternatively, if you're working with a DJ, give him or her a list of a few songs you want to hear or you know most people definitely want played. Let the DJ do his/her job and figure out the rest. A word of caution: be careful with requests. They can really overrun everything and upset the delicate balance. Try setting up a fish bowl with a pen and slips of paper next to it. If someone wants a particular song played, then s/he can write the song and artist down on a slip of paper and drop it in the fish bowl. Every now and then, your DJ can pull one or two out.

the prom chair