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Take Care of Your Personal Hygiene. For your
partner's sake, avoid eating garlic, onions, or
spicy foods before you go dancing. Carry an extra
shirt (or two) with you to the dance, in case you
need a change. This is especially true at outside
dances or dances in facilities that lack air
conditioning.
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No unsolicited teaching (on both the social dance
floor and at workshops).
-- It is extremely rude
to presume you know more than an event attendee or your partner does
(even if you do). Trying to "help" someone by
offering unsolicited teaching advice can hurt
feelings and turn off new dancers. Men seem to
violate this rule much more than ladies. I've
heard several stories from very experienced
followers about how a beginning dancer offered them
"advice" or wondered aloud why they could not pick
up a particular "flashy" move they were performing
(it was normally because it was badly led!).
-- If you are an "instructor", you also should not
"teach" at another event venue. Once again,
unsolicited teaching is bad form.
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Aerials, drops, and slides are best left for
jam sessions, competitions, and performances.
- Ask others to dance. Hey, dancing is a
social activity!
- Applaud the band. If it's a live music
venue, give the band a hand at the end of a song.
They just don't play for money! The more you
applaud, the better they will feel and play.
- Share the dance floor.
Avoid getting too close to other couples, especially
less experienced ones.
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Never blame a partner. Regardless of who is
at fault when a dancing mishap occurs, both parties
are supposed to smile and go on. This applies to the
better dancer in particular, who bears a greater
responsibility.
- Be considerate of other couples on the floor.
If you step on someone's toes, say "Excuse me" even
when it may not be your fault.
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What to Wear |
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Most swing dances are somewhat informal in a
nature. Comfort and safety are the primary
considerations. Here are a few tips to keep in
mind: |
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** Dress
nicely. Formal or informal dress or
something in between is fine. But
remember: dancing is a social activity and you're interacting with other people, so
try to look like you care! |
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** Choose
your shoes carefully. Be careful of
sneakers or other shoes with rubber or spongy
soles that can stick to the floor during turns
and spins and cause ankle and knee injuries.
Some swing dancers like to put masking tape on the soles of their shoes (normally
sneakers) to allow them to spin easier. Make sure
that the tape will not damage, mark-up or
harm the dance floor or leave bits of tape or
adhesive that could cause
problems for other dancers.
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** Avoid sleeveless shirts and tank tops.
It is not pleasant to have to touch the damp skin of
a partner.
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** Sleeves that are baggy can also be a problem,
because dancers need access to their partner's
back, and hands may get caught in baggy sleeves.
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** Accessories like big rings, watches,
brooches, loose/long necklaces, and big belt
buckles can be hazardous on the dance floor. They can catch in
partner's clothing, scratch and bruise, and are in
general a nuisance.
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** Gentlemen: if you have no place to leave your
keys and loose change, carry them in the LEFT
pocket of your trousers. This makes it less
likely to bruise your partner. Ladies, use your
right pocket.
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** Long hair should be put up or tied in a
ponytail. It is difficult to get into closed
dance position when the lady has long flowing hair (hair gets
caught in the gentleman's right hand). It is also
not fun to be hit in the face with flying hair during turns and
spins, or for the guy to inhale the hair into his
throat. |
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