Q: What should I wear to the dance?

A: Wear whatever you are comfortable in. Attire at the dances ranges from jeans and a t-shirt to a shirt and tie or a fancy dress. While we’d certainly love to see you in your finest, or a great vintage outfit, it’s not by any means required.

A special note for the ladies: If you’re wearing something that might have the potential for a “wardrobe malfunction” give it a little test run in front of your mirror before wearing it out to the dance. If you’re wearing a skirt or dress, spin around to make sure you’re not showing off anything that wasn’t intended to be seen. If you have a great skirt of dress that has the tendency to fly up when you spin, I recommend getting some bloomers, or boy cut shorts to wear underneath. You can find them in a variety of colors on dance and cheerleading supply websites. Bike shorts will work as well but don’t look nearly as nice.

A: There are a variety of options for dancing shoes, but the main thing to keep in mind is comfort.

Gentlemen: When you’re first staring out almost any shoe, with the exception of flip flops or open backed sandals, like Birkenstocks, will work just fine.  Hard leather soled shoes, as opposed to something with a tread like sneakers or boots, will give you the ability to slide or spin more easily, so If you have a pair I’d go with that.

Ladies: Most shoes are fine to dance in when you’re first starting out as well , however there are a few more exceptions to steer clear of.  Avoid any sandals or heels with an open back, you don’t want the potential for your shoe to come off mid dance.  If you are going to wear heels please don’t wear stilettos. The person’s foot you might step on thanks you in advance. I recommend flats or low heels with a hard, non-tread bottom, this will help you spin more easily.

Ladies and Gentlemen: If you have a pair of shoes that don’t allow you to spin but you’d like them to, there are a few things you can do. You can take them to a shoe repair store and have “dancing leather” or “Chrome leather” put on the bottoms. Or for something less permanent and less expensive you can apply moleskin or masking tape to the bottoms of your shoes. I know it sounds weird but it really does work.

If you want to invest in some quality dance shoes check out www.dancestore.com, they have a great variety of men’s and women’s shoes specially made for swing dancing. 

Q: What’s the proper way to ask someone to dance?

A: Simply walk over to the person you’d like to dance with and ask, ”Would you like to dance?”  Please don’t just assume someone wants to dance, grab their hand and head for the floor. 

Q: Is it ok for women to ask men to dance? 

A: Of course!  While some of the music we listen to may be “old fashioned” our social scene definitely isn’t. Ladies don’t be afraid to ask guys to dance. In fact most of them appreciate that they don’t always have to be the ones doing the asking. 

Q: Is it ok to ask people I don’t know to dance? 

A: Absolutely! In fact it’s encouraged. Don’t just dance with the person, or group of people you came with, ask other people to dance too. Dancing with a variety of people will help you to learn faster and become a better dancer.  However, if you are dancing with someone you don’t know just be mindful of that person’s ability and comfort levels.  If you’re an intermediate level dancer who likes to dance very close to your partner don’t assume the person you asked to dance is as well, they might be a beginner who needs a little more personal space to feel comfortable.

Q:  Is it ok to say no when someone asks you to dance? 

A: Yes. Don’t feel obligated to dance with someone just because they asked you.  If someone makes you uncomfortable, or you’re tired, or the song is too fast for you, whatever the reason, it’s ok to politely decline. You don’t need to make up an excuse, a simple “no thank you” will do just fine.  However if it’s someone you do want to dance with, just not at that particular moment, make sure you let them know that and make a point to ask them later on in the night.  

Q: What should I do if I get turned down for a dance? 

A: Don’t get discouraged. It takes a lot of guts to ask someone to dance, and everyone gets turned down now and again.  If you asked someone to dance and they declined saying they were tired, that might actually be the case. Try asking them again later in the evening or to a slower song. 

Q:  What are aerials, and is it ok to do them on the social dance floor? 

A: Aerials are generally thought of as tricks or stunts where both of someone’s feet are off the floor, and NO, it is NOT ok to do them on the social dance floor.  Aerials generally require practice and more space than is available on a social dance floor.  Doing aerials with out proper instruction, practice, and space is the easiest way to hurt yourself, your partner, and the couple dancing next to you.   Aerials are best reserved for performances. 

Q: If I see someone do something cool on the dance floor is it ok to approach them later and ask them to show me how they did it? 

A: Absolutely! Most people are more than happy to share their “moves” with you.  Even advanced dancers are constantly learning from each other, so don’t be afraid to ask.