We love our hardwood floors!
Please, bring an extra pair of clean, dry, non-marking shoes to dance in.
Your feet, and our floor, will both love it! For support, nothing
beats the running shoe, but for pivoting dances shoes with smooth leather soles
are best. (Many dancers use bowling shoes which combine running shoe support
with smooth leather soles.)
Dance Etiquette
Dancers are in general a likeable bunch. But in dancing, as elsewhere, you will
come across all types. Sooner or later, someone may rub you the wrong way, or
even worse, be directly obnoxious to you. Especially if you are a novice dancer,
these circumstances can be frustratingly difficult to deal with. Thankfully
these situations are rare at Tapestry. Remember the goal of social dancing is
simple: to enjoy dancing. Enjoyment is contagious and cumulative. People like to
be around individuals who enjoy themselves. Be one of those individuals. You
would be surprised how much an occasional smile and greeting can do. Our future
at Tapestry depends on new people to help keep the dances alive and thriving.
Every new dancer is a welcome visitor we hope will become a long-term member of
the dance community. You may be their first contact in the Tapestry community,
so please take the time to help make newcomers feel welcome. We were all
beginners once and each of us can thank the experienced dancers that took the
time and effort to give to us. Please dance with both the new and experienced
dancers. New people bring life to any group!
Etiquette is here to ensure everyone has a good time in a social dance setting.
Here are a few reminders:
1. Don’t forget your dance shoes.
2. Ask everyone to dance. Do not monopolize one partner all night.
3. Today's beginners will be the good dancers of tomorrow, so be nice to them,
and ask them to dance.
4. Do not decline a dance unless you absolutely have to. If you turn down one
partner, don’t accept another partner for the same dance.
5. Be considerate of your partner as well as of other couples on the floor.
6. Avoid steps or patterns that your partner cannot do: dance to the level of
your partner.
7. Never, ever blame your partner for missteps. Just smile, and move on.
8. No unsolicited teaching on the floor! You may end up hurting the feelings of
the person you are trying to help.
9. Smile, be warm and personable, and treat your partner the way you’d like to
be treated in a group of people you don‘t know.
10. And always remember, the goal of social dancing is simple: to enjoy dancing
and have a good time!
Slightly different rules apply to diverse dance forms. Just
google "dance etiquette" if you want to become an expert. Here's some more
information about Contra from New
York and North Carolina,
about Swing dance,
and about
International folkdance.
