Social Dances

A Valuable Component of your Dance Experience

By Kaylee Anderson

"Are you sure?" I asked my coworker for the third time, gripping the counter and staring at her with a healthy amount of dubiousness.

"Kaylee, it's 8:00 on a Wednesday night, and the restaurant is empty. Go!"

"Right," I replied, ripping my dance bag out from the cupboard and jogging past the empty tables. "Thank you so much! I owe you big time!"

"Have fun, and don't break anything!"

And with that, I managed to get out of the last hour and a half of work with enough time to make it to Cinema Ballroom for some much-needed social dancing. Earlier I'd been distraught when I discovered I had signed up to work on the night of the first winter lesson. However, I suspected there would be a group of dancers going social dancing after they left the lesson. My one saving grace for the evening was that maybe, just maybe, I could make it out in time to join the rest of my much-missed friends at Cinema—and sure enough, I was greeted with open arms. Nick immediately whisked me out onto the floor, and we clomped our way through a Viennese waltz—the first ballroom dance I had done since the masquerade two or three weeks prior. It was obvious immediately afterwards why the Ballroom Dance Club (BDC) has lessons before social dancing, as my thighs began to ache. Turns out stretching is a thing. A very important thing. And I really should have done it before leaping into a Viennese waltz.

As it turns out, there are many benefits to having a lesson right before social dancing other than to save your burning thighs. I've been to many dances at Cinema and other ballrooms, and I see newcomers far more often when there are lessons held beforehand. It really seems to build their confidence, and while they are often cautious about asking other people to dance, if a song comes on that they know how to dance to, they're tempted to get out on the floor and show what they learned. The empowerment seems refreshing to them, and for others there's nothing quite as helpful as brushing up on your quickstep before jumping into the thick of it.

Social dancing is also a fun way to learn new moves that teachers may not get to in class—and those are often the fun, twirly ones. Being taught by other club members can often be easier than being taught by dance instructors, since our peers can be less intimidating. You can try out something new, and if it doesn't work, just laugh it off. As long as the injuries are minimal, no harm, no foul. More experienced dancers can even make up some new moves during social dances that they couldn't legally execute in competitions. Without the rigor of rules confining them to a certain set of moves, something truly magical can come out of a dance, which often ends with a "I'm not sure what that was, but man, did it work well!"

With social dances, people have a chance to work on their leading and following. As a follow, I often find myself thinking, "Hey, I know what I'm being lead to do. I'm going to do it!" and then I commit fully to whatever movement seems right at that moment whether or not it's what my lead intended. This, it has been pointed out to me, is not how one actually "follows," so social dances are a great way for me to throw myself out of my comfort zone and dance with people who require you to pay special attention to their lead in order for things to work well. It's also a great opportunity for newbies to discover the magical world of connection, which can lead to a whole host of wonderful dancing opportunities.

For me, social dances are a collection of some of my favorite aspects of my life. I get to talk to people, learn new things, and exercise—but exercise in disguise, so my body doesn't get scared and think I'm going to start jogging regularly or something crazy like that. Ballroom gives me something to do when a song comes on that isn't an awkward butt wiggle or shoulder shimmy, and best of all, I get to do it with my friends. Some of the people I've grown the closest to over my year and a half at the U of MN have been people I've met at BDC, and it's so refreshing to walk in to a dance and see people that I know, which almost always ensures a fantastic night of cheering on successful dances, and giggling over failed moves. Plus, you can always count on someone being game for Perkins afterwards—a place with food that sounds like a gourmet meal only after a three-hour social. All in all, dancing is always the highlight of my week. No matter how stressful classes have been, and no matter how many papers you have due in the next week, you can always count on ballroom to loosen you up, and bring a smile back to your face.