Dance floor safety

Partner dancing is tons of fun — and it’s great for physical and mental health! But it can also lead to injuries if dancers ignore basic precautions. We’d like to remind our USA Dancers of a few rules and best practices that will keep us all safe without diminishing our fun.

Let It Flow. Traveling dances (waltz, tango, foxtrot, Viennese waltz, quickstep, Two-Step, etc.) move counter-clockwise around the floor. Faster dancers should stay on the outside of the loop, and slower dancers one lane in.

Couples doing a spot dance (like swing during a foxtrot) should dance near the center of the floor and leave the outside lanes clear for traveling dancers.

Dance etiquette diagram

This illustration is a great guide to traffic flow on the dance floor — click on it to enlarge.

(Don’t) Take It to the Limit. Viennese waltz and quickstep are fast — and dangerous for inexperienced dancers. Please don’t attempt them without previous training.

Don’t Worry Be Happy. Please respect our short list of other ”don’ts“:

  • Don’t do lifts (where both of a partner’s feet leave the floor) or drops (where one partner relies entirely on the other to be lowered, or “dropped,” below waist level)
  • Don’t dance in socks or bare feet if you are fond of your toes (an Albuquerque Square Dance Club rule)
  • Don’t wear jewelry that can snag or cut (like big hoop earrings that can tear an earlobe)
  • Don’t wear loose-fitting clothes that can catch a heel or a hand

Be safe, and have a blast on the dance floor!

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