Article 1	Dance Etiquette, Explains The "Line of Dance."
Article 2	Ballroom 101, Basic Ballroom Facts.
Article 3	Ballroom Dance For Middle & High School Age.
Article 4	Teaching Young Beginners

Ballroom Etiquette

What: Appropriate ways to interact with others.

Why: To make interaction with other people positive and pleasant to ensure everyone has a good time.

How: Treat others with respect, kindness, and courtesy.

Personal grooming

Ballroom dancing calls for two people to be in close proximity so attention to basic grooming is a must. Before a dance, take a shower, brush your teeth, use mouthwash or a breath mint – basically, clean up!

Wear appropriate clothing – comfortable and reflecting the level of formality of the social dance. Avoid bare shoulders and backs – touching damp skin may not be pleasant. Avoid also clothing that is excessively baggy or flowing that would get in the way. Don’t wear heavy jewelry – necklaces, large belt buckles, etc. that might catch in your partners clothing or bruise. Wear dance shoes.

Asking For a Dance

· Approach your prospective partner, make eye contact, and say
· “Would you like to dance?”
· “May I have this dance?” or “May I have this Foxtrot?”
· “Care to dance?”
· OR, The all time classic way: Simply hold out your hand to a lady, palm up, and smile.

Accepting the Invitation

· a simple “yes” will do and extend your hand to your partner and move to the dance floor.
· Sure, I like this song/artist/dance.”

Declining the Invitation

· Do not decline a dance unless you absolutely have to.
· The only acceptable way of declining a dance invitation is to indicate you either need to take a rest or you do not know the dance.
· You could say, “No thanks, I need a break but I would be glad to do another dance with you later.”
· You would then sit that dance out.
· It would be very rude to decline a dance and then accept an invitation to dance it with someone else.
· If you had already promised a dance to another partner, that would be reason to decline a later invitation as well.
· Does that mean you have to dance with someone who has been rude to you, is trying to monopolize your dance time, etc. Of course not, you would politely but firmly say “No, thank you” without further explanation or argument. Use this option rarely.
· No one likes being declined so respond to other dancers in a way you would like them to respond to you.

Courtesy means:

· You dance with others matching your level to theirs.
· Never blame a partner for a missed step.
· When a mishap occurs, simply smile and go on or let it go with a quick “sorry” or “Oops, I missed that one”.
· Let your partner know you enjoyed the dance.
· Offer specific comments about it if you can: “I liked that double reverse spin. You led/followed that really well.”
· If you would like to dance with your partner again, you might say: “I enjoyed this Foxtrot. I’d like to try a Cha-Cha with you later.”

Once you have asked or accepted a dance, be friendly, make eye contact, and smile at your partner to project a positive image on the dance floor.

When a song ends, leave the floor as quickly so both of you can find your next partner. Remember, dancing with different partners actually improves your level of dancing faster.