I love to go Country dancing, especially here in Arizona! There’s a ton of fun restaurant/bars to check out, from San Tan Flat in Queen Creek (my personal fave) to Handlebar J’s in Scottsdale, that are a blast to hang out at with friends and dance the night away.

An awesome night of Country dancing can quickly turn awry, though, when things get out of control. If you’ve ever been kicked in the head (like I have) by a large pair of Cowboy boots, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It seems that, at least at some local places, the crazier the dancing, the cooler you are. This is not what Country dancing is all about people. That said, here are a few of my favorite Country dancing “don’ts”. Just a few tips from me to you so that everyone can have fun on the dance floor.

First, leave the flips and tricks at the gym, local dance studio or wherever you practice them. They are not in any way safe to be performed on a crowded social dance floor. Unless you are putting on a show in a controlled space where you have the floor to yourselves, don’t use these moves out dancing where others are at risk of being injured. When you throw alcohol into the mix, you can imagine how unsafe it is to be near dancers who are being tossed around like rag dolls. Unfortunately many venues want to attract what they consider to be “entertaining” dancers, so they allow this type of dancing to occur and simply “carry lots of insurance” in case someone gets hurt. At least this is what the bar manager told me when I was kicked in the head.

Next, don’t hog up the dance floor with big spins and turns. Believe it or not, you can be an incredible Country Two Step or Country Swing dancer and be controlled. You can look amazing and impressive by taking up just a little bit of space, and not the entire dance floor. Less really is more. So, even if you’re not lifting her above your head, still try shrinking up your movements in general to allow others some space to dance. Otherwise, we get into what I call “bumper dancing”, and that’s just not fun.

Lastly, and this is very minor compared to my other points, but don’t do the same dance to every song. Not all Country music is a Two Step, or a Swing for that matter. There are fast, slow and medium tempo songs…even in Country dancing. So why are there many, many dancers that do the same dance over and over to every song? My best guess is that they have not been educated on what dances to do and when. The great news is that you’re dancing anyway. Kudos to you for getting out there and not sitting on the sidelines wishing you could dance. This problem is easily solved with Country dance lessons. Once you get formal instruction from a local dance studio, you will be able to identify which dance goes with what music, and you will be on your way to becoming a confident (and informed) Country dancer.

Why miss out on the fun of Country dancing when you can be out there having a ball! Avoid these Country dance don’ts by making an investment in your dancing with Two Step or Swing dance lessons. You will get invaluable tips on how to fit in, look great, be on time and shine on any Country dance floor. Wouldn’t that be cool? I say yes!

If you live in Arizona like I do, come visit Dance FX Studios for Country Dance Classes for singles and couples. I would  love see help you to be an amazing Country dancer!