Learning to Dance

[RedDragon]

Hey guys, okay I know there have been a load of threads on dancing but ive got a few different questions so lets see who has the answers. Basically I want to know what people recommend as a style for something they could use in clubs. I mean like is Hip Hop good for clubs or not because it seems a lot more active than what people normally do when they are in clubs. Eg although Usher is a good dancer wouldnt it be a bit out of place to do that in a club and dont you need a lot more room? I know people recommend Salsa but again, apart from Salsa nights at bars or clubs is that usable in your standard club setting?
Another quick question, do any of you guys who go out sarging alone dance. I mean ive gone out with groups of girls and because im socially proofed i can then get dancing with HBs but I think that if I just go and dance without being in a group first then it might look a bit weird (although I am mentally scarred from seeing a rugby player doing ballet on his own one time at my uni club...it takes all sorts)

[Fresno Smooth]

hey man great question I'm sorry I didnt get to it before the weekend so you could apply some of what I say in your dancing these last few nights
so here we go
if I were you I would not limit myself to what you take for dance classses
hip hop is beneficial to any club dancer because you'll learn what hooks and beats go with what moves

what does happen if you are just a hip hop dancer in the club (like usher (saw this on friday)) is you can dance like a mother fucker, but it just seems like your trying way to hard and people will laugh at you, I fucking did, these 2 guys just looked funny, while some girls did dig them for a short while they just went away and danced with their friends, I think this is just cause they couldn't keep up.

I love the salsa thing and I don't think its bad to know, whereas you might not use it all the time, the clubs here (up in Edmonton) do often play 2-3 songs in the course of a night that you can salsa to, and people who salsa to it look real good, guys are jealose if you can dance salsa cause guaranteed you will dance with a HB, and the girls will want to dance with you for the next song, play a jealosy plot line here.

your third point, I personally feel uncomfortable dancing alone, or going out on the dancefloor by myself, so it helps if you have a group of people to dance with (for me at least) I'm working on this but its gonna take more time for sure.
my recomendations would be defiersify your dancing portfolio

good styles to include would be
Hip - Hop
Swing
Salsa
Country

if anyone has wants to add to this please do!

[RedDragon]

Thanks for the advice mate, ill look into those classes.

[Scooby]

Hey RedDragon, heres my spin on things.
Ive done hip hop classes, and yeah youre right that a lot of the moves taught in the classes may look out of place in a club, even a dedicated hip hip venue.
The main reason i did it was for confidence and to be able to better "feel" the music. Most guys cant dance for shit (girls cant either actually, they just look a bit smoother thats all ) but what any class will teach you is to step in time with the music and to move ALL of your body.
Too many times you will see guys just moving their arms (chicks do this too - i neg them all the time about dancing like a chicken while flapping my arms) without moving anything else. A dance class will show you how to move your BODY as a whole - looks a whole lot better.
This will then give you increased confidence and you will naturally look a whole lot better out there.
In terms of the type of class, hip hop is fine, so is salsa.
And about dancing when out alone, i actually did this the other weekend in indonesia- if youve got the right frame, people will open up. That being said, i dont make a habit of it, it was just something i felt like doing at the time.
Hope this helps

[alpha_wolf]

I went to Salsa with Mobius today in SF. Danced with probably one of the hottest latin girls I've seen in a while, the other girl was south American and super cute too. I was noob so I played the beginners card, hey, are you good, can you teach me? This is my first real dance. Usually they will say yes. No need to run game if you're a beginner, just be genuine and willing to learn.

[Fresno Smooth]

Originally Posted by alpha_wolf

I went to Salsa with Mobius today in SF. Danced with probably one of the hottest latin girls I've seen in a while, the other girl was south American and super cute too. I was noob so I played the beginners card, hey, are you good, can you teach me? This is my first real dance. Usually they will say yes. No need to run game if you're a beginner, just be genuine and willing to learn.

right on I'm gonna try this at my dance class

[ThemanofSteel]

Great Topic!
A few years ago, I was a Ballroom and latin dancer,
I also danced some competetions
It was a good way to meet HB's.. But not useful in the club's.
I've heard some guys about swing dance..
Anybody happen to know how they call in in europe??
Streetdance is also very popular around here, but when you do that in a club, you look like youre trying to hard. or as a show off..

[Mobius]

Man,
Nothing has helped my game more than learning to dance. I teach salsa and take hip hop classes now. Hip hop classes are good mostly for co-ordination and hearing beats and dancing in tune. Most hiphop classes aren't going to teach you how to dance in a club; it's usually choreography typical to a music video such as one by usher, missy elliot, etc. While you shouldn't take these steps to the club, you should most definitely take the skills you'll build - in particular dancing and emphasizing on beats. Plus, body rolls are hot.
Salsa is bad ass. You don't even need salsa music to use it. A turn is a turn is a turn no matter what you're listening to, and having sweet turns always impresses a girl that likes to dance. More particularly, look for cuban-style dancing over ballroom if you want a fun, street flair. The single best website for finding cuban style dancers, clubs, and classes throughout the world is http://www.salsapower.com I use this site in every city I travel to and have never once been disappointed in the outcome of where they recommend on what days. Nothing has single-handedly raised the quality and quantity of pickups more so than this. Additionally, I use this as one ofmy first DHV in nearly every pick up.
Hope that helps,
Mobius

[AbsentFriend]

In most clubs they'll play a few latin songs at some point. Learning basic salsa steps and a few twirls is always a plus for those occasions. Otherwise just practice clapping your fingers to the music.
Heres a little "trick" that's interesting. Club music (rap) usualy works in 4 bar loops. At the end of the 4th bar, the beat will usualy change a little before going back into another 4 bar. Thats a good time to make a "special" move or something. It will seem like you know the song and are really feeling the music.

[mange]

If you going to take dancing lessons, do it because it's fun and you want to. Not to impress anyone on the dance floor. Hip-hop and street dancing is probably a great way to become good at dancing, but please don't show it of unless your on a stage or something. Once your an awesome dancer you'll be able to move smoothly to the beat on the dance floor and thats all you need to do. No need to show of any fancy moves.. Unless you want to look like a try hard, attention seeking moron who just take up a lot of space.
Once your on the dance floor you should focus on the music!! Not what your feet are doing or how you think other people perceive you.. that will fuck things up for you. Relax and have fun with it.
And yeah, what Scooby said: don't move your arms around. You'll look stupid and besides.. you might punch somebody in the face or spill there drink. Only assholes do that.
Good luck to you