Dance Spree in Florida

Something That Some of Us Don’t Do!
By Dr. Lefty Killjoy, F.B.R.T.C.* (Fellow Ballroom Traffic Cop)

    Imagine driving in the left lane on 1-95 at 40 mph while the rest of traffic is doing70 mph?

Or worse, imagine being completely stopped or backing up in the left lane under similar traffic circumstances?
    In Smooth Ballroom Dances, the same principles apply for the Foxtrot, Waltz, Quick Step and all traveling dances. The outside lane is the ‘passing lane’ reserved for those dancers continuously traveling forward in a counterclockwise (line of dance) LOD direction. "Heck, I know what you say", and most of us do. Unfortunately some of us, especially the non/or minimally ballroom trained individuals violate these general rules.
Examples:
Romeo whose preoccupation with ear lobe nibbling renders him catatonically in LOD.
The Street Dancer who impresses his lady with static steps in the LOD.
The Bulldozer & Finesse trained dancers who just plow their way through oblivious to who they knock off and never look back let alone apologize!
The Musician, who understands the mathematical structure of music, while Quick Step and Viennese Waltz dancers are doing their stuff at 60 mph., he cuts the time in half and does it in “Slo Mo”. He is so proud of himself?
Occasionally there is the Professional, who performs "static amalgamations" in the LOD and that, is unforgivable!
Last, but not least, those who Park in the corners, which are reserved for movement such as the delicious fall-away, spin turns, etc. Under crowded conditions those of us who have long continuous sequence amalgamations end up spending half of our thoughts avoiding collisions rather than dancing. That is not fun! How much more joy we would receive if “We could just dance”.
So Please, Put Some "Floor" Thought Into Your Dancing:
When smooth dancing, obey the rules of Line of Dance Etiquette as suggested on the diagram. If you want to travel, stay on the outside of the floor. If you prefer to take it slower then move to the inner lane. If you want to spot dance then go to the center of the dance floor and leave the outer lanes open to traffic.

Study the Dance Etiquette diagram; cut it out and post it next to your dance schedule.
A quick "Sorry” accompanied by an apologetic smile goes a long way in preserving good humor rather than ignoring a collision!

Dance Etiquette
Like many things, ballroom dance has general rules regarding appropriate etiquette. We enforce these guidelines to make dancing more enjoyable for everyone.
No Dance Wax - Ballroom dance shoes have suede bottoms. Grit and particles damage our shoes.
Bring Shoes - Bring a different pair of shoes to wear for dancing. They don't have to be ballroom dance shoes, but you should not have worn them to the dance. This helps to prevent damaging the floor by minimizing tracked-in dirt and sidewalk grime and helps to avoid slippery surfaces.
Clear The Dance Floor - If you are not dancing, please move off the dance floor.
Line Of Dance - Traveling dances (quickstep, foxtrot, waltz, Viennese waltz, tango) are danced around the edges of the floor and travel counterclockwise. However, spot dances (swing, rumba, cha-cha, mambo, salsa, west coast swing) are danced at the center of the floor. It is possible and totally correct for some people to be dancing a fox trot or quickstep while others are dancing a swing, so it is very important to observe this convention to avoid collisions.
Traveling Dances - When doing a traveling dance, the fast lanes dance on the outside of the circle. The slow lanes dance on the inside of the circle.
Personal Space - You may see some dancers use a very close dance position called five points of contact. However, not everyone is comfortable with dancing so close to someone he or she might not know. Let the less experienced dancer set the appropriate distance when dancing in a close position.
Be Courteous - Be aware of how your movements affect other people, and be courteous of their space.
Share your Talents - Dance with others that have no partner

 Dance Tips for Leaders
A "smart" lead is far superior to a "strong" lead. Strength is not a requirement for good leading techniques. Leaders who grip their partners too tightly and push them around the dance floor make dancing quite uncomfortable and, sometimes, dangerous for the follower.
Two important tips for a leader
1. The leader should move his ENTIRE body as a unit and not just his feet. The upper body movement is the primary communicator of direction for the follower. If a leader moves only his feet and leaves his body behind, all he will accomplish is stepping on his partner.
2. Only 2 or 3 fingers are required to indicate the direction and tempo of the follower's turn. The follower turns herself. She just needs to know where to turn and how many times to turn. Trying to "crank" a follower through turns with exaggerated arm movements will only throw her off balance and possibly lead to a fall.