Dance Etiquette at ATOMIC Ballroom

Dress Code

Dress the Part – ATOMIC Ballroom is a casual studio and does not have a dress code. Jeans and t-shirts are common, and even yoga pants and sneakers make regular appearances. However, on some nights many of our patrons dress at least a step up from casual. To give you an idea, Lindy Hop Swing, Salsa, and West Coast Swing are casual nights. Ballroom and Argentine Tango nights tend to be dressier. Also, no matter what night of the week, it is best to wear shoes that don’t fall off.

Stay Fresh – Always shower, apply deodorant, and brush your teeth before you come dancing. If you tend to get sweaty, bring an extra shirt to change into.

Manners

It’s Okay to Say “No.” – If you don’t want to dance with someone, you can say no, and you don’t need to explain. You can also stop dancing with anyone at anytime during a dance. If you ask someone to dance and they say no, respect the decision and ask someone else.

Say “Thank You.” – At the end of a dance, it is polite to say, “Thank you for the dance,” or something similar to that.

Apologize – Accidents happen. When you run into another person while dancing be sure to look at them and say, “Sorry!” then continue dancing. At the end of the song, offer another more personal apology and ask if they are okay. Take the blame even if you think it’s not your fault. Ideally, both parties follow this rule.

Dance for Fun – People social dance because it’s fun! Unsolicited teaching is the biggest “no-no” on the dance floor! However, if somebody asks you for a suggestion, you are more than welcome to add your two cents!

Safety

Follow the Line of Dance – Ballroom dances move counter clockwise around the dance floor. The fastest dancers should stay to the outside, and the slowest dancers should stay closer to the middle. If you are doing a stationary dance, such as Swing, then dance in the center and let those doing dances that travel move around you.

Share the Floor – Dancing can be a hazardous sport! During crowded dances you should make your movements smaller and keep an eye out for other dancers sharing the floor. In social dance situations avoid aerials, lifts, and drops they can be extremely hazardous to other dancers and yourselves.

Stand Outside the Dance Floor – Dances at ATOMIC can be crowded. Please leave the people dancing as much space as possible by standing on the edges or by sitting on the benches.