How can i dance

How to Dance At A Basic "Good Enough" Level

- Chris MacLeod, MSW

It's hard to avoid dancing entirely in social situations, especially when you're younger. Arguably, everyone should at least become passable at it. It's not as hard to pick up the basics as you may think, and it's smoother sailing once you can join some friends who want to dance and hold your own.

You don't have to reach a particularly high standard

You just need to be good enough that you can get on the dance floor, blend in with everyone else, not look like an idiot, and not feel overly uncomfortable while you're there. (Lots of people are at least somewhat awkward about dancing. That's why they have to down a few drinks and wait for the dance floor to get busy before they step out on it.)

You don't have to look like someone out of a music video. You've just got to be decent enough to get by. Being better than the minimum never hurts of course, but just knowing the basics will put you way ahead of all the non-dancers out there.

If you're straight, try not to worry too much about what the opposite sex thinks. They don't have ultra-picky standards

Straight people don't purely dance to impress the opposite sex, but it is often something they think about.

For guys

Generalization time. Women and men have different ideas of what a good dancer is. Guys often see dancing as a skill to show off. Being better than other dudes on the dance floor is important to them. Their typical image of a "good dancer" is a gymnastic break dancer doing a bunch of flips, or a guy doing a fancy, fluid Popping & Locking routine. A woman's concept of a good dancer is a closer to a passably moving guy who looks comfortable, confident, and like he's having fun.

When a woman wants to dance with you, all she really wants is that...

You are there with her
You are dancing with her
You are not dancing horribly
You are not being too forward and creepy

For women

This totally sounds like a simplistic stereotype, but most of the time when you're dancing with a guy he's not making a detailed critique of your style. He's probably just thinking, "Yay! I'm dancing with a woman!" Or if he's watching you dance from farther away, he's likely thinking, "She seems like someone I might want to talk to. I wonder if she'd shoot me down though..." Even if he seems like the most genuinely suave, confident guy ever, he's probably still thinking like that on some level. He's probably fifty times more worried about how his dancing looks to you than the other way around. Even he's an amazing dancer and you're not, he likely isn't holding it against you.

(That was from my observations as a straight guy. I'm not gay so I won't try to write from their perspective, but I can't imagine their standards for dance partners are radically different.)

Try not to worry too much about what strangers think

Easier said than done, but don't use up too much mental energy fretting about how random bystanders are judging you. Occasionally people will snicker and point to people who are dancing because they're really just too nervous to do it themselves. Random dudes sucking on their beer aren't your audience. Also, like the point above mentioned, your average dancer is more preoccupied with how they look than anything.

If there's one thing to keep in mind it's to be toned-down and low key

Don't be a spaz and try to pull off some fancy moves unless you 100% know you'll look good doing them. It's better to reel yourself in. Over reaching and flailing around is worse than blending in and being a bit boring and unoriginal. Don't feel you have to pull off tons of new moves every second and put on a show for everyone either. It's okay to dance in a simple, repetitive way and just enjoy your friends' company.

Acquire a basic, reliable dancing 'core'

You know when you're watching a movie or TV show and there's a scene set in a dance club, how the extras in the background will often to be dancing in a kind of simple, nondescript way? That's the 'core' I'm talking about. If you know how to do that, then in a lot of situations that's actually all you need. However, if you want, you can later choose to build off your base and make your style more fancy.

To get that core stand in front of a mirror with some not-too-fast music on, or just read along and imagine you're doing the following:

To dance you've got to move your body in time to the beat of the music. The most basic newbie mistake you can make is to move out of sync with the beat. Don't know the beat I'm referring to? Put on a song and listen for the underlying, repeating thump-thump-thump pattern. Every style of music has a different speed. It doesn't take much practice to learn how to hear it.
Okay, you're just standing there in front of the mirror with some song playing. Now try moving your arms back and forth to the beat slightly, while keeping your legs ramrod straight. You'll notice that looks totally off. So the next most basic thing you've got to do is bounce up and down on your knees. So keep everything else still, and just move your knees up and down to the music.
That still looks weird, since you're just going up and down like a piston. So rotate your torso a bit in time with your knee movements, a little like you're skiing. Keep your torso fairly loose and relaxed.
That's looking better, but your arms are still stiffly hanging at your side. So try relaxing them a bit and let them swing up and down with your knee bends and torso rotations.

Once you're standing in one spot, bouncing on your knees, turning your torso a bit, and moving your arms somewhat, that's about the absolute bare minimum you can do to be considered dancing. Like I said, sometimes that's all you need. If you didn't know how to dance at all, and stopped right here, that's a lot better than nothing.

However, while still staying in the realm of dancing in a super generic 'core' way, you can do little things to spice up the bare minimum:

Don't just limply swing your arms, get your shoulders into it.
Take steps side to side, or back and forth.
Mix up your arm movements.
Nod your head.
Do little pivots or twists on one foot, or both feet.
Don't just slightly rotate your torso, move it back and forth, or from one side to the other.
Pick up one foot ever so slightly, then the other, to kind of march in place. Don't overdo the movement and look like a robot, just move your feet a tad.
Mix up the possible arm, torso, and leg variations. Find a combination that looks good and do it for a while, then switch to another one. Don't change things up to the point where you're doing something new every half a second. That looks too scattered.

At this point you're hardly going to win a dance competition, but you're at the level of those movie extras, and 75% of the people you'll see out at a bar. At this point you really could develop no further in your dancing ability and be able to get by on a dance floor for the rest of your life.

The thing with this basic core is that it's pretty adaptable to the standard kinds of music you'll come across. If you're dancing to Hip Hop, just make all your movements a little more Hip Hop-ish. If you're dancing to retro 80's Pop, just make all your moves a little more cheesy and energetic.

Add some more fancy moves and sequences onto your core if you want to

If you dance in a basic way you'll get by, but you won't stand out a ton. If you want to look a little slicker you can start adding in some canned movements, or sequences of moves. There's more of a Risk/Reward thing going on at this stage. You've got to work at it more as well. Dancing generically is safer and easier. If you try to pull off some awesome routine and bungle the execution you'll look clueless or goofy. You need to practice to make sure you look good. Some places to learn new moves are:

By watching strangers dancing at a club and stealing ideas from them.
By watching your friends dance.
By watching movies or music videos.
Through online video tutorials.
Through dancing-oriented video games.
By experimenting and trying to come up with some moves of your own.
By taking an actual class.

The best way to learn is to just practice

If you get into the habit of dancing around at home in the spare moments you're listening to music it won't be long before you start to get the hang of things. After that the more time you put in, the more you'll refine your style.

Get in front of a mirror, put some good music on, and start dancing to it in the basic way I mentioned above. Remember, if your instinct is to jump around a lot or be a bit spazzy, consciously tone yourself down. Try to get comfortable with the typical, boring way of dancing first. A lot of the time on actual dance floors you won't have that much room anyway, so if you only practice moves that requires a lot of space you'll be put in an awkward spot when you end up somewhere more packed.

One way to deliberately practice is to try working on one aspect of dancing at a time, then putting the pieces together. This may not look good in the moment, but it'll let you concentrate on and isolate certain aspects of how you move. So you might keep everything else fairly still, and only try out different arm movements, or ways of moving your torso. Or you could try different ways of stepping back and forth, or moving only one leg at a time.

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Practice different dancing scenarios

Aside from figuring out how to move your body, there are different situations you'll find yourself dancing under:

Dancing on a dance floor where you have a lot of room

This is the easiest as you have all the space you need, and you can do somewhat more showy stuff if you feel like it. Sometimes the ocean of space can feel like too much to work with or make you feel exposed and self-conscious though.

Dancing on a crowded dance floor

Here your movements are really restricted. When you're practicing make sure to keep your feet rooted to the ground and don't swing your arms out too much. Try to make your movements look good anyway.

Dancing close and face to face with someone else

The issue here is knocking knees and not being able to extend your arms too far in front of you. Try dancing really close to a wall to get an idea of what it's like. Or you can try dancing really close to a full length mirror. It's totally goofy looking, but it's still a good way to get used to the feeling of being near someone.

Dancing with a partner

Here I'm referring to partner dancing in an informal, improvised way, not doing a specific dance like the Tango. Of course this is something that you can't practice on your own super effectively. Still, you could put your hands out in front of you like you're holding someone's waist or shoulders and practice moving within that restriction. I don't blame you if you don't want to do this. It's definitely a bit silly. Still, if the idea of dancing with someone makes you uncomfortable, practicing like this can take the edge off.

More practical advice would be to take a salsa, swing, or ballroom dancing class, asking your friends to teach you to dance, or practicing with your partner, if you're seeing someone. If it doesn't make you anxious, you could even try going to a club and trying to dance with someone you meet there.

Non-verbal communication is important as well

Body language plays a role in dancing too. It would look strange if someone was dancing to a 70's funk song with the mannerisms and facial expressions of someone listening to 90's Gangsta Rap. You don't want to be too exaggerated or hammy with your body language, but it is something to subtly bring into the equation. The other basic thing about body language is that sometimes the difference between someone who looks good and so-so on the dance floor is their non-verbals. If someone looks uncomfortable and bored, they may come across as dancing poorly. The same movements with some energy and confidence can look fine.

Dancing is a physical activity

Simple tip here. The better shape you're in, the easier dancing will be. You'll be able to do more, have more energy, and keep at it for longer. Basic things like aerobic fitness, flexibility, and some endurance in your legs and torso help.

Dancing to an unfamiliar style

For the poppy dance music you most typically hear in bars and clubs you can usually get away with dancing in the generic style I outlined earlier. Though if you've ever been to a club that caters to a different scene you'll know other genres of music have their own types of dancing.

If you're in one of these places, it's not the end of the world if you go ahead and dance the usual generic way, and just try to make your movements conform somewhat to that subculture's style. You won't fit in perfectly, but no one is going to run you out of the joint. However, if you're interested in dancing to that type of music more in the future, it's obvious that you'd want to try to learn its more specialized moves.

A semi-warning about dance classes

Without a doubt you'll learn a lot if you a take a class, but sometimes people get a shock when they then go to a club and have to dance spontaneously. They can't just start swing dancing or bust out a 14-step choreographed Hip Hop routine. There are people who have taken years of dance classes, but they're inhibited when it comes to dancing at clubs. They feel lost, put on the spot, and like they're expected to perform.

Dancing badly on purpose

I think there's a good time and a bad time to dance in a poor or silly way as a joke. The bad time to do it is when you're not comfortable or experienced with dancing, and you dance like goofball to avoid having to do it for real. People tend to see through this, and any humor that comes out of it only has a shelf life of a minute or so.

The good time to do it is when you're with some friends, you all know how to dance properly, and you just throw in the occasional campy movement or routine as a way to joke around and have more fun. It comes off well in this situation because everyone realizes you're doing it because you choose to, not because you're trying to hide how ill at ease you feel.

Drinking to loosen yourself up

Lots of people need to get some alcohol in them before they feel confident enough to hit the dance floor. In a perfect world everyone would feel comfortable dancing stone cold sober, but realistically some of us need a little extra help. Within reason I think this is fine.

When alcohol tends to be helpful is when someone knows how to dance half-decently, but are just a smidgen reserved - most people basically. When drinking tends to backfire is when someone doesn't really know how to dance, and never tries unless they're totally hammered. The results can be pretty sloppy. Things can also get embarrassing if someone is just learning how to dance and is inclined to be spazzy. The alcohol tends to bring those tendencies to the surface.

In conclusion

This is a trite thing to say, but despite everything you've just read, you should just enjoy yourself and not over analyze things. Have fun and don't worry about what other people think of you. Blah Blah Blah. The end.

10 Basic Dance Moves Anyone Can Learn

Do you ever watch someone dance and wonder how they come up with moves so easily?

Great dancers often master a specific set of moves that they can fall back on again and again.

Read on for 10 basic dance moves you can learn in minutes and use every time you wanna dance.

P.S. You can learn all of these moves for FREE on STEEZY Studio! No cc required. 😉

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1. The Two-Step

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When I first started dancing at parties, the Two-Step was the first move that truly came naturally to me.

It really is as simple as stepping from side to side to the beat!

If you're looking for something foolproof that allows you to just groove and enjoy the music...

Boom. Here it is.

2. The Monestary

This move was born in a club called Monestary out in St. Louis!

It’s built on a Two-Step, so if you took that class, you’ve already got a foundation for the footwork.

But rather than bringing your feet together, you’ll tap them to the front with your knee and foot turned inward.

Then, as you tap the feet, you’ll move your arms and shoulders in a circular movement.

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3. Booty Pop (Side To Side)

Like the Woah, this sexy move is super TikTok-friendly – but with more feminine energy.

To do a booty pop to the side, you’re gonna bend your knees, put your hands on one knee, and then bring the other leg from bent to straight while turning your knee inward.

If you’re a long-haired baddie, be sure to keep all your hair on one side so it doesn’t flop in your face as you pop!

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‍Read this article on How To Dance Sexy to get more tips on pulling off moves like this one!

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4. The Billy Bounce

Surprise – this club-ready move is built on… a bounce!

But what makes it unique is that your knees will come inward on each bounce rather than just up and down.

Once you’ve got the funky lil knee bounce down, you’ll add in an upward kick on each side.
The best thing about this move is that while the footwork takes a few minutes to learn, you don’t necessarily need to add an arm movement to make it look cool.

Just keep your arms front and center.

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5. The Woah

Even if you’re not actively involved in the dance community, you’ve probably seen people hitting the Woah – on TikTok, Reels... all over your newsfeed!

Whether you wanna make a viral video of your own, or you’re just looking for a fun, basic dance move to pull out at the clerb, this one is too good not to learn.

Since the locking arm motion is so sharp and pronounced, use the Woah to accent the heaviest bass beats in your favorite songs.

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6. The Dougie

Yes, the Dougie is a real dance move!

Like the Two-Step, you’ll be shifting your weight from side to side, but this time, adding some shoulder movements and a lil more attitude.

Try this one out to some songs other than the one that made it famous – you’ll find it works with any hype beat.

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7. Scoop Arm Into Hip Sway

Sooo this one is more of combo than a move, but it only takes a few minutes to learn and it works with any fun sassy song…

So it deserves to be here, ok?!

For this move, you’re gonna scoop your arm across your chest, then bring it over your head, and finally point it in front of your chest.

Once you point the arm in front of you, you’ll sway your hips from side to side and groove it out.

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8. The Bust Down

The Bust Down was popularized by LA rapper, Blueface, in his 2019 club jam “Thotiana”.

You’re gonna grab your belt, put one arm in the air, and allow your body to dip with the beat.

‍Note: Licking your eyebrows like Blueface is fun, but not required. 😛

9. The Biz Markie

The Biz Markie is an old school party dance inspired by, you guessed it, rapper Biz Markie!

It rose to popularity in the 90s, when Biz Markie himself began performing it on stage.

As you practice it, remember to allow your shoulders to bounce – the bounce is what gives this move its cool, laidback flavor.

‍Wanna learn more about classic Hip Hop moves? Read this: How To Dance Hip Hop for Beginners

10. The Humpty

For this bouncy move, you’re gonna circle your hips to one side as your bend your knees.

Then, you’ll jump and cross your legs, allowing your feet to tap the floor briefly before you jump back to your original legs apart position.

Once you’ve got that down, you can complete the move by adding in a windmill motion with your arms.

The leg cross in this move makes it perfect for any Hip Hop song that features a double bass (aka that BOOM BOOM sound that you hear in songs like “Lip Gloss” by Lil Mama)

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We hope you enjoyed learning some of our favorite basic dance moves.

Of course, this list is just a start!

In addition to the 10 moves on this list, STEEZY Studio has 100+ other FREE beginner classes where you can learn step-by-step from the world’s best teachers.

What To Read Next:

30-Minute Dance Workouts That'll Trick You Into Becoming A Better Dancer

How To Learn Popping

How To Start Dancing Hip Hop For Beginners

How To Learn Dance At Home

Genesis - "I Can't Dance" (with translation)

1
Hot sun beating down.
The hot sun is beating down.
Burning my feet just walking around.
Burns my legs when I just walk.
Hot sun making me sweat.
The hot sun makes me sweat.
'Gators getting close, hasn't got me yet.
Jazz lovers are starting to gather, but I'm not attracted to it yet.


I can't dance, I can't talk.
I can't dance, I can't talk.
Only thing about me is the way I walk.
The only thing I have is how I walk.
I can't dance, I can't sing.
I can't dance, I can't sing.
I'm just standing here selling everything.
I just stand here and sell everything.


Blue jeans sitting on the beach.
Blue jeans sitting on the beach.
Her dog is talking to me, but she is out of reach.
Her dog talks to me, but she herself is out of reach.
She's got a body under that shirt.
She has a body under her shirt.
But all she wants to do is rub my face in the dirt.
But all she wants to do is poke my face in the dirt.


Cos I can't dance, I can't talk.
Because I can't dance, I can't talk.
Only thing about me is the way I walk.
The only thing I have is how I walk.
I can't dance, I can't sing.
I can't dance, I can't sing.
I'm just standing here selling.
I just stand here and sell.
Oh, and checking everything is in place.
Yes, and I also check if everything is in place.
You never know who's looking on.
You never know who is watching.


Young punk spilling beer on my shoes.
Young punk spills beer on my shoes.

2
Fat guy's talking to me trying to steal my blues.
A fat guy is chatting with me, trying to dispel my sadness.
Thick smoke, see her smiling through.
Thick smoke, through it I can see how she smiles.
I never thought so much could happen just shooting pool.
I never thought that so much could happen when just playing billiards.


But I can't dance, I can't talk.
But I can't dance, I can't talk.
The only thing about me is the way that I walk.
The only thing I have is how I walk.
I can't dance, I can't sing.
I can't dance, I can't sing.
I'm just standing here selling.
I just stand here and sell.
Oh and checking everything is in place.
Yes, and I also check if everything is in place.
You never know who's looking on.
You never know who is watching.
The perfect body with the perfect face – uh-huh.
Perfect body with perfect face - yes.


No, I can't dance, I can't talk.
No, I can't dance, I can't talk.
The only thing about me is the way I walk.
The only thing I have is how I walk.
No, I can't dance, I can't sing.
No, I can't dance, I can't sing.
I'm just standing here selling everything.
I just stand here and sell everything.


But I can walk.
But I can walk.
No, I can't dance.
No, I can't dance.
No, no, no, I can't dance.
No, no, no, I can't dance.
No, I said I can't sing.
No, I said I can't sing.

Lyrics of the song A. Reva - I can't dance translation, lyrics, video, clip

I can't dance
And I'm not afraid to admit it,0368 But in order not to waste time,
I am learning to dance.
Secluded from the eyes of strangers
I turn on my tape recorder
And in front of a large mirror
I dance with myself.

We are together with reflection
We can't hit the beat
You are my reflection
You do everything wrong
It is difficult for us to understand each other
Something is wrong with you
So don't get mad that dance
I'm going with others

And let it not work out yet,
But I don't give up so quickly,
I will learn for sure. ..
I can give the word, just ask,
That soon I will not be ashamed to invite you
To dance, to dance, to dance,
To dance, to dance, to dance,
To dance, to dance, to dance,
To dance, to dance, to dance.

And let it not work yet,
But I don't give up so quickly,
I will learn for sure...
I can give you my word, just ask,
That soon I will not be ashamed to invite you
To dance, to dance, to dance,
Dance, dance, dance,
To dance, to dance, to dance,
To dance, to dance, to dance.
To dance, to dance, to dance.
To dance, to dance, to dance.
To dance, to dance, to dance.
To dance, to dance, to dance. I can't dance,
And is not afraid to admit,
But in order not to lose time ,
I am learning to dance.
Sequestered from the eyes of strangers
Turn on my tape recorder
And before the big mirror
Dancing with myself.

But I do not give up so quickly,
I'll learn for sure...
I give the word, just ask,
That soon I will not be ashamed to invite you
Dance, dance, dance,
Dance, dance, dance,
Dance, dance, dance,
Dance, dance, dance.

We are a couple with reflection
Can't get the beat
You are a reflection of my
All you do not
Each other's hard for us to understand
With you we'll work something out of tune
So don't be angry that dance
On the other , I 'm going

And let not obtained until
But I do not give up so quickly,
I'll learn for sure...
I give the word, just ask,
That soon I will not be ashamed to invite you
Dance, dance, dance,
Dance, dance, dance,
Dance, dance, dance,
Dance, dance, dance.