How to dance raver
Be a Rave-ishing Dancer With These Rocking Rave Dance Moves
Rave dancing is all about going along with the music being played. Learn how to dance at a rave by following the simple dance moves described in this DancePoise article.
Rave party was the term given to a dance party which featured fast electronic music with a spectacular light show. House, techno, and trance are the most common genres of music played at these parties. Some of these parties involve laser light shows and the air is filled with artificial fog. Since rave parties were started a very long time ago, the advent of legal nightclubs in cities have reduced it’s popularity world over. These days rave parties are more inclined towards the use of drugs and other illegal substances, which has called into question the legality of these parties. However, there are some places where such parties are legal and go on well throughout the year. In fact, these parties are not only an entity in themselves but are a part of what is commonly called the rave culture. In case you are invited to a rave party, it is not a bad idea to learn some of the dance moves, so that you do not feel out of place there.
Common Dance Moves for Raves
Apple Picking Move
As the name suggests, you need to move your body in the manner you would be plucking apples from the tree. Do this by raising your arms up in the air and keep moving them up and down in tandem with the movement of your feet. You can improvise by shaking your head a bit in conjunction with the music playing.
Melbourne Shuffle
If you are familiar with hip hop dancing, practicing this move should not be a problem. The Melbourne shuffle involves very limited movement of the upper body and the primary focus should be on arm movement, along with walking naturally. This dance move is similar to the running man and moonwalk.
House Stepping
House stepping requires one to move around while listening to house music. You should keep lifting your feet up and down continuously along the beats of the song and your arms need to be raised up with your elbows tilted.
This dance move contradicts the Melbourne shuffle, as the latter calls for minimal upper body movement.
Jump Style
This dance move involves hopping and kicking around the raised foot, leaving the arms hanging loosely by the side. Start by hopping on the right foot and kicking your left foot forward in the air. Pull your left foot back towards you and repeat the above movement. Swap your feet and perform the move by hopping on the left foot. You can improvise while performing this move by kicking your foot backwards or sideways.
Liquid Movement
The liquid movement is one of the tougher moves, which you can perform, provided your body is extremely flexible. Compared to break-dancing, where you are required to do popping and locking movements with your feet and hand, the liquid movement should look more natural and not rigid. Let your body loose and let it ‘flow’ along with the music.
The Stomp
You must be familiar with stomping when you are moving about in snow.
It is a very simple move wherein you need to keep stomping your foot side to side in tandem with the music beats playing.
Glowsticking
Glowsticking is a popular dance move that involves the use of neon glow sticks, which may be either battery operated or activated with help of chemicals. A person holds these glow sticks in his hand and moves around the dance floor preferably in the liquid movement. More experienced and talented people even juggle around or swirl around the glowsticks they are holding, creating a visual treat with lights for onlookers.
Miscellaneous Tips
Surrender to the Music
The best advise for dancing at rave parties which anyone would give, is to surrender yourself to the music and let it take control over you. Listen to what is playing and simply move along the beats. Keep moving your head, feet, and hands in the way you are comfortable and let people observe you are having a good time.
Let Yourself Loose
Do not be rigid or very mechanical in your movements.
It is important to let your body loose and look cool, calm, and relaxed in your movements. Rigid movements look very awkward and do not go with the music normally being played at rave parties.
Look Around
When dancing at rave parties, keep an eye on the crowd to see what others around you are doing. Sometimes when you are out of moves, checking out others dancing on the floor and imitating their moves is not a bad idea.
Keep practicing these moves alone by yourself for a while, before you start doing them at rave parties. You can also learn by watching videos and observing the way people dance. Since there is no particular framework when it comes to dancing at rave parties, you should constantly keep inventing new moves of your own. So, just let yourself loose and go wild on the dance floor.
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Rave dances - The Blue Book
Shuffle is a rave dance that developed in the 1980s. Typically performed to electronic music, the dance originated in the Melbourne rave scene, and was popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The dance moves involve a fast heel-and-toe movement or T-step, combined with a variation of the running man coupled with a matching arm action. It's an improvised dance and involves "shuffling your feet inwards, then outwards, while thrusting your arms up and down, or side to side, in time with the beat".
It seems to be a minority underground dance without official competitions or schools. Given the music, it's origins and the energy it requires, most of the videos are uploaded by young people that reproduce the nasty gender roles that the society embeds in us. So expect to see over sexualized girls and over testosteroned guys, which is sad.
Styles
Melbourne Shuffle
It's the original shuffle, which was the one that caught my eye several years back with Francis' video:
It's "simple and straightforward", the base is the running man, with a few kicks and spins sprinkled in from time to time, so there is not much room for variety. It has a low skill floor and a moderate skill ceiling.
Usually the dancers wear trousers with a wide end that makes a nice flying visual effect and a hoodie. The percent of read women Melbourne shuffle videos is low.
Here is a list of other Melbourne shuffle videos: 1, 2, 3, 4
The malasian and russian styles are, to my untrained eye, similar to the Melbourne, although they've got different T-step.
Although in the source post they say that these styles are usually danced between 150 and 200 bpms, I've found that the videos range from 130 to 160 bpms with an average of 150 bpms.
Cutting shapes
It's the most popular right now (at least for the number of videos I've found).
The base steps are the Charleston or the heel variants of the running man, which looks less like running. The basic step is used less than in the other styles, filling most of the moves with heel-toe movements, criss-crossings, and spins, so there is little "shuffling" in cutting shapes. It has a low skill floor, but an absurdly high skill ceiling. There is a lot of room for variety and you can even mix it up by adding other dance styles to it, as it's very flexible.
Usually the dancers wear street clothes and some use shoes with led lights. The percent of read women Cutting shapes shuffle videos is even with read males.
Here is a list of other cutting shapes shuffle videos: 1, 2
Cutting shapes songs are mostly around the 130 bpms.
Jumpstyle
Jumpstyle is an electronic dance style and music genre popular in Western Europe, with existent scenes in Eastern Europe, Australia, and the Americas.
It's music is an offspring of tech-trance, hardstyle, gabber and mákina. Its tempo is usually between 140 and 150 BPM.
Here are another Jumpstyle videos: 1, 2.
Last update: 2020-08-07
How to rave (part 2)
Rave dancing
Rave dancing has entered rave culture at club parties. Now these parties are known for fast and rhythmic music, completely unusual dance styles and crazy bright clothes. After its heyday in the 80s and 90s, the popularity of rave culture has declined a bit, but rave is now experiencing its second revival.
Rave style dancing
What distinguishes rave dancing from other styles is that it is actually a complete improvisation of the dancers, there is no single style in the dance that needs to be followed.
Each dancer simply surrenders to the will of the music and moves solely for his self-expression. nine0004
Rave Dance
For those who have never been to a rave and find it difficult to improvise, try a few dance steps at home before going to a rave party. While they probably won't be useful at a party, they will at least give you a sense of confidence that the person is familiar with the party style.
Rave dance
The running man
A high, energetic step that can be constantly repeated during the dance. It also acts as a great workout. nine0027 - Raise your right knee to waist height;
- As you lower your right foot to the floor, slide your left foot back, lifting your heel and sliding on your toe;
- Raise your left knee to waist height;
- As you lower your left foot to the floor, slide your right foot back on your toes.
This step is called "running man" because it looks like running in place.
Moreover, it is worth noting that this step, due to the execution of this movement in a limited space, becomes an almost ideal step for a crowded rave dance floor. nine0004
Rave dancing
Breaking (breakdancing)
This simple step looks quite impressive on the dance floor.
- Jumping on the right foot, place the left foot in front of the right, touching the floor with it while jumping;
- Repeat this step with the other leg.
Rave style dancing
Jump style
The basic style of movement consists of five jumps during which the non-supporting leg is raised in the air. Hands are practically not used at all, except perhaps for balance. nine0004
Rave Accessories: Glow Sticks
The neon colors of the glow sticks (both chemical and battery powered LED) are great for rave dancing. Most often they are held in the hands to accentuate hand movements.
But some dancers tie them to cords and juggle them, creating discs of light in the twilight, similar to "fiery dances".
Rave dancing
Watching professionals
The best way to learn how to rave is to watch professional dancers at any rave for a couple of minutes, who are not the first time at such parties. And then you just have to close your eyes and let the music carry you to the same rhythm.
How to dance at rave parties: 7 steps
In this article:
Steps
Additional articles
It is quite possible that you will one day find yourself at some rave party that is known for its fast and rhythmic compositions, eccentric dance styles, and crazy, colorful clothes. To be honest, how you rave will depend on your personality, but in this article we will give you a couple of tips that you will not hurt to read.
nine0004
Steps
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1
Learn some break dance moves.
- Many dance moves that are popular with ravers are borrowed from break dancing. Therefore, learn a few basic dance moves in this style so that you can dance at a rave party like you are a long-time regular. But since rave parties tend to be crowded, don't teach moves that require you to spin on the floor or do handstands. nine0091
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2
Relax.
- The most important thing when you rave is to keep your body relaxed. In rave, they often wave their arms over their heads and use the whole body, so you need to be able to do the same. Stop worrying, be calm and at ease, like the rest of the people around you.
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3
Dance with your whole body.
- Unlike other dance styles that require your upper body to move as little as possible, rave requires your entire body to be involved.
Immerse yourself completely in the dance and don't be afraid to move your whole body to the beat of the music. nine0091
- Unlike other dance styles that require your upper body to move as little as possible, rave requires your entire body to be involved.
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4
Let the music guide you.
- Some rave songs are fast and some are quite slow. So follow the rhythm of the music and let it control your body.
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5
Follow the other dancers.
- Often dancers imitate each other, which causes a feeling of unity with each other. So watch other people dance around you. If you see that the majority makes a certain movement with their hands, then you should try to do the same. At least you will look like you know what you are doing. nine0091
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6
What to wear.
- Rave parties are usually crowded with people dancing to some very energetic music, so dress accordingly. Wear comfortable shoes, no long socks so you don't get stepped on, and comfortable clothes that look cool but still allow you to move freely on the dance floor.
- Rave parties are usually crowded with people dancing to some very energetic music, so dress accordingly. Wear comfortable shoes, no long socks so you don't get stepped on, and comfortable clothes that look cool but still allow you to move freely on the dance floor.
