How to do the rave dance
11 Essential Rave Dance Moves For Beginners
When you want to have a good time, rave parties are almost always a top answer. If you’ve never been to such a party before, the scene can look hectic and a bit intimidating.
But really, though it may look complicated, rave dance moves are actually pretty easy to learn. Rave is different from other forms of dancing in that it’s a free-form, improvisational dance. In theory, you can dance however you want. There’s no “wrong moves” here.
Nevertheless, learning some basic, popular dance moves can build up your confidence and allow you to enjoy the party more. This guide can show you the gists!
Contents
- 11 Essential Rave Dance Moves To Learn For Beginners
- 1. Running Man
- 2. Break Dancing
- 3. Jump Style
- 4. Apple Picking Move
- 5. Melbourne Shuffle
- 6. House Stepping
- 7. Liquid Movement
- 8. The Stomp
- 9. Glowsticking
- 10. Gloving
- 11.
Hakken
- Rave Dancing Tips
- Focus On The Music
- Just Relax
- Pay Attention to What Other People Are Doing
- Be Creative
- Final Words
11 Essential Rave Dance Moves To Learn For Beginners
For newcomers, it can be beneficial to learn these basic types of rave dancing. It will give you an idea of how to start when the music comes up and you’re on the stage. The extra confidence that it gives you will be an added bonus, too.
1. Running Man
Source: https://rustnbones.wordpress.com/The Running Man is a move that you can pull when you’re stuck in the middle of a large crowd of ravers. Aside from being simple, you also have the added benefit of it being a static dance move. You merely dance in one spot without moving.
There are two counts to this move. When practicing at home, start slow and say each count aloud. Progressively get faster until you feel natural.
- Count 1: Lift your right knee to level with your waist.
- Count 2: Bring down your right knee. Halfway through the right foot’s downward movement, lift your left foot’s heel and slide backward on the ball.
Repeat the two counts, but this time on your left foot (raise your left knee to waist level on count 1, then lower your left foot and slide your right foot backward on count 2).
To make it easier to visualize the movement as you practice, imagine you’re walking or running in place. That’s exactly what you’re doing, anyway!
2. Break Dancing
Break dancing (or simply breaking) looks a lot more impressive on stage than Running Man.
Hop up on your right foot, then cross your left foot in front of the right and tap it on the floor. Repeat this motion with the other foot using a double hop.
If you want to add a bit more flair to the movement, you can cross your foot once, then shoot out to the side. That will make the dance a lot more exciting.
3. Jump Style
The basic description for this style of dance is hopping and jumping around with your foot raised, while your arms are kept hanging loosely by your sides.
A simple beginner pattern involves five counts.
- Count 1: Hop up with your left foot and kick your right foot forward. Raise your right foot by about a foot high in the air.
- Count 2: Retract your right foot and repeats the first movement.
- Count 3: Switch your foot: hop on your right foot and kick forward with your left foot.
- Count 4: Hop on your right foot again, but this time, kick your left foot backward.
- Count 5: Hop on your left foot and kick your right foot backward. Keep it low.
You can repeat this simple dance sequence how many times you wish. You can mix up the movements or combine them with other moves to flesh out a jump-style dance routine of your own.
Jumpstyle is best done to the beat of hardstyle or gabber music, with a tempo ranging between 140 to 150 BPM.
4. Apple Picking Move
Similar to the Running Man move, the Apple Picking Move is very easy to learn and highly visual.
When you dance, just imagine yourself plucking an apple from a tree overhead.
- Raise both of your arms as high in the air as possible, then drop them down.
- Sync your up-and-down movements to the rhythm of your feet.
- To add flair to the performance, you can spice it up by shaking your head and mixing in some other dance moves.
Do anything that you can do, so long that it suits the beat of the music and the mood.
If you practice in front of a mirror, the dance could look a bit silly. But don’t worry, that’s part of the magic of a rave dance (and a rave party). You’re not at all expected to look good. The “prime directive” is to have fun!
5. Melbourne Shuffle
Now, we’re not going to lie to you: the Melbourne Shuffle is a pretty advanced move. As such, don’t be discouraged if you don’t nail it on the first try. If you’ve had previous experience with hip-hop or breaking, learning this move would be a lot easier.
The Melbourne Shuffle is basically a mixture between the Walking Man and the Moonwalk. It involves very limited movement of your upper body. Most of the magic is produced by the legs and the arms as they sway in a natural, yet fluid, walking motion. Typically, the dancer will first face a singular direction before they begin to dance.
It is considered a flat-footed, stomping dance. While you’re caught up in the music, you can also add in pirouettes when the beats suit the move, too.
Do note that the Melbourne Shuffle takes up a lot of space. If it’s too crowded around you, it’s best not to execute it. You’d be at risk of colliding with somebody. In case you do want to try it out, you should seek a sparse spot in the crowd.
6. House Stepping
House stepping, like its name suggests, is best done with the backing of house music (Progressive House, Electro House, et cetera). This dance move simply involves raising your left and right foot up and down to the beat of the music.
Your arms should be raised and your elbows tilted.
House stepping resembles Latin dance and Tap dance. Plus, since it requires a lot of upper-body movements, house stepping is basically the mirror opposite of the Melbourne Shuffle.
7. Liquid Movement
The Liquid Movement is definitely the toughest rave dance move that you can possibly learn. It’s most suited for people with high flexibility and previous dancing experience.
Liquid Movement is an off-shoot of more traditional break-dancing. When you’re breaking, popping and locking with your feet and hands are expected.
Not so with Liquid Movement. The moment you look too mechanical while executing this move, you’d look out of place immediately. Liquid Movement is all about dancing as fluidly and as naturally as possible to the music, which is why experts at this dance move are often called “octopuses”.
Liquid Movement uses the entirety of your body to simulate the sense of fluidity, which is why a high degree of body flexibility is required for people hoping to execute this dance move.
8. The Stomp
The Stomp is yet another simple and visual dance move. Imagine yourself treading on thick snow. Move and stamp your feet from side to side to the beat of the music.
That’s all there really is to the move. It’s a great opener or beginner move. Combine this with the Running Man or Apple Picking and you got yourself a pretty solid basic rave dance routine.
9. Glowsticking
For Glowsticking, you’re going to need some extra accessories. Particularly, you will need some glow sticks (also called rave lights). They can be battery-operated or chemical glow sticks. It doesn’t really matter so long that they glow.
Hold one stick in each hand and dance. Usually, glow stick dancers favor Liquid Movement dance. The fluidity of the dance, when combined with the glowsticks, makes them truly alluring on the dance floor. Even though raves aren’t really about attracting attention, if that’s what you set out to do, it’s a sure-fire way to attract the eyes of other party-goers.
Experienced glow stick dancers may swirl or juggle the sticks around to create a visual feast for other guests. Some attach glow sticks to thin cords and spin them around to create beautiful wheels of light in time with the beat of the music. This type of dance is called “poi”.
If you manage any of that, you’d definitely be the star of that night’s show.
Glowsticking is one of the four light-oriented dances out there.
10. Gloving
Gloving, like Glowsticking, is a light-oriented dance. Instead of using glow sticks, the dancer uses small LED lights attached to their fingertips (hence the term gloving) to make attractive visual patterns.
Because the literal highlight of the dance lies in the diodes attached to your fingertips, gloving is basically a rave dance with your hands and fingers. You will want to incorporate movements that make your hands and fingers stand out as much as possible.
Liquid and digits moves, for example, where you move your body fluidly while also constructing hypnotizing patterns with your finger digits.
Finger tutting is also worth looking into if you’re serious about learning Gloving. It’s a dance style that involves intricately moving the fingers around, which will be further accentuated by the fingertip diodes.
11. Hakken
Hakken is a dance style originating from the Dutch hardcore and gabber dancing scenes in the 1990s. The term Hakken is derived from a Dutch verb, which means chopping and hacking.
Basically, the dance is a derivative of zapateo, but with fewer airborne movements. You perform tiny steps with your feet to the rhythm of the bass drum in the music.
Similar to the Melbourne Shuffle, the lower body plays the most important role in this dance style. However, it’s not unusual for Hakken dancers to incorporate their upper body movements into the routine, too.
Hakken is a very high-speed dance. The music (called hakmuziek) can have a tempo as high as 190 BPM. It’s going to take some work to be able to catch up to the beat.
Rave Dancing Tips
Focus On The Music
The music is the most important part of the raving experience.
Let the music take full control of your movement. Listen to the beat and let the rhythm and the inspiration take over you. Swing your arms, move your feet, and sway your body in a way that makes you feel most comfortable with the music.
Don’t mind people observing you too much. Once again, the important thing is to have a good time!
Just Relax
Raves are all about letting loose. If you look too mechanical or rigid in your movements, you’re not experiencing the party to the fullest. Plus, rigid movements look very awkward on the dance floor. The more relaxed you are, the more beautiful your movements will be.
It’s entirely okay to feel a bit uncomfortable and self-conscious if it’s your first rave or you’re a naturally shy person. In that case, we recommend attending your first-ever rave with friends or people you trust enough to let loose around. Once you’ve become more comfortable, think of attending or dancing solo.
Pay Attention to What Other People Are Doing
Raves are a social event, so keep an eye out for other people in the crowd.
Look at what others are doing. When you find yourself out of ideas for your next move, imitating others is a good tactic to fall back to and keep the fire going.
Be Creative
There’s really no framework or structure to rave dancing. It’s all random up there and you can dance however you like. If you want to put a lot of effort into your dance moves, practice by yourself at home and watch plenty of videos online.
Once you’ve mastered some basic moves, think of improving on these moves with your own twists. Be creative! Who knows, maybe you’ll end up inventing a dance move that ravers in the future will learn about.
Final Words
Raves are an excellent way to let loose and have fun after a hard week. Allowing yourself to get lost in the music and the intense energy of the night is a wondrous feeling. With these basic rave dance moves, you’re more or less ready to attend your first of many rave parties in the future!
Hopefully, this guide has served you well.
If you have any other questions you’d like to ask, leave them in the comment section below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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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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.
My first rave: how to go to a party without screwing up
hang out and make things right. nine0004
We talked to Roman Paramonov, who attended 16 raves - from Schema, Rhythm Buro and Plivka to LOW party and Strichka festival. Roman is 20 years old, he is a student of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, he writes a term paper in sociology on the topic “The social origins of rave culture”.
Roman told how to properly prepare for the party, what to wear, how to dance, what music to listen to. And also about inner freedom and liberation from the routine that the dance floor gives.
First rave coma
I got to my first rave quite by accident, at the age of 16. We were celebrating a friend's birthday, and on the same evening one of the first "Schemes" was held. Someone from our company offered to see what was happening there, and we went. My friends were older than me and had already been to raves, but I went out of curiosity. I had no idea then that this would be the start of my big rave trip.
I certainly did not look like a person who knows where he is going. I was wearing a black shirt with white dots, a black striped cardigan that fastened with one button and ended at the belt of my dark jeans, and I had Nike AirMax on my legs. nine0004
Then music without words was something incomprehensible to me. I did not feel the dynamics of the development of the tracks, I did not understand the plot. At my first party, I danced some kind of “cha-cha-cha” and did not understand at all how to move to this music. I looked at all this with the thought: “Well, what's so special about it?”, And after two hours I got completely bored and I just started poking back and forth. It was some kind of scam. Just a month later, I thought that there was still something in this, I decided to try again - and it worked for me. Since then, I have hardly missed parties. nine0004
How to get ready
There are things you always need to think about in advance. First of all, look at the line-up of the event so that you can answer tricky questions during the face control. You may be asked, for example, who is playing tonight or how you knew there was a party going on here. As a rule, water and food cannot be brought in, so it’s better not to bother, but to look in advance where the nearest grocery store is, where you can eat during the party. nine0004
The most important thing to take to a rave is fucking sunglasses, because otherwise your eyes will start to hurt from special lighting effects. Also think about where to put your phone, apartment keys and money so that all this does not stop you from dancing. The ideal solution is a banana on the belt instead of a belt. Instead of a wallet, it is better to take a certain amount of cash and a bank card so as not to weigh down the banana. Usually I take UAH 300 and one card with me.
Also think about who you will go with. I've never seen people come to a party alone. During dances, people still disperse and dissolve in the music, finding their own rhythm. The company is needed in order to start together, find each other after, return together to the real world and go home. nine0004
The main thing is to come with the right attitude. To come and get stoned is not an option, there is no point in it, because you will not remember anything. The whole buzz of a sober rave is that you remember all the sensations. In order not to screw up, you need to free yourself from the reality that is here and now.
How to dress
Once upon a time I wore only black clothes to parties, but over time I realized that I wanted something more interesting and brighter, but sneakers have always been my hobby. I go to parties in air-soled sneakers, God bless Phil Knight0102 [co-founder of the Nike brand — BZ] .
There is no dress code at raves. In fact, almost complete darkness reigns around, and you see only the silhouettes of people who are dancing.
When choosing clothes, first of all, you need to think about convenience.
If it's a T-shirt, then one that doesn't stick to the body and doesn't have to be wringed out of sweat like a rag. If pants or shorts, then such that they do not fetter in movement. Sneakers can be air-soled, but the main thing is that the shoes are comfortable after a long walk and long dances. nine0004
Lately, vintage 90s stuff has become a trend, people are trying to recreate the atmosphere of the underground raves of those years, so many people dress “old school”. Basically, vintage and rare items are bought at second-hand stores, although sometimes they can also be found among the popular mass market.
Comfort is very important, thanks to it you move away from the real world and immerse yourself in music and movement. For me, going out for a smoke break during a party is like returning to reality for a while. nine0004
How to dance and what to listen to
Rave is a story about individuality. You don't have to follow someone else's example. You need to find your movements, close your eyes and surrender to the dance - the body will do everything for you. Turn one of your fingers the other way or turn your foot in a different way, and you will already be different from the rest.
At one of the raves, I danced for 8 hours straight and never went outside. At another party, I danced with my eyes closed under the stage, and after a while I ended up at the very end of the hall. You move, people rub against each other. You can even accidentally hook someone, but you still won't be told anything. nine0004
Everyone feels and hears music differently. Recently, DJs have been adding body percussion to soundtracks. That is, live pops, clicks and crackles appear among synthetic sounds - this allows you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere even more and reminds you that the real world still exists. Music is a kind of drug. If you find your rhythm, then, like a surfer, you will get into the wave and start to “slide” awesome.
At all times different techno music played at raves. It used to be less technologically advanced, but today DJs have more cool modern equipment and programs for creating sound tracks, and the tracks are becoming more diverse. nine0004
My favorite DJs are Inga Mauer, Max Cooper, Yana Woodstock, Lil Louis, AUX 88 and Amelie Lens - all of them are representatives of techno music. Apple Music or Soundcloud will help you find the music you need. The first one has techno selections that are updated every week, and the second one, when you search for techno or rave, you can find cool young DJs or great mixes of famous artists.
Rave is music without words that "sings" about liberation. You are freed from everything that oppresses you: from problems, inequalities and discrimination. You are not divided into white, black, green or red, because no one cares who you are. You come and become part of a tribe where a DJ is a shaman. nine0004
Everyone dances in their own way, there is no common style. The main thing is to surrender to the music, the rest of the body itself will tell you.
What happens at the rave
Inside the rave, all people are one big company. There is no aggression, because everyone came to rest from the real world, routine and fuss. This is a community in which everyone knows each other in absentia. You can go up to any person and ask for water - at a get-together everyone always shares with each other.
You can easily meet a people's deputy here. Recently, I saw my teacher at a rave, who just the other day gave me lectures and seminars, and today we are on the same dance floor with him. nine0004
I remember how one girl stripped down to her shorts, climbed onto some kind of parapet and just “dansila”. There was another dude we called "propeller arms", he was waving his arms very strongly, but it was so cool that I don't even know how to repeat it.
There are people at the rave who stimulate themselves with various substances.
I think that music without drugs is enough to get into ecstasy. You need to go with the right attitude and understanding of what you want to get from the party. It comes with experience. nine0004
After a rave on the way home, I always keep listening to music on my headphones until I close my eyes in bed. This helps to avoid unnecessary noise in the head. After a rave, you always wake up fresh and renewed. Often there is a slight krepatura, but then you start the day with the clearest head possible.
About rave culture and main clubs
Rave culture for Ukraine has become a real discovery. After all the bloody events of the revolution and the beginning of the war, people wanted to forget at least for a while, to abstract from pain and oppression. nine0004
Each of us lives in a constant routine: study, work, stress and problems, which causes mental burnout. When you get to a rave, all the accumulated fatigue comes out of you in the dance. For me, this is an opportunity to be free.
Some people find it at the gym or on a run, I found it on the dance floor.
There are plenty of good parties in Kyiv: Scheme, Rhythm Buro, Low party, Plivka, Osnova, Closer, parties at Otel’ and Mezzanine. I go for everything. The quality of parties in Kyiv has grown a lot in recent years. The organizers understand what the audience wants, create comfort and atmosphere. nine0004
In Berlin, raves have long migrated to clubs, but we continue to hang out in hangars, factories and under bridges.
Low party - more than just a party, techno pioneer DJs play there. A very atmospheric and worthwhile party that everyone should go to.
Rhythm Buro - these are parties that take place in secret places, the organizers keep the intrigue to the last and send a party place on the day of the event. Usually both foreign and our DJs play. One of the best hangouts in the country. nine0004
Scheme is the most popular Kyiv rave. You should definitely get there, because there is always a complete separation.
