Couples Safety on the Floor

  • Look out to avoid crashes. Both partners are responsible for watching each other’s backs. Leader, predict the movement of other dancers, so that you do not run your partner into other couples. If there is a danger of collision, pull your partner close and turn, so that you absorb the blow. If the follower sees a couple approaching from the leaders blind spot, a small pressure on his shoulder or hand can warn him.
  • Apologize for the accident. If your partner leads you into another couple, you should apologize even if you are not to blame. At the moment of a collision, it is more important to apologize immediately than to assign blame. However, if your partner does so routinely, it is appropriate for you to tell him/her you’d like to stop dancing.
  • In case of a crash, do not leave the scene until you are sure the other couple was not hurt. It is so painful to be stepped on, especially by high-heels. (I know from personal experience!)
  • Dances that involve traveling around the floor do so along a counter clockwise direction, known as the Line of Dance. This applies to Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Quickstep, and Viennese Waltz. Latin and Swing dances on the other hand are done in a slot of a floor.
Go to Top