They say good manners and etiquettes are an individual quality and that these qualities can only be developed by regularly practicing them. I say ballroom dancing helps you learn etiquettes while you are learning to groove gracefully.
Each and every country has its own cultural etiquettes. Like for instance in India we greet everyone with a Namaste (whereby we join both our palms). Since India is a magnificently diverse country with culture and languages, we have a beautiful set of cultural etiquettes across the states.
Assam has some very beautiful mannerisms and cultural etiquettes too. For instance the tradition of greeting and honouring with the 'Gamusa', which is an article of significance for the indigenous people of Assam is a beautiful etiquette. Showing respect with the traditional 'Japi' too is another endearing etiquette.
Grace and etiquettes play an important part in our lives. But sometimes we tend to overlook or forget their significance.
Etiquette is that one quality that definitely makes you stand out and if it can come along with some dancing then it does create magic.
Ballroom dancing teaches one to gracefully move on the dance floor (with his or her dance partner) while adhering to a set of beautiful etiquettes. Infact following these etiquettes are mandatory in ballroom dancing.
From asking a lady for a dance to escorting her onto the dance floor and finally saying thank you (after the dance is over), here are some cardinal etiquettes that are actually known but forgotten with time or rather carelessness.
Asking a lady for a dance
'May I please have the pleasure of this dance with you?' is ofcourse the right way to approach a potential partner. Along with this, one's posture (while standing) and the manner of extending the hand counts. Even the person who is being asked for the dance should convey her/his answer (which can either be a yes or no) in a very polite and courteous tone.
Escorting her to the dance floor
The rules here are fairly basic. When a man is escorting a lady to the dance floor, he should keep one hand on the shoulder blade while the other hand should be making way (negotiating) in the crowd. This is true blue chivalry in the parlance of ballroom dance. I must say that most dancers are well apprised of these basic etiquettes and chivalry. However, today some are just being a little casual in their approach and letting go of these beautiful rules. They probably find these rules to be too old fashioned and old school. In this context I reiterate the necessity of adhering to these rules as doing so enhances the charm of the dancing experience.
The actual dance
Ballroom dancing entails open hold and closed hold positions and looking into the eyes. These old school rules and methods are so logical and graceful that they do make two people appear like a beautiful unit (dancing) that invariably catches the attention of the onlookers.
Dance floor rules
The basic rules here are very basic. No food, mobile phones and drinks are allowed to be carried onto the dance floor. This simply means the floor is only meant for dancing and nothing else. Today unfortunately there are some people who break these rules at the cost of appearing ill-mannered too.
Basic body posture
Despite the fact that we all know that our body postures are incredibly important to our health and appearance, we all tend to get a little careless at times. Ballroom dancing or for that matter any dance form helps one improve body postures and lines to a very great extent. We eventually become more flexible and easier with our bodies.
Warm up etiquettes
Learning the proper dance steps and techniques is very important ofcourse. It is equally important to do warm up exercises before we start dancing. Warm up is that one etiquette, which is indispensable if you want to have a great dancing experience. If the warm up exercises are done regularly then one can achieve the desired goals and expectations faster with respect to the dance form that he/she is learning.
Consistency is the key
They say it takes 21 days to convert a routine into a habit. In my view if we practice what we learn consistently only then the art form will accept us and we shall make a beautiful combination together. Always remember; once learnt but regularly practiced is the key to success. Allow dance to become a regular part of your life and then see the magic unfold. Dance is like worship. If we give our hearts to dance it is bound to gift us some indelibly beautiful etiquettes and grace that eventually get ingrained in us.
Etiquettes and manners are basics of living and definitely universal. However, the pace, pressures and trends of modern life have invariably suppressed some beautiful and much needed human etiquettes. Ballroom dance is one way to remind ourselves that we need to preserve our etiquettes. So go ahead and learn some old school grace and etiquettes. You can choose to learn Latin American dances like rumba, samba, cha cha, jive, paso doble or the standard ballroom styles like waltz, foxtrot, Viennese waltz, quick step and many more.
By Ankita Dolawat
The writer is a Latin and Standard Ballroom dance professional and television host
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