To dance is to live, so get up and get moving. You don't need pricey lessons and years of training to rock it on the dance floor. Whatever the occasion and whatever the music, there are easy moves you can pick up from free videos on the web. Now you have no excuses.
Tried-and-True Two-Step
The two-step is the classic fake that everyone uses for every kind of dance, from ballroom to street swagger. Its glory is that you can add and add and add flourishes until you actually look like you know what you're doing. Priceless.
- Stand with your knees relaxed, feet parallel.
- Step one foot to the side.
- Bring the other foot over next to it.
- Step that second foot to the side -- back to its original position.
- Bring the other foot to it. Done.
Now make it your own.
- Add a clap on every other step.
- Put a little bounce in it by flexing your knees as you step.
- Change it up by stepping from front to back and back to front.
- Tilt your head to the side you're stepping to.
- Dip your shoulder on the step, bend your elbow and snap your fingers.
You got this. Move over, Fred and Ginger!
Hip Hop
Do not be intimidated by hip hop. A lot of it is attitude and improv. Grab a couple of staccato moves and get your game face on. Add some arms. Watch a lot of videos and steal what you like. YouTube is your friend here. Invest in some sneakers and own the dance floor.
Bop
This is a total no-brainer. But, once you get the basic bop, what you add on to get fancy will kill your thighs. All for art and all that. Just do it.
- Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart.
- Come up on the balls of your feet. You will stay here the whole time; you can't bop flat-footed.
- Stay loose and start bringing your knees in to just touch together and then move them apart. Repeat, repeat, repeat. This causes you to bop up and down.
- Move your knees to the beat of the music, Dance King. After five minutes, you're dead.
That's it. That's bopping. But don't be lame. Find some uber-cool little kid who rocks bopping and pick up a few variations to try once your quads stop quivering.
Circle Turn
Circle turns look tricky and sound tough until you try them. Easy-peasy. But you will be Im . Press . Ive.
Seriously.
Practice it in front of a mirror. Knock yourself out.
- Face front with your arms down at your sides, wrists flexed, palms down.
- Dip as you step forward with your left leg, crossing it in front of the right supporting leg. Try to keep your hips facing front.
- Straighten up as your raise both arms to the ceiling and then dip again as you bring your arms down to your sides.
- Stick your elbows out, fists in towards the center of your body, and raise your elbows and arms chest-high as you swivel toward the back, straightening your knees to stand tall.
- Move all the way through the turn until you are facing front again.
- As you turn towards the front, dip again, spread your arms wide like a plane, and step forward placing your weight on your front leg.
- Lean forward and low over your front leg as you step and bounce immediately back, weight now on the back leg.
- Pull both elbows back at shoulder height as you step your front foot wide to the side, parallel with your supporting leg.
Nae Nae/Whip
Because Nae Nae is so awesome.
Even more awesome with Whip.
You can weight-shift your little heart out and let your arms do all the dancing. You are one powerful performer.
- Stand with legs about hip-width apart.
- Lean your weight from side to side; no need to move your feet for this.
- Allow each hip to come forward as you lean into that side, twisting a bit at the waist.
- Raise your right arm toward the ceiling with your hand flexed into a palm-forward "Stop!" position.
- Let your shoulders come forward as your hips do; your up-thrust arm will move, too. Work it. That's the Nae Nae.
- Add a Whip because you get all the respect when you dance.
- Sink a little bit into your hips so you can bounce up and down as you sway side-to-side.
- Park your left hand on your left hip.
- Take that Nae Nae arm, make a fist and bring the arm down and front at shoulder-height as you "punch" your fist forward.
- Make it more whiplike by flexing your wrist sharply so your fist "punches" down.
Nae Nae/Whip. Boom.
Conga!
If Gloria Estefan breaks out at an event, you cannot stay in your seat. No way, Shy Wallflower. You are up and in the line. Here's how:
- Place your hands on the waist of the person in front of you. (Take the lead only after you've conga'd around a few wedding receptions with no bruises or abrasions.)
- Start with whatever foot that person is using (say it's the right leg) and step forward and just to the side. Sway a bit to the music as you shift weight from side-to-side -- you're not a robot. Don't overdo it or you could cause a pileup.
- Count: One…Two…Three…STOP on the beat to keep track of your moves: Step Right. Step Left. Step Right. Stop, keeping your weight on the right foot. Then step out again on the count of 1 with the left foot.
- Daring variation: Step Right, Step Left, Step Right. Kick Left/Step Left. (Always kick out small and to the side to prevent incapacitating injury.)
- Do it again. And again. That's a conga line.
- Keep going until somebody falls down or the guy behind you releases his death grip on your waist.
- Fall breathless and laughing into your seat and pretend you're too exhausted to move when they play a pasodoble.
Learn and Live
Dancing is a skill every little kid has at genius level and too many people abandon as they age. Don't be those people. Jump right back into the party without getting all complicated about it. Just work your free and easy moves and -- hey! Before you know it, you're channeling Michael Jackson. You're almost ready for your star turn on reality TV.
