Adam Sinicki It might be the ultimate demonstration of marketing. A night out with your friends to a popular place. One of those clubs that everyone talks about and is broadcast over all the best radio stations, bottle service or VIP events. Nightclubs are the ultimate social gathering for people looking to meet new friends or romantic interests in the 19-30 age groups.
There are a few factors that will determine your success in socializing at a nightclub. One of them is definitely appearance. How you look sells who you are and that includes the kind of clothing, shoes and for girls’ makeup and hair that makes a trendy or sexy statement. You are marketing yourself after all and sex definitely sells. For girls the skirts and shorts are a little shorter and the heels a little higher. For guys it means picking a shirt that might be a little tighter around the chest to enhance your best assets.
Dancing factors into your social success and how you dance at a nightclub can either make or break you. Recalling the popular show “The Fresh Prince” and “the Carlton” dance would be the prime example of “what not to do”. The goal is to have fun but also to look cool in the process. The unwritten rules for dancing for guys and girls are of course completely different.
Location Is Everything
Let’s face it. If you wanted to spend the night being an antisocial wall flower the truth is you would have stayed home. You would not have bothered to get dressed up and fight the line up for the club, and then spent the cash on the drinks to be unnoticed. You are there to have fun but definitely to be noticed. So the location you pick to “hang out” in is critical for dancing.
The best place for men to dance in a nightclub is near the bars or down in the main dance floor area close to the speakers and DJ. The reason is simple. Placing yourself in the middle of the most crowded areas of the club opens the opportunity to get close to someone that has caught your eye. Since we are all interested in avoiding awkward situations and adverse to risk, dancing in a crowded location allows the opportunity to possibly meet someone… and if the brief nightclub introduction doesn’t work (smile, nudge, gently bump into the girl) to stimulate a conversation then you can always pretend that it was an accident and continue dancing with your friends. Situating yourself near a bar also ensures a steady traffic of girls and the opportunity to buy one a drink.
For girls the best place to stand is high profile. While joining the rest of the fray in the pit seems to be a logical place to stand, sometimes it’s really hard to get noticed where all the other girls are. Choose a place to dance with your friends that is a little less crowded where you can have fun but actually be seen and appreciated. A great way is to take a break from the busy dance floor and make your way to a less crowded area. If you’ve got someone’s attention they are likely to approach you in the less busy area. And don’t forget the solo trips to the bathroom breaking away from your “herd” of female friends. It opens the door for a guy to come up to you and say hello. Make sure to change your location frequently to meet more people on your night out. Canvas the room and look for interesting and attractive people and dance close (but not too close) to those crowds.
The Moves
How you dance is important. Again the rules for dancing vary depending on whether you are a guy or a girl and there is nowhere in the world that putting the “best foot forward” matters more than when you are dancing in a nightclub.
For men the unwritten rule is to minimize the amount of movement below the belt. There are a number of reasons for this and one of them tends to be the desire to appear as masculine as possible. Culturally men that “shake it” below the waste are not recognized as being the preferable “tough guy” and a quick survey around a club will show that the majority of men would sooner leave than move their hips or backsides in a way that suggests to women that they are not strong. Upper body movement also accentuates male assets best, bringing broad shoulders and muscles into full view. The stance for most men? Minimal movement of the feet. Stand in one spot and minimize hip movement but use arms and shoulders to move to the beat of the music.
For women the rules of dancing are not particularly restricted. Heterosexual girls will avoid for the most part any dance moves that appear to be too masculine. The psychology of attraction between men and women means that dancing (if single and looking to meet someone) should be enticing and sensual. Women utilize all assets in their dancing. If you have long hair then swing it around a little bit or touch it. Men find this exciting. Move your hips and show off your curves and shake the stuff that moves. It guarantees you’ll be noticed quickly.
Dancing Together
The rules have changed for couples dancing particularly in a night club. Don’t expect there to be a number of slow songs played at the end of the evening allowing you to move in on that person that you have had your eyes on all evening. Ever noticed how there are almost no new slow songs released these days?
Slow dancing at clubs typically takes on two forms. The first is face to face with the girl in front and the guy placing his hands on her hips whilst moving her to the beat of the music. If the guy and girl know each other well, the girl will either put both her arms around the neck of the guy for a very intimate embrace or if a little less intense is needed she will put her left arm up on the guys shoulder and allow her right arm to drop and sway to the beat with him.
If the couple is just getting to know each other however, the typical slow dancing stance is the guy standing behind the girl for a slow grind. This gives him a chance to “check the view from behind” and gives her a chance to increase his heart rate.
Quick Rules
- Pick the right location
- Men should avoid too much lower body movement
- Women should utilize all physical assets and be sensual
- Adjust your moves depending on the signals you want to send
- Change location in the club frequently
- Use body language to your advantage
- Remember to have fun!
Dancing is an awesome way to have fun and spend the night getting to know new and interesting people and it gets you out there socializing. It’s also a great way to hear new music and DJ’s and network for social or business reasons. So bust out your best moves and enjoy the benefits of dancing in a nightclub.