How to Dance at Prom

Co-authored by Hebert Aguilar

Last Updated: November 25, 2021

You might have thought that all of your stress about prom was over once you secured the perfect date. But now, you find yourself worrying that you won't know how to dance at prom. Don't sweat it: to dance at prom, you just have to move your feet to the beat, learn a few slow dance moves, and relax and get silly with your friends. If you want to know how to dance at prom and have an amazing time during this magical night, just follow these steps.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Dancing to Fast Songs

1
Move your head to the music. When you first get on the dance floor, you may be feeling a bit nervous, whether you're standing next to your date or just standing with a group of your friends. The first thing you should do after you hit the dance floor is to get a feel for the beat. Once you get it, move your head to the music, and start moving your body up and down slightly, so you're really feeling the beat.
- Get your shoulders into it. Move them up and down slightly along with your head.
- Don't just bob your head up and down like some kind of robot. You can move slightly the left, and then the right, as you get a feel for the music.
2
Move your feet to the beat. If it's a faster song, you'll need to pick up the pace; if its slower but not a slow song, then move your feet slower. If you're an absolute beginner, then you don't have to put in too much effort in the footwork department. Just bend your knees and move up and down to the music. The important thing is that you keep your feet moving, not that you look like a professional.
- Once you're comfortable with just moving your feet, you can do the "two step."^{[1]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Hebert Aguilar
  Professional Dancer & Choreographer
  Expert Interview. 25 October 2021.} In this dance move, all you have to do is step your right foot about a foot to the right, move your left foot over to the right, and gently tap the ground. Then, do the move again starting with moving your left foot to the left, and repeat.
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3
Move your arms. Now that your head, shoulders, and feet are really into it, you can start moving your arms too. Remember that, ideally, you should start moving all of your body parts at once. Starting with the head and feet will help you feel the rhythm, but you shouldn't keep your arms at your sides like dead fish. You can move your arms up and down to the music near your sides, down by your knees, or even up in the air, like you're dancing while washing a window.
- Mix it up. Dance with your arms moving at your sides, and then have 'em move up in the air.
- Don't underestimate the power of the "raise the roof" move at the right time.
4
Put your hips into it. Your hips are a separate entity and they should not be ignored. Move them up and down along with the music, or move to the left and then the right, so your hips match the movements of your feet. Ladies, if you're feeling less shy, you can even gyrate your hips a bit to the music.
5
See what everyone else is doing. Check out your friends on the dance floor. Pick a friend who is particularly confident and has great rhythm. See what move she's doing? Now steal it. That's right. Pick something simple to do with your arms and feet when you're getting bored with your simple moves, and see what happens. If your friend is doing it and looks good, then you can try to do the same.
- You should also dance with the song in mind. If it's a funny song with a regular beat and people are clapping their hands, join in.
6
Sing a few lyrics. This is a great thing to do when you feel like you don't know what you're doing. Look at your friends, mouth out the lyrics to the song, shake your head, and look like you're having such a great time with the song that you don't really care how you look.
7
Move around. Don't just stand in one place or dance in the same two square feet of space. Move around by shuffling your feet and finding your friends. Keep it interesting and even make some light conversation with your friends or your date if you can do it without shouting too much. One thing you can do is stand in a circle with your friends and take turns moving in the center of the circle to show off your dance moves. Don't be nervous: when you dance in the middle of a circle, it'll normally be something silly.
8
Have fun dancing with your date. If your date is a wallflower and doesn't want to join you and your friends right away, wait a few songs before pulling your date onto the dance floor. But if you're dancing with your date to a fast song, just make sure you're following the same rhythm, standing at a comfortable distance, and having a great time.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Hebert Aguilar
Professional Dancer & Choreographer
Expert Interview. 25 October 2021.} Some schools will have regulations about how close you can get, so make sure you know what your school requires of you. After that, just have fun.
- During fast songs, you can still be in similar positions as you would in slow songs: a guy can put his hands on a girl's hips, and the girl can keep her arms around his neck.
- If you want to grind with your date, make sure it's allowed by your school. This is a more sensual dance move than most.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Dancing to Slow Songs

1
Position your arms correctly. If you want to start off on the right foot, then you and your date have to put your arms in the right place first. For the prom slow dance, the arm movements are much simpler than for the traditional slow dance. The guy just has to put his arms on either side of the girl's waist, and the girl has to wrap her arms around the guy's waist.
- Depending on how intimate you want the dance move to be, you should dance about one foot to half a foot (30 - 15 cm) away from your partner.
- Girls should plan their shoe height in advance. They should wear shoes that wouldn't make them taller than or at eye-level with their date, or they may feel a little awkward during the slow dance.
2
Position your feet correctly. Face your partner with at least one to two feet between your heads. Don't stand with your toes touching or you'll bump into each other; instead, stand either with your feet alternating or with the girl's feet inside of the guy's. Keep your feet at last 1 to 1.5 feet (0.3 to 0.5 m) apart (30 cm-45 cm) so you can move from side to side without any problems.
3
Start moving. Slow dancing is about as easy as it gets. Just keep your arms positioned correctly, maintain a respectable distance from your partner, and sway back and forth, transferring your weight from one foot to the other without lifting your feet. If you want to rotate or move a bit, just move your feet in rhythm with your partner's.
- If you're comfortable with this simple dance, you can go for the "step touch," which means to just step to the right with your right foot, and then to follow this foot with your left, tap the ground, and then reverse the motion by stepping to the left with your left foot, letting the right foot follow it, and so on. Just make sure you keep your feet in sync with your partner's.
4
Don't worry about assuming traditional roles. In "real" slow dancing, the guy takes the lead while the girl follows. In this version, the guy holds one of the girl's hands and leads her into the direction he wants to go; the girl has to follow so they stay on course. But when you're talking about the good old prom slow dance, that's really not necessary. You'll just be moving from side to side.
- If the guy wants to lead, just follow his cue and move in the direction he moves; but for the most part, you won't be moving around too much.
- Just remember to dance to the beat of the music. Not all slow dance songs have the exact same rhythm, so you will have to move a bit faster or slower depending on the beat.
5
Chat a little bit. If you and your partner are totally in love, then sure, you can just sway there and look longingly into each other's eyes. But for most of you, slow dancing in silence could get a little boring or awkward, so don't be afraid to talk to your partner, crack a joke, or just make small talk a little bit. You can say you love or hate the song that's playing, compliment your partner on his or her looks or dancing skills, or talk about the couples around you. Do whatever you gotta do to have fun and feel comfortable.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Busting Out Your Silly Dance Moves

1
Milk the cow. This is completely silly and an instant classic. Just bend your knees, bob up and down, while raising your fists in the air, one at a time, alternating as if you were milking an actual cow. Keep this up for thirty seconds or so with a serious and committed look on your face, and everyone around you will be laughing and joining in.
2
Do the running man. This is another great move that will get you some laughs for at least a minute or two, or until it gets old. The running man is simple. Just lift one foot high in the air so your thigh is parallel to the floor, and then set it back and down while simultaneously lifting the other foot. Keep alternating lifting and putting down your feet while either swinging your arms in an exaggerated manner at your side, like you're prancing, or pushing your arms back and forth, like you're skiing or elbowing someone.
- This works best paired with a Carlton Banks-esque grin on your face.
3
Beat back the beat. Get inspired by the Jersey Shore cast and bounce up and down while pumping your fists at the ceiling, alternating with one fist up and one fist down. Just pick a song and stick to the beat. Don't be embarrassed if the occasional, "Yeah, baby!" escapes your lips.
4
Wax the car. Bounce your knees and from side to side and alternate between using your right and left hands to wipe wax on your car in a circle, moving one hand in a circular motion for about three seconds before swaying to the other side and using the other hand to repeat the same motion. This move works great if you synchronize with a few friends.
5
Comb your hair. First, get a look on your face that says you're all that and you know it. Then, turn to your left side and fake run your right hand over your hair like you're combing it, making your perfect 'do look even more perfect. Bounce your feet up and down as you do this, and rinse and repeat on the other side. Keep it up until your hands look tired, or until you know you can't look any better.
6
Reel in your friend. You can pull this move at least 2-3 times at your prom before people start rolling your eyes. Just be the fisherman: cast your line far and away, aiming toward your friend, the fish. Keep bouncing as you do this, so you're not just standing in place. Then, lean back and start reeling in your friend like he or she is a heavy, heavy fish. Your friend should puff up his or her cheeks and move his or her hands toward and away from his or her mouth, acting like a fish that has gotten caught on your line.
7
Do the Harlem Shake. When that song comes on, wait for the leader to dance around and take control. When you get your cue, do anything you want, as long as it's with enthusiasm: lean back, start swinging your arms wildly behind you with bent knees, punch the air, shake your head from side to side, and generally look like you're having a seizure. Don't worry: this dance tends to only last a little more than a minute, so you'll be done before you start seeing bright white spots in front of your eyes.
8
Get ready to bust out your synchronized dance moves. Every prom will play a few songs that have designated dance patterns. These are a fun break from figuring out what the heck to do with yourself, and normally all you have to do is master a handful of dance moves and generally do what everyone else is doing. If you don't want to have to sit out like a wallflower when any of these songs come on, then become a pro at the following dances in advance:
- "The Cupid Shuffle"
- "Teach Me How to Dougie"
- Soulja Boy's "Crank That"
- "The Macarena"
- "The Electric Slide"
- Even if you know the basics of Latin dances, you can easily impress anyone.^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Hebert Aguilar
  Professional Dancer & Choreographer
  Expert Interview. 25 October 2021.}

Expert Q&A

Question

What kinds of dance do you do at prom?

Hebert Aguilar
Professional Dancer & Choreographer
Herbert Aguilar is a Professional Dancer, Choreographer, and the Director of Timba Heat Dance Company. With more than a decade of experience, he specializes in performing and teaching dance styles such as Cuban Salsa, Hip-Hop, and Acrobatics. Hebert has performed at a variety of venues and locations including San Francisco, Washington, Hawaii, and Miami.

Hebert Aguilar

Professional Dancer & Choreographer

Expert Answer

Doing some easy latin dances such as Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, or Argentine Tango is the way to go. Latin dance has always been an extremely popular dance to do with a partner or even solo.
Question

Which dance is most important, the first or the last?

Community Answer

The last! The last dance should be spent with the person you want to remember the end of your prom with.
Question

How do I avoid making an idiot of myself at a dance?

Hissaloto

Community Answer

Just go with the flow! You don't have to make a big deal about it and do crazy dance moves. Just move to the music, and do what the people around you are doing.