You may be scratching your heads at this but hear me out.
When was the last time that you were invited to a formal dance party? A party that wasn’t a prom?Chances are that it is either zero or at least one. Unless you are some sort of celebrity and attend Oscar nominations and afterparties, there are few chances that we make special events for dancing.

Why has formal dancing become so extinct in our modern day life? Perhaps the answer to this question is that we have in some ways become social homebodies. Back in the day, it was standard to go to a evening dinner parties that consisted of formal dancing. But these days, we prefer our TV instead of socializing.

Many movies that I love to watch have at least some sort of social dancing in one scene. And from dancing, the two people of interest gain more understanding of each other. In the medieval to early twentieth century, formal dancing was the only means of finding a suitable match. It was the only time that it was appropriate for a man and woman to physically touch each other.

As for me, I had the occasion to rediscover this lost art . On Valentine’s Day, I had the opportunity to go to a Winter Ball. Although I had attended some formal dancing events before, most of them I couldn’t follow along. But this time, I had a blast.. I attended a practice session with my other siblings and that helped tremendously in knowing what to do.. It was just a nice time of fellowship and fun.

And it is a sad event that, formal dancing is becoming more and more rare in our society. How can we revive this lost art of socializing and having fun? Well here is some of my tips to help revive this lost art.

1. Don’t be shy about social formal dancing. The first step in recovering an lost art is not to be afraid of reviving it. If the art means enough to us, we will find ways to revive it.

2. Find ways to incorporate social dancing in a already planned event. The event could be a birthday party or any gathering. It doesn’t have to be ultra fancy and it doesn’t need to have a lot of people to do it. I attended a wedding where even though it was a small reception afterwards, we still did some dancing, and it was quite fun.

3 Be creative and host your own formal social dancing event. Rent a venue that is good for dancing. Hire a professional caller. This is a must as many people do not know how to dance formally. Knowing how to dance shouldn’t be a perquisite to a dancing event.

And remember to have fun. Dancing is a fun. It is a fun activity that sparks conversation and fellowship. It is a much better activity than watching TV, in my opinion.

Let me know in the comments if you have ever attended a formal dancing event.

Have a great week ,

Alyssa