Thanks everyone - you have been helpful. Yes, I am a woman and DH does stand for dear husband (when I'm in a good mood!)

Our dances seem to have at least one snowball waltz and a mixer where you are expected to dance with the last partner you come to for the next dance so those are the main times we dance with people we don't know. We seem to have a very large contingent of singles here (by looking at the number of tables reserved for singles) so they tend to ask each other to dance rather than approaching people in obvious couples. On the pet peeve issue, I once did have one of the single men just sort of nudge me on the shoulder from behind me and ask me if I did quickstep (which I didn't at the time) then sort of shrugged when I said no and moved on. It felt a little high school-ish! Most people seem to mind their manners a little better than that, thank goodness.

I usually say, "Hi, my name is Kevin.", but I don't think that would work as well for you since I doubt that is your name!

I understand that you might be a little insecure about your skills (everyone is), but once you get the basics down why would you make a point of telling someone that you are "just" a beginner? An experienced leader will know your skill level based on how you react to their lead and they should build up slowly to more difficult steps until they reach your level.

Inexperienced leaders won't necessarily be able to tell that you are a relative newcomer to dance, but they might very well have a great dance (for them) with you even if all they do is basics.

Just say hello, smile and have a good time, you don't need to tell people you are a "newbie".

Now go dance!

Kevin

PS. I've seen it before, but I don't know what "DH" stands for. Dear Husband? Please let me know.

Dancing with someone new is always an adventure. If it makes you feel more comfortable telling him you're a beginner then that's what you should do. While I agree with twnkltoz that you shouldn't need to tell the man you're a beginner, there are many of those "inconsiderate" men out there. Or sometimes they see you dancing with a good dancer and just assume you are a good dancer as well.

Blair

Good advice folks, but tourist is a woman!

I don't think you need to tell each new partner that you're a beginner. A good leader can tell your skill level by the way you frame up and move within the first few moments. If he outdances you and tries to lead you into patterns that are too complicated for you to follow, he's either inconsiderate or not paying attention to you...or both. Just do the best you can, smile, relax, and have fun! The more you mix with other people, in class and on the social floor, the easier it will get.

I'm assuming you're talking about social dancing.
I hope it's not too obvious a thing to say, but people who go social dancing in general want to dance with lots of different people. They also realise that they're very unlikely to meet up with a Fred Astaire or Ginger Rodgers.
So - keep the steps simple - just do the basics - don't bump into anyone under ANY circumstances - don't apologise for not being able to lead your social partner into a backward turning lock, and be very pleasant and complimentary to your partner.
If you're a man - the ladies love to dance with a man who knows the basics well.
If you're a lady - the men will have been watching you, and if you're asked to dance, you can be sure that they really want to dance with you.
So - relax and enjoy

Definitely true on all counts Phil!

So - keep the steps simple - just do the basics - don't bump into anyone under ANY circumstances - don't apologise for not being able to lead your social partner into a backward turning lock, and be very pleasant and complimentary to your partner.

Hear Hear!! I've found it best to go with what you know, get confident and once you have that confidence surging in you, start to try a few new things, more times than not, I've found people will appreciate your willingness to try, so long as you don't go so far overboard that you leave them in the dust.

You don't have to apologize for every misstep, uncertain lead and whatever else. Unless your partner is so stuck up and full of themselves, most social dancers are very forgiving and understanding. The thing that works for me is to be able to laugh it off and do it like you mean it. Keep in mind, dancing is supposed to be FUN, you're not defusing a bomb!

A big smile goes a long way with men and women alike, it definitely draws them to you when they can see you're having the time of your life. I'll never forget once, a woman I asked to dance said to me, "I've watched you dance Phil, you really look like your having such a great time out there!" Complimenting your partner really helps too, it builds their confidence so much!

As far as bumping into people, again, apologize and be mindful of others around you. With an energetic dance like EC Swing, it's kind of expected you may bump into someone occasionally. NEVER try to do elaborate competition-level moves that requie an entire empty floor to pull off when others are dancing. This I think is a HUGE pet peeve of many a social dancer (myself included). I can't tell you how many times I've started to have smoke pouring out of my ears when some hot-shot couple starts darting between everyone on the floor, cutting people off at the pass, and I even had this happen once somebody actually darted between myself and my partner (talk about RUDE!!) >

At a swing dance I regularly attend, we do an occasional "Snowball" and it's great fun! Again, the key is a warm manner and big smile!

Hoo Hooooo Hoo Hoooooooo

[This message was edited by Phil Owl on 03-20-03 at 05:48 AM.]