There are plenty of times that I’ll find myself at DNA Lounge, or Halcyon and friends of mine will ask me “What is raving dancing?” Frankly, it’s anything that you want it to be – but understandably, if you are going into a rave for the first time and you see people moving and flowing effortlessly doing different moves that you didn’t know that your body could do, you may be interested in exactly how they do it.
In this post we will answer all of your questions regarding raving dancing. We will answer questions like what types of raving dancing there is, why is dancing at raves fun, and most important: why do people at raves dance by themselves?
By the end of this post, you should have a good understanding of what is going on in the dance floor so that you can make the right choices when you are looking to vibe, dance and feel all of the feelings between one another in one of the most positive atmospheres on earth.
What is raving dancing?
Raving dancing is a lot of things to a lot of people. Some will call it a vibe, some will call it energy flow. The way that many think of it is to take the energy that comes from the collective [the music, the positive energy from people, the positive energy from the DJ and allow it to take over you.
The way this manifests typically is in a form of dance. There are many types of dance forms, though many typically like to freestyle at raves. Other forms are juking, tutting, pop-locking, shuffling and/or playing with accessories.
What is freestyling and how do you do it?
I had a friend of mine ask me why I dance so well and how often that I practice. Frankly, I do not practice. The advice that I gave him because it has been a long time coming is first: shift the way that you think about yourself and your ability to dance.
What does that mean? Understanding that you are a human, and that humans are born with an innate sense of rhythm will allow you to simply know that you have the ability to dance. The second that you think that you can’t dance, you are correct.
Starting there with the knowledge that you do in fact have some form of rhythm will help you with a simple two step – or just wiggling your hips and allowing it to flow.
When you see others doing complex dance moves, this is because they have spent years practicing. The thing is, to be able to have the same amount of fun as them all you have to do is understand how to move to the beat in a simple fashion.
This means allow yourself to be uncomfortable for a moment, get on the dancefloor and move your hips and arms with the beat of the music: and most important, stop thinking. You will see something fun manifest from the body.
What types of raving dancing is there?
There are many types of raving dancing. My favorite is freestyling, which is essentially going with the flow. On top of that, there is truffle shuffling, pop locking, juking and tutting. Some of the most unique dance moves we have seen come from freestyling because it simply is your own energy mixing with the positive energy of others’. Truffle shuffling is very popular here in the bay area, and pop locking we always enjoyed when we lived on the east coast and were in warehouses, skate rinks and any other venue a promoter thought they could put a rave in [parking garages, hotel suites etc.]
Why is it fun to go raving dancing?
Raving dancing is fun because you are really flowing with your body. You can play and even use fun rave accessories like masks. You spend your entire day thinking. Don’t you wonder what it’s like to actually not think for a moment? Unless you are into a form of meditation (which is highly recommended to begin) you may find yourself finding it difficult to get into this mindset.
The thing is, once you are in this mindset, you find that it is a high in itself because you are become who you are.
Why do people at raves dance alone?
There are many choices of what you want to do and how you want to dance. The thing is at raves, there are some that enjoy dancing in groups, and there are some dancing individually. When you are dancing individually, it is great because you feel that you are part of the collective, while still being able to find your own flow and do the things you feel you ought to do.
The community fully allows for collective individualism.
Conclusion
What is raving dancing? Raving dancing is many forms of dancing where you are allowing your body to move and flow with the beat of the music. Whether it be trance, hardstep, bass, and more, your body will find that it moves in many different ways to allow for the body and the mind to be happy with itself.
Juliet Norelli has been a part of the rave community for 10 years. She shares her knowledge through writing to give helpful tips and advice to all ravers.
