Don't be shy! Our group is very friendly if you give us a chance. Always feel free to ask questions about the dances, the music, the steps, etc. Most dancers are happy to help!

Can I do this one?
Before joining in a dance you are unfamiliar with, ask another dancer whether it's fast or slow, easy or advanced. Many of the easy dances can be tried in the main line or circle. If a dance gets fast or has many changes of direction it can create confusion if inexperienced dancers don't know what to expect. Some of the more involved dances should only be attempted from "behind the line" until you know it well. This means to position yourself a few feet behind somebody who knows the dance, whose feet are easy to see. If you are unsure if you know or can do the dance, be considerate and dance behind the line.

Where should I get in?
The line of direction of a dance is generally to the right with the leader at the right end of the line, so join the dance at the left end.  Watch out, though, some dances, especially French, move and lead from the left, and some dances are done in short lines of just three or four people. If it is a circle dance, join in anywhere. It's a good idea to be one or two people to the left of somebody with visible legs who knows the dance. This makes it easy to watch and learn. You can count on the leader to know the dance well, but sometimes the leader does fancy moves that nobody else in line does, so you might need to watch the person next to the leader. Avoid looking at the people on the other side of the circle; they won't make good mirror models. Sometimes inexperienced dancers end up clustered at the far end of the line from the leader, halfway around the curve. You won't bother anybody there, but it's harder to find a good model to follow.

How should I hold hands?
The most common hand hold is right hand palm up, left hand palm down. Arms are most often loosely dangling, moving with the music or up in a "W" (bent at the elbows.) When holding hands in the "W" hold, it is very important to hold your own arms up. Be aware of where your arms are in relation to your neighbors, and try not to push or pull down on the arms of others. It can happen very easily when one is concentrating on learning steps, but can be very uncomfortable for others around you. Similarly, if a dance has arms down, be sure to relax your arms. If a dance has a lot of swinging arms with odd rhythms, focus on your feet, and let your neighbors swing your arms until you learn the whole dance. If the dance has a pinkie hold, always be very gentle. It is not necessary to actually wrap your pinkie around you neighbor's, but instead just loosely hook them together. Also, be careful of rings!

One hold that looks complicated, but isn't really, is the "basket" hold. Hold your hands out from your sides, and grasp the hands of the people just beyond your immediate neighbors. When you look at a line of people in the basket hold, it may appear that each individual's arms are crossed, but this is an illusion- everyone's arms are out, open.

In a few dances, you don't hold hands, you hold shoulders or belts. For the belt hold, grab your neighbor's belt right in front, not on the side (if you don't have a belt, there is a box with loaners). When holding shoulders, grab high, not down on the arms, and grip very lightly- really, just lay your hands on top of your neighbors' shoulders. It helps if your height is near theirs.

Sometimes the line gets crowded. Just step back, towards the outside of the curve, and the line will open up. Conversely, if the line is getting stretched out, move towards the center. Also, if the line gets too stretched out (happens more with shoulder-hold dances), stick with the person ahead of you, and let the person behind go. That way, if the line breaks, you are not stuck out in front by accident.

Do I need to bring a partner?
No. We usually have about the same number of men and women show up to dance. It is acceptable for anyone to ask the opposite sex to dance. Plus, when it comes to partner dancing, anything goes; don't be surprised if a woman asks a woman to dance. In our group many women will dance the "male" part. We're not too picky about which gender does which steps. Men are welcome in the women's line dances, and women are welcome to dance in the men's lines.