|  A question has been surfacing at the studio, in many different forms. How do we use what we’ve learned out there, in the real world? At a wedding, my office holiday party, in a bar, at a concert?
Dancing in the wild will feel different than at the studio. Flooring and shoes make a big difference. The music won't be selected with your dance-needs in mind. Your teacher is not there to help you figure out which dance to do. There’s no space, or too much space and people can see you. People ... you ... know.
Don't freak out. We've been there. We've done that and had those same thoughts. We danced anyway and you can too.
Here are the top tips from some of the teachers at Sapphire for those times when you find yourself at a festive occasion with space to dance and some enticing tunes. We can help you make the transition from the safe studio to the real world. It's not so scary once you've done it. And it gets easier every time.
 Liz's Tips
When Liz travels, she dances. She’ll find a local Shag club, USA Dance Chapter, or Country bar and pop in for fun. Sometimes, she just stands up and dances between the tables at a restaurant. It’s awesome. Liz has this advice for you:
I use the try it before you buy it approach. Try a few steps of a possible dance style. Does it match the character and the tempo? Do you like the way it feels with music? If no, then try another style. If yes, just keep grooving. This is one of the reasons you might want to learn a few dances styles rather than sticking to one or two.
My next advice is to remember you’re there to have fun, too. You have just impressed your coworkers at the holiday party with your smooth moves. You may be asked to demonstrate with all eyes upon you. Or to teach them how to do the thing you did. If you are comfortable with being the center of attention, say yes. But if not, a polite “thank you for the compliment but no thank you” is completely OK. I am giving you permission to say no. You have put in time and money to learn this skill. It's yours to share or not.
 Zach's Tips
Zach tries to dance several nights a week, both in his role as an officer for Ballroom Dance @ Virginia Tech and at any social dancing he can find. Zach has this to say about dancing in the wild:
Start slow. Don’t use your hardest moves right away, but build up to them. Really, this is good advice for any leader in any situation, but especially when dancing in the real world where the floor might not be what you’re used to and maybe you just met your partner.
I also feel like you should always ask before you dip. If you go dancing anywhere you might end up dancing with someone you don’t know, good for you! But also, remember that different people have different comfort levels with dancing and especially with dips. As a follower being dipped, you have to give up a lot of control of your body and that takes a lot of trust. Leaders can earn that trust by not pushing the issue. Ask before you lead a dip.
 Brittany's Tips
Brittany is our Beginning Line Dance Teacher. She dances frequently with friends in Roanoke or when she visits her family near Chesterfield. Of all of us, she probably dances outside the studio the most.
When line dancing, watch for the basic steps to decipher the "fancy dance" from the one you might already know. If you can separate the extra spins from the basics moves, you’ll have a much easier time figuring out what’s really going on and picking up the moves.
There are no line dancing police. Unless you actually run into someone, you are the only one who knows when you mess up. Dance through it, smile, laugh, and no one will know. Don’t worry about getting it right - make each dance your own and have fun!
Also, there is no “back of the room.” If you want to be sure to have someone to watch, plant yourself in the middle, so that when you face a new wall you don’t suddenly find yourself in the front of the group.
 Debbi's Tips
Debbi is Sapphire’s senior instructor, and so she dabbles in all the dance styles. She agrees with what all the other teachers said, but also adds a few more thoughts:
Let your instructor know if you’re going to an event so that we can help you prepare. I know it makes it sound like studying for a test, but I promise that it’s part of the fun. If you’re going to a wedding and you’ve been learning to Hustle, we can write down the names of a few of your favorite Hustle songs. We can hook you up with Line Dance step sheets so that you don’t have to remember all the steps all the time.
And we can even teach you to dance to “the wrong music.” Let’s say you’ve learned to Swing and Rumba, but not all the music at anyevent will fall neatly into one of those two categories. We’ll play some Cha Cha or Shag music and let you practice Rumba to it. We can show you how to modify the Swing you  already know so that it will work to really slow music or really fast music.
Once you'’re there, it’s ok to sit one out. If you’re just not feeling the song, take a break. I always sit down during “Apache” by the Sugar Hill Gang because I enjoy watching people (especially my friends) dance to it more than I enjoy dancing to it myself. And I need to sit sometime.
Just one more thing to remember. You are awesome. Your dancing may not be perfect, but it will be wonderful. And, as long as you are having fun and no one gets hurt, it will be a success. So, go ahead and Salsa, Hustle, and Rumba your way through that office party. It's way better than sitting.
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Salsa - Let's take winter for a Spin 