9 Ways to be a Better Dance DJ

As an enthusiastic dancer who's been to hundreds of dances in the past 13 years (even with 5 of those years lost to a danceless relationship), there are few things in life that excite me more than a good dance. And I've seen them all - the good and the bad, the exhilarating and the unmentionably ugly. I've seen nearly every theme that's family-friendly, from Country/Western, to Golden Oldies, to Hip-Hop, to Rock & Roll, to Pop. Suffice it to say, I know what both good and bad dances look like.

One thing that has become unmistakably clear in all my years of dancing is that THERE IS MORE TO BEING A DJ THAN SIMPLY APPEASING THE MASSES...

Note to the Reader: For the TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read) version, read the headings under "Formula for Success"

This post is geared toward DJs - particularly ones that frequently get complaints or who rarely get sincere compliments on their work.

A Lesson in Art

If you wanted to learn to paint like Vincent van Gogh, you wouldn't rush to study under Pablo Picasso; you would try to study under van Gogh or one of his protégés.

Music is no different, whether you're looking to create, perform, mix or play it.

"If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results." - Tony Robbins

As an observer, I can only regurgitate what I've seen to work and not work (and that's the purpose of this post). As a DJ (if you are one) it's your privilege - nay, your responsibility - to learn the trade from someone who's successful at it. Otherwise, you're nothing more than a dude with a glorified iPod.

Formula for Success

Ok, here's the part where I really hope my awesome DJ friend will chime in to correct me and add his own input because I am really only reiterating what I've learned from being the cheerful participant of good dances and reluctant victim of bad ones.

1) "Dance" is not the same as "Dance Party."

A dance gives pairs of people a chance to have some 1-on-1 time for connection. A dance party gives a crowd of individuals copious opportunity for self-expression. If people are seldom or never pairing off for a song or two, you've got yourself a dance party.

If your dance is turning into more of a party, try changing things up with a different pace

2) Appease the Masses, but BEWARE!

Indeed, it is necessary for a DJ to appease the masses but it can sometimes be too easy to forget that dancing is about more than just individuals shaking their bodies and having a good time. Large crowds on the dance floor can make it scary or even difficult to change the pace and involve the smaller crowds that have been begging for their chance to shine. And the masses are an insatiable beast that, if overfed, will become a glutton for your attention and cause you to neglect the others who are equally important.

Dancing is a social event and a fun and enjoyable opportunity for people to connect with friends, romantic interests, and friends-to-be. Giving a chance for couples to pair up and dance, even if the numbers are significantly fewer than the mosh pit gathering around the stage, can actually add to the energy in the room by getting some of the wallflowers off the wall and giving the "groove" dancers a a much needed break before coming back full strength! It'll also win you a few kudos and compliments at the end of the night - from smaller groups and masses alike.

3) Variety is the Spice of Life

If you're a DJ and don't know how critical variety is to dances, kindly sell your equipment at the nearest auction and never turn back!

Great DJs play a variety of music, seeking to appeal to the tastes of the masses as well as to those with more focused tastes. If you play more than just radio hits and groove (AKA "bump and grind") music, you're probably off to a good start.

And on the same note, KNOW YOUR MUSIC! There's little more frustrating than trying to make a request for a song and having the DJ give you some kind of face resembling the last time you smelled your sneakers after a lengthy workout.

4) Take Criticism

No, seriously... the best businesses (and DJs) don't become the best by simply doing their own thing. They listen to the honest feedback (good AND bad) from their customers and try to find and implement effective strategies to maximize the experience for as many people as possible.

This doesn't mean seek to make everyone happy - it ain't gonna happen! It simply means don't ignore someone just because they're displeased with your service. If they're unhappy, and they're telling you, they may be giving you valuable feedback that you can't even pay a professional for!

5) Play Music in Sets (As Appropriate)

Playing music in sets of 2-3 songs has its advantages. It's an art in and of itself and, like appeasing the masses, it's far too easy to overdo. Sets allow a sort of fulfilling "cleanse" for those smaller, fanatical groups (salsa dancers, waltzers, swingers, two-steppers, etc) - getting it "out of their system" so they can further enjoy the genres, knowing their hunger has been satisfied. It may also give people another chance to dance their favourite genre if they were unable to do so on the first song of the set.

That being said, many songs fit within multiple genres (Kiss from a Rose, by Seal, for example is a slow song and a Waltz. So is Moon River, by Andy Williams - these two songs could fit into a set of Waltzes, or into sets from their respective eras.).

6) Take Initiative

If you hear others talking about songs they wish were played, or if people request songs that aren't in your collection, WRITE THEM DOWN!!! Don't leave the onus on your audience to follow bureaucratic or red-tape procedures for requesting songs that aren't currently in your repertoire. By taking action, you will improve your music collection (making it possible to be a better DJ) and you will understand your customers better (making you a better DJ).

7) Crunch the Numbers

The average length of a song for a dance is between 3 and 4 minutes - that's 15-20 songs/hour. You CAN appeal to a broad audience without just appealing to the masses. For example: even with just 15 songs/hour, if every hour of a dance, you played:

• 1-2 Swing/Jive-era songs,
• 1-2 Salsa/Latin songs,
• 3-4 Slow songs (including 1 or 2 waltzes),
• 1-2 Two-step songs, and
• 1-2 Other popular songs (The Twist, Hip-Hop, Michael Jackson, Chicken Dance, Limbo, etc)
• 1 Line-dance or group-dance song (including YMCA)
• 3-7 "Filler" songs ("Groove" music)

You would not only have a great variety of music, but you would be able to appeal to the masses as well as win the hearts of the smaller groups that make up a large minority of the crowd.

8) Adjust to the Crowd (Big Picture)

This (along with #2) seems to be one of the few things that most mediocre DJs and DJ wannabes focus on. It is definitely imperative to read your crowd and adjust to it. If you've got 200 people on the floor, and only 5 of them are dancing, then you're just as bad off as the guy in #3 if you don't change quickly!

But, just like any other item on the list, this one tends to be overdone. You don't need to have the floor filled with 90% of the people 100% of the time. Even those who love dancing need breaks and enjoy variety (#3). And it's OK to have a modest-sized group of couples dance to some social or ballroom music every once in a while.

LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE. Perhaps that modest group has been sitting the whole dance, waiting for their time to shine! And they likely all have friends who, instead of sitting and waiting, have given up on dances and stopped coming altogether. Without a doubt, some of those friends would start coming to dances again after two or three times of hearing how good the dances have been!

9) Say "No" to Excessive Techno

News flash: Not everyone likes techno. And not everyone likes pop music turned into techno using tempo-altering software. In terms of dance, Techno is good for the "bump and grind" and very little else. It should also be noted that changing the tempo of many songs can really make it difficult to do more than shake your body to it.

If you're a non-stop kinda DJ and want to match the tempo of your music to give it a nice flow from song to song, DON'T PLAY IT ALL AT THE SAME TEMPO! Adjust the tempo at the end of the song, slowly during the song, or at the beginning of the next song, so that the music plays at or near its intended tempo. This will ensure you still have the songs smoothly connected, but also that your crowd will be able to dance most comfortably to the music they love!

Occasionally, tweaking the tempo for popular songs can make it easier to dance certain styles to them (like swing, for example, which has a very narrow comfortable tempo range). Learning the common and best tempos for different genres can make the difference between being a great DJ and being a DJ wizard!

Conclusion

In this day and age where just about everyone and their dog has access to professional DJ software and equipment, it's hard to sift out the good from the bad. But DJs have the ability to raise their own personal standard of performance to provide better service and a more entertaining dance experience for all. The 8 areas above are things that I've noticed really differentiate the great DJs from the mediocre and bad ones.

If you're a DJ, please take this as an invitation to rise to the challenge and become the best DJ you can be, even if it means asking other DJs about their setlists, and taking notes on what songs are played when during dances and events that you really enjoy.