How to Write a Dancing Scene James Matheus Sterling 20 Comments on How to Write a Dancing Scene SHARE THIS SITE WITH YOUR FELLOW WRITERS! Part One See Dancing Scene Sentence Inserts for more Decide what sort of dance you want to write. Will it be a ballroom style dance or pop/rock style dancing? You could always write something like swaying/rocking/stepping in time to the music. »A.Dance is about connection with one’s partner. I. You can make the reader feel like they’re right there watching. If the audience can get a feel for the moment, it will make the scene more memorable. II. Describe that way the character’s bodies are moving… how the crowd is reacting to them. Explain if it was a stiff dance or a loose one. Describe the speed of the dance; compare it to their heart beat. III. You can further paint the scene by describing what they’re wearing. Example 1: The applause of the audience died down as I tried to ignore the stares we received. At last, my partner and I took our places and waited for the soft flow of music to begin. Once it started we took a step forward and bowed. We circled each other, our gaze remained locked. Terrance placed his hand on my back, my hand on his shoulder, and our free hands finally met. Together, we danced to the music, our feet in perfect sync to the beating of my heart. As the song progressed I felt relaxed, and allowed a small smile to form on my lips. He was perfect. Terrance wore a white spotless suit, which matched my dress. His eyes, blue as spring rain, were deep and irresistible. One thing was for sure… I was one lucky girl to receive a partner like him. »B.Merge it into the emotions they’re feeling, while lightly mentioning what step they’re doing. Make it very fluid, smooth; use a lot of the five senses. I. Write how he’s feeling towards/about her, almost as if he is reading her body language. Write how she’s feeling towards him at that very moment. II. Describe the heat that radiates between them, the slick sweat that glides down their skin, how they move in sync, their ragged, short breaths, how each dance move makes them breathless. III. Describe how their bodies nearly touch, how she can feel his hot breath on her cheek, how he towers over her. Example 2: He turned elegantly, his body in tune with the slow music. Yet, there was a sort of harshness to him, like he was someone who shouldn’t be underestimated. I didn’t quite care at the moment. Was it because I was falling in love with a boy I hardly knew? The warmth between us grew more powerful by the second. My heartbeat was growing steadily along with it. Our dance was perfect; everything from our breathing to how our feet moved stayed in sync. If, by the end of this dance my breath is taken away, I would know the exact reason why. ** Part Two The lead… Usually this is the male character. »A.Establish whether he is an expert at dance or an amateur. With a simple touch of a hand, a follow (the lady) can tell much about that lead. I. Maybe the character is a lead that is very insecure and/or trying too hard to please the woman to the point of making the situation worse. Is his touch overly soft or sweaty? II. Is he too tough and harsh, jerking her about the floor? Then that lead thinks highly of himself and his own desires and abilities, not taking his partner into consideration. III. A good lead is soft but not subtle; clearly stating his intentions by moving himself, inviting his partner to follow along. He is alert, eyes scanning the floor ahead of him, watching traffic, but is constantly aware of what is happening right in his arms. He treats his follow with respect, never forcing movement from her, but following her through her every movement. If he leads a step or a pattern and she interprets the movement differently than he had intended, he adapts to her rather than forcing change. The follow should have a sense of security and safety, knowing she can fully depend on the lead. Example 3: Terrance guided me across the dance floor as if we were in a dream. He kept his eyes on me, yet still, he knew exactly where to take me. Every moment, every angle seemed to be planned in advanced. Nothing felt forced; I literally thought I was floating. “Terrance,” I whispered, “everyone is looking at us.” He squeezed my hand slightly and smiled. “Really,” he chuckled softly, “I haven’t notice.” With that, I knew. He need not say more. My heart, my whole being was now his and his alone. ** Part Three The follow… Usually this is the female character. »A.Similarly, a lead can tell much about his follow. I. Is she like dancing with air; difficult to grasp, never knowing her movements or what she will do next? II. Is his partner like a boulder, forcing him to force her? These follows are sluggish and stubborn, second-guessing every attempt at movement. III. An ideal follow puts her mass into her movement, allowing her lead to feel exactly where she is and what she is doing. She adapts quickly to changes in direction, allowing her lead to take command, and trusting him explicitly with her safety and well-being on the dance floor. She savors the movements, taking the time to complete each one before moving on to the next. She embellishes her steps, with a wave of the arm or a toss of the head, but does not interfere with what her partner is leading. She will make things difficult if the lead is not treating her well. She demands respect. Example 4: That was when I decided to let ago. Let my worries, my pain, and sorrow go. Right here, right now I was living. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore; I allowed him to take me anywhere he pleased on this dance floor. He went right, I went right. He sped up, I sped up. We became one with the song, with the dance and with each other. We continue like that until we had to separate, though I was sad to be away from his warmth. When the song ended the audiences’ applause filled our ears. I couldn’t help but smile at him. In that very hour I wondered why I didn’t see it before. Terrance was the one for me. In my eyes, and because of that dance, I can see how perfect he truly is. ** !You might have to scroll down with your mouse! Click For Full Example The applause of the audience died down as I tried to ignore the stares we received. At last, my partner and I took our places and waited for the soft flow of music to begin. Once it started we took a step forward and bowed. We circled each other, our gaze remained locked. Terrance placed his hand on my back, my hand on his shoulder, and our free hands finally met. Together, we danced to the music, our feet in perfect sync to the beating of my heart. As the song progressed I felt relaxed, and allowed a small smile to form on my lips. He was perfect. Terrance wore a white spotless suit, which matched my dress. His eyes, blue as spring rain, were deep and irresistible. One thing was for sure… I was one lucky girl to receive a partner like him. He turned elegantly, his body in tune with the slow music. Yet, there was a sort of harshness to him, like he was someone who shouldn’t be underestimated. I didn’t quite care at the moment. Was it because I was falling in love with a boy I hardly knew? The warmth between us grew more powerful by the second. My heartbeat was growing steadily along with it. Our dance was perfect; everything from our breathing to how our feet moved stayed in sync. If, by the end of this dance my breath is taken away, I would know the exact reason why. Terrance guided me across the dance floor as if we were in a dream. He kept his eyes o me, yet still, he knew exactly where to take me. Every moment, every angle seemed to be planned in advanced. Nothing felt forced; I literally thought I was floating.“Terrance,” I whispered, “everyone is looking at us.”He squeezed my hand slightly and smiled. “Really,” he chuckled softly, “I haven’t notice.”With that , I knew. He need not say more. My heart, my whole being was now his and his alone. That was when I decided to let ago. Let my worries, my pain, and sorrow go. Right here, right now I was living. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore; I allowed him to take me anywhere he pleased on this dance floor. He went right, I went right. He sped up, I sped up. We became one with the song, with the dance and with each other. We continue like that until we had to separate, though I was sad to be away from his warmth. When the song ended the audiences’ applause filled our ears. I couldn’t help but smile at him. In that very hour I wondered why I didn’t see it before. Terrance was the one for me. In my eyes, and because of that dance, I can see how perfect he truly is.
How to Write a Dancing Scene James Matheus Sterling 20 Comments on How to Write a Dancing Scene SHARE THIS SITE WITH YOUR FELLOW WRITERS! Part One See Dancing Scene Sentence Inserts for more Decide what sort of dance you want to write. Will it be a ballroom style dance or pop/rock style dancing? You could always write something like swaying/rocking/stepping in time to the music. »A.Dance is about connection with one’s partner. I. You can make the reader feel like they’re right there watching. If the audience can get a feel for the moment, it will make the scene more memorable. II. Describe that way the character’s bodies are moving… how the crowd is reacting to them. Explain if it was a stiff dance or a loose one. Describe the speed of the dance; compare it to their heart beat. III. You can further paint the scene by describing what they’re wearing. Example 1: The applause of the audience died down as I tried to ignore the stares we received. At last, my partner and I took our places and waited for the soft flow of music to begin. Once it started we took a step forward and bowed. We circled each other, our gaze remained locked. Terrance placed his hand on my back, my hand on his shoulder, and our free hands finally met. Together, we danced to the music, our feet in perfect sync to the beating of my heart. As the song progressed I felt relaxed, and allowed a small smile to form on my lips. He was perfect. Terrance wore a white spotless suit, which matched my dress. His eyes, blue as spring rain, were deep and irresistible. One thing was for sure… I was one lucky girl to receive a partner like him. »B.Merge it into the emotions they’re feeling, while lightly mentioning what step they’re doing. Make it very fluid, smooth; use a lot of the five senses. I. Write how he’s feeling towards/about her, almost as if he is reading her body language. Write how she’s feeling towards him at that very moment. II. Describe the heat that radiates between them, the slick sweat that glides down their skin, how they move in sync, their ragged, short breaths, how each dance move makes them breathless. III. Describe how their bodies nearly touch, how she can feel his hot breath on her cheek, how he towers over her. Example 2: He turned elegantly, his body in tune with the slow music. Yet, there was a sort of harshness to him, like he was someone who shouldn’t be underestimated. I didn’t quite care at the moment. Was it because I was falling in love with a boy I hardly knew? The warmth between us grew more powerful by the second. My heartbeat was growing steadily along with it. Our dance was perfect; everything from our breathing to how our feet moved stayed in sync. If, by the end of this dance my breath is taken away, I would know the exact reason why. ** Part Two The lead… Usually this is the male character. »A.Establish whether he is an expert at dance or an amateur. With a simple touch of a hand, a follow (the lady) can tell much about that lead. I. Maybe the character is a lead that is very insecure and/or trying too hard to please the woman to the point of making the situation worse. Is his touch overly soft or sweaty? II. Is he too tough and harsh, jerking her about the floor? Then that lead thinks highly of himself and his own desires and abilities, not taking his partner into consideration. III. A good lead is soft but not subtle; clearly stating his intentions by moving himself, inviting his partner to follow along. He is alert, eyes scanning the floor ahead of him, watching traffic, but is constantly aware of what is happening right in his arms. He treats his follow with respect, never forcing movement from her, but following her through her every movement. If he leads a step or a pattern and she interprets the movement differently than he had intended, he adapts to her rather than forcing change. The follow should have a sense of security and safety, knowing she can fully depend on the lead. Example 3: Terrance guided me across the dance floor as if we were in a dream. He kept his eyes on me, yet still, he knew exactly where to take me. Every moment, every angle seemed to be planned in advanced. Nothing felt forced; I literally thought I was floating. “Terrance,” I whispered, “everyone is looking at us.” He squeezed my hand slightly and smiled. “Really,” he chuckled softly, “I haven’t notice.” With that, I knew. He need not say more. My heart, my whole being was now his and his alone. ** Part Three The follow… Usually this is the female character. »A.Similarly, a lead can tell much about his follow. I. Is she like dancing with air; difficult to grasp, never knowing her movements or what she will do next? II. Is his partner like a boulder, forcing him to force her? These follows are sluggish and stubborn, second-guessing every attempt at movement. III. An ideal follow puts her mass into her movement, allowing her lead to feel exactly where she is and what she is doing. She adapts quickly to changes in direction, allowing her lead to take command, and trusting him explicitly with her safety and well-being on the dance floor. She savors the movements, taking the time to complete each one before moving on to the next. She embellishes her steps, with a wave of the arm or a toss of the head, but does not interfere with what her partner is leading. She will make things difficult if the lead is not treating her well. She demands respect. Example 4: That was when I decided to let ago. Let my worries, my pain, and sorrow go. Right here, right now I was living. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore; I allowed him to take me anywhere he pleased on this dance floor. He went right, I went right. He sped up, I sped up. We became one with the song, with the dance and with each other. We continue like that until we had to separate, though I was sad to be away from his warmth. When the song ended the audiences’ applause filled our ears. I couldn’t help but smile at him. In that very hour I wondered why I didn’t see it before. Terrance was the one for me. In my eyes, and because of that dance, I can see how perfect he truly is. ** !You might have to scroll down with your mouse! Click For Full Example The applause of the audience died down as I tried to ignore the stares we received. At last, my partner and I took our places and waited for the soft flow of music to begin. Once it started we took a step forward and bowed. We circled each other, our gaze remained locked. Terrance placed his hand on my back, my hand on his shoulder, and our free hands finally met. Together, we danced to the music, our feet in perfect sync to the beating of my heart. As the song progressed I felt relaxed, and allowed a small smile to form on my lips. He was perfect. Terrance wore a white spotless suit, which matched my dress. His eyes, blue as spring rain, were deep and irresistible. One thing was for sure… I was one lucky girl to receive a partner like him. He turned elegantly, his body in tune with the slow music. Yet, there was a sort of harshness to him, like he was someone who shouldn’t be underestimated. I didn’t quite care at the moment. Was it because I was falling in love with a boy I hardly knew? The warmth between us grew more powerful by the second. My heartbeat was growing steadily along with it. Our dance was perfect; everything from our breathing to how our feet moved stayed in sync. If, by the end of this dance my breath is taken away, I would know the exact reason why. Terrance guided me across the dance floor as if we were in a dream. He kept his eyes o me, yet still, he knew exactly where to take me. Every moment, every angle seemed to be planned in advanced. Nothing felt forced; I literally thought I was floating.“Terrance,” I whispered, “everyone is looking at us.”He squeezed my hand slightly and smiled. “Really,” he chuckled softly, “I haven’t notice.”With that , I knew. He need not say more. My heart, my whole being was now his and his alone. That was when I decided to let ago. Let my worries, my pain, and sorrow go. Right here, right now I was living. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore; I allowed him to take me anywhere he pleased on this dance floor. He went right, I went right. He sped up, I sped up. We became one with the song, with the dance and with each other. We continue like that until we had to separate, though I was sad to be away from his warmth. When the song ended the audiences’ applause filled our ears. I couldn’t help but smile at him. In that very hour I wondered why I didn’t see it before. Terrance was the one for me. In my eyes, and because of that dance, I can see how perfect he truly is.
