RESSOURCES 

DANCER'S GUIDE

DJ'S BEST PRACTICE

DANCER'S GUIDE

 

Do and Don'ts on the dance floor

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

☐ Provide a continuous stream of music respecting the beacons given by the organizer of the evening; ☐ Adapt to the particularities of the evening (thematic [however, avoid putting 100% thematic songs in an evening, which may displease the dancers], strong presence of new dancers, presence of experienced dancers, etc.); ☐ Appropriate the following professional qualities: punctuality, adequate preparation, openness and listening to the needs and requests of the dancers (while keeping their final veto, if the requests are not appropriate for a WCS evening); ☐ Make sure to prepare your equipment, both physical (computer, son if necessary, headphones, etc.) and virtual (appropriate software, updates made, access to the Internet, etc.) Always provide a plan B, at where); ☐ Demonstrate good adaptability to imponderables during the evening; ☐ Collaborate effectively with other DJs of the evening, if there are any, to prevent duplicates or wobbly transitions as much as possible.



GUIDELINES

☐ Music speed (slow = 90 bpm and less, average = 90-110 bpm, fast = 110 bpm and more) depending on the evening, making sure to offer a variety and always limiting fast music, especially in the early evening (slow music and constant rhythm); ☐ Variety of styles (Pop, RnB, Blues, Soul, Electro, Acoustic, Hip-Hop, Country, Trip Hop, Zouk [without abusing if it's a 100% WCS party]), a priority for about 50% of music heard in competition and WCS events; ☐ Transitions between different speeds (frame a fast track of slower songs) and different styles; ☐ "Clean" songs: avoid long introductions, advertisements, artists' messages at the end of the songs, or so-called "explicit" tracks as much as possible (to be avoided completely in large-scale events); ☐ Songs you own the rights to (purchased, or via streaming: Spotify or Apple Music); ☐ Balance between the songs of female and male artists;



FRENCH

2- SPECIAL ATTENTION TO HYGIENE

Dance necessarily implies proximity to the other. For the experience to be enjoyable for everyone, the following elements should not be overlooked: ★ To have showered beforehand and to be dressed in clean clothes is imperative; ★ Use deodorant or antiperspirant and plan to bring it with you; ★ Brushing your teeth should be part of your good habits before the dance; ★ If you sweat profusely, plan for extra sweaters and avoid sleeveless sweaters; ★ If you scent, do it moderately; ★ If you have long hair, make sure you put it back up to avoid whipping your partner's face.



3- A RESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR

The dance floor is a microcosm of our society, where many people realize and value themselves. Respect is always there. Some situations may be delicate: here are some points that require tact and civility. ★ A touch label: permission to touch your partner is limited to the duration of the dance and is restricted to the following connection points: hands, arms, shoulders, back, size and on some occasions, knees; ★ Know how to decline a dance: if the reason is that you have already been asked or that you have need a break, come back for this person later. If you do not wish just do not dance with this person, say politely "no, thank you" with a smile; ★ In class, do not talk at the same time as your teachers, and ask for their help if you think your partner is making a mistake (do not blame the other openly).



1- A HAPPY AND INCLUSIVE ATTITUDE

The dance has a diversified clientele, which participates for various reasons and pursues various objectives, but which is joined on one point: the pleasure of dancing. ★ Ask others to dance, do not just wait; ★ Smile: a smile can make a big difference to the person who receives it; ★ During social dancing, dance: never "teach" or correct your partner; ★ Unless explicitly requested, do not offer feedback: it could be badly received; ★ Dance with everyone, from beginners to advanced, because we are all present to have fun and progress; ★ Focus your energy on the people you can dance with, not on those who refuse you a dance: you will not sit long!



4- SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

We all have our part to play in what results in a "good" or "bad" dance. Our attitude in this regard can make a big difference for you and for the other person. ★ Learning to dance is never static. That's why we encourage you to advance your abilities as a dancer by registering for courses and workshops offered by the community; ★ Use softness: social dancing is never about pulling or pushing with your arms, whether you're a leader or follower; ★ Be aware of your space to avoid collisions; ★ When you're not dancing, stand back, around the room; ★ If your partner gets hurt, stop dancing and stay together to take care of the injury.



5- WHAT VISION ADOPTS WESTIE MONTRÉAL IN THIS DISCUSSION?

WE ENCOURAGE: ★ The pleasure through the dance; ★ Diversity and the welcome of all; ★ The promotion of WCS in Montreal; ★ The participation of all for the growth of our community. WE DO NOT TOLERATE: ★ No form of harassment or violence, especially any sexual violence; ★ No form of discrimination. WE ARE COMMITTED TO: ★ Provide a safe and fun environment where everyone can learn, make meetings and express their creativity; ★ Offer a listening space for any complaint, and if necessary, take steps to remedy it.



 

ENGLISH

DJ'S BEST PRACTICES

For future djs

RÔLE ET RESPONSABILITÉS

☐ Fournir un flot de musique continue en respectant les balises données par l’organisateur(trice) de la soirée ; ☐ S’adapter aux particularités de la soirée (thématique [toutefois, éviter de mettre des chansons 100% thématiques dans une soirée, ce qui peut déplaire aux danseurs], forte présence de nouveaux danseurs, présence de danseurs expérimentés, etc.) ; ☐ S’approprier les qualités professionnelles suivantes : ponctualité, préparation adéquate, ouverture et écoute face aux besoins et aux requêtes des danseurs (tout en gardant son veto final, si les demandes ne sont pas appropriées pour une soirée de WCS) ; ☐ S’assurer de bien préparer son matériel, tant physique (ordinateur, fils si besoin est, écouteurs, etc.) que virtuelle (logiciels adéquats, mises à jour effectuées, accès à Internet, etc.) Toujours prévoir un plan B, au cas où) ; ☐ Démontrer une bonne capacité d’adaptation en fonction des impondérables durant la soirée ; ☐ Collaborer efficacement avec les autres DJ de la soirée, s’il y en a, afin de prévenir autant que possible les doublons ou les transitions bancales.



LIGNES DIRECTRICES

☐ Vitesse de la musique (lent = 90 bpm et moins, moyen = 90-110 bpm, rapide = 110 bpm et plus) selon la soirée, en s’assurant d’offrir une variété et en limitant en tout temps la musique rapide, surtout en début de soirée (musique lente et rythme constant) ; ☐ Variété des styles (Pop, RnB, Blues, Soul, Électro, Acoustique, Hip-Hop, Country, Trip Hop, Zouk [sans en abuser s’il s’agit d’une soirée 100% WCS]), priorité pour environ 50% de musiques entendues en compétition et en événements de WCS ; ☐ Transitions entre les différentes vitesses (encadrer une piste rapide de chansons plus lentes) et les différents styles ;
☐ Chansons dites « propres » : éviter les longues introductions, les publicités, les messages des artistes à la fin des chansons, ou les pistes dites « explicites » autant que faire se peut (à éviter complètement dans les événements de grande envergure) ;
☐ Chansons dont vous détenez les droits (achetées, ou via streaming : Spotify ou Apple Music) ;
☐ Balance entre les chansons d’artistes féminins et masculins ;
☐ Alternance des rythmes et des niveaux de popularité afin de créer une polarité musicale qui permettra de satisfaire aux goûts de tous ;
☐ Gestion efficace de la nouveauté (les chansons récentes et peu connues devraient être
entrecoupées de pistes davantage connues et maîtrisées par les danseurs, et il en va de même pour les succès souvenirs d’il y a plusieurs années).
N’oubliez pas : nous avons chacun notre style, mais les danseurs sont notre priorité!
Nous voulons les faire danser et les garder sur la piste de danse! ☺



FRENCH

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

☐ Provide a continuous stream of music respecting the beacons given by the organizer of the evening; ☐ Adapt to the particularities of the evening (thematic [however, avoid putting 100% thematic songs in an evening, which may displease the dancers], strong presence of new dancers, presence of experienced dancers, etc.); ☐ Appropriate the following professional qualities: punctuality, adequate preparation, openness and listening to the needs and requests of the dancers (while keeping their final veto, if the requests are not appropriate for a WCS evening); ☐ Make sure to prepare your equipment, both physical (computer, son if necessary, headphones, etc.) and virtual (appropriate software, updates made, access to the Internet, etc.) Always provide a plan B, at where); ☐ Demonstrate good adaptability to imponderables during the evening; ☐ Collaborate effectively with other DJs of the evening, if there are any, to prevent duplicates or wobbly transitions as much as possible.



GUIDELINES

☐ Music speed (slow = 90 bpm and less, average = 90-110 bpm, fast = 110 bpm and more) depending on the evening, making sure to offer a variety and always limiting fast music, especially in the early evening (slow music and constant rhythm); ☐ Variety of styles (Pop, RnB, Blues, Soul, Electro, Acoustic, Hip-Hop, Country, Trip Hop, Zouk [without abusing if it's a 100% WCS party]), a priority for about 50% of music heard in competition and WCS events; ☐ Transitions between different speeds (frame a fast track of slower songs) and different styles; ☐ "Clean" songs: avoid long introductions, advertisements, artists' messages at the end of the songs, or so-called "explicit" tracks as much as possible (to be avoided completely in large-scale events); ☐ Songs you own the rights to (purchased, or via streaming: Spotify or Apple Music); ☐ Balance between the songs of female and male artists;



ENGLISH