Dork Dancing Hosting Advice — Music

By Michael Brand

The following writing serves as a basic guide for considering, selecting and playing music based on my experience of being a Dork Dancing Host both offline at the beach, and online from home.

These are not rules, they are guidelines that I have developed for myself in order to ensure the music I play during my hosting sessions keeps fellow Dorks engaged, entertained, and coming back for more.

1. Bring your own style. Play what you like.

We, as Hosts, have the privilege of being selected as Hosts because the community believes each of us has something special to contribute to each dance. So, the first important thing to remember is: Each of us has our own taste in music. Don't be afraid to play the music you love.

Having said this, it's also important to be open to experiment with music you don't usually listen to.

2. Play your music, but also play music that people are familiar with

There will be lots of music you want to play that other Dorks have never heard.

Play it.

Dorks like hearing new, interesting music they haven't heard before. Just remember people also tend to feel more comfortable when they hear familiar music they know and love.

This means be careful about playing too much music Dorks might not know.

3. Vary the genres

Personally I love more energetic, electronic music. There's nothing wrong with playing your preferred genre of music but too much if the same genre can cause Dorks to get a bit bored and tired, especially because your Dorks will all have varied tastes in music.

Change up the genres you play, but don’t forget Point #1.

4. Vary the energy

Dancing requires energy. A lot of energy.

Our body and mind still need a rest from time to time.. Try not to play too many energetic songs one after another.

I've found after three high energy songs in a row it helps to play something more relaxed and less intense.

We also need to think of the dance session in its entirety.

This means Dorks and their energy need to warm up and ease into the session. I usually start my sessions with light, easy listening, happy music instead of a fast, energetic, high intensity song.

After about 20 - 30 minutes, that’s usually the time Dorks have warmed up and most people who are going to join will have joined. This is a good time to start playing the most energetic music.

5. Keep songs short

Long songs can kill the mood quickly. There are some great long songs that work well for Dork Dancing but generally it's better to keep the dance session moving with shorter songs. I try to keep all my songs to less than 4 minutes.

Having said this, mashups (lots of songs mixed together in a short time) seem to work really well.

6. Build a go-to library of Dork Dancing Music

I have a main Dork Dancing playlist where every song I ever play is kept. I also create a basic playlist for every dance labelled by date.

This is for two reasons; I always have a library of songs I know and trust to work well. And I can look at each dance session playlist and see how often I've played a song.

7. Song requests

Often Dorks like to request their own songs to be played. In the spirit of Dork Dancing, we encourage expression, inclusion, and new music.

I love it, because it keeps Dorks engaged and part of the dance. But there can be some downsides; it can mess up the flow of your playlist as well as the general vibe and energy. Also, having too many requests can be difficult and overwhelming to manage.

Just do what's comfortable. You're the Host, you can decide.

8. Not everyone will like the songs you play

We all have different tastes in music. No matter what song you play, there will be at least one person who does not like it. That’s OK, our taste in music is what makes us unique.

Even if you play a song and you can see no one is enjoying it, don’t worry about it. You’ll know not to play it next time.

Stick to being yourself, play the music you love, and have fun.