Do you want to know how to throw the dance party of the year that people will use as a measuring stick for all future parties to come? Well, it’s really not that hard to do—it just takes a little foresight, a lot of planning and the right equipment. In this quick and easy guide to throwing the perfect dance floor party, we’ll get all of your planning basics covered so that come the day of the party, you can kick your heels up and enjoy the shindig alongside the rest of your ecstatic friends.
Planning is Everything—Getting the Theme
The first step you’ll want to take in the planning stage of your killer dance party is to pick a theme. This sets the entire tone for your party and will dictate everything from the music you choose to the food your serve to the type of dance floor you pick out. Themes for great dance parties typically work around a concept that ties in music and clothing well. For instance, the disco era has a very specific style and sound, as does something like a Pulp Fiction themed party.
If you’re having a hard time coming up with a theme, consider your guests. Are they mostly older people? Then why not throw a sock hop theme or The Rockin’ 50s? A younger crowd? How about a One Direction themed dance party or your child’s favorite book? The bottom line is that the theme should be age- and crowd-appropriate. Thinking about your audience will help you understand how to speak to them through your theme.
With your theme in place, come up with a music soundtrack that reflects the theme. A beach party could have tons of surfing music or a Caribbean party could be focused on reggae or calypso. Go with digital sound, making your own mixes. Try to have a few in case one isn’t working and throw all of your “bangers” into one section where you can easily find them in case the party needs to get “turnt up” in a heartbeat. You can also begin to plan your food menu (if you’re having one) by naming some of your dishes after popular songs or sub-genres of your theme. For instance, a Star Trek dance party wouldn’t serve pork and beans, but rather Spock and Beans.
Getting the Word Out
With your theme, set list and menu firmly in place, it’s time to get some butts on the dance floor. Give your guests at least two weeks heads up—a month is idea. Make fliers (they can be digital for upload on social media sites and email blasts) and get them out to the right people. Enlist a few of your friends as party promoters and get them to invite the right people.
Generally speaking, you want to send updates or reminders each week and then two days before the party. The week of the party, give a few phone calls to your friends and remind them—have your promoters do the same. Remember, the more you promote your dance party, the more hype there will be around it. Create a Facebook Event, send out some Evites. Get the buzz going because you can’t have a live party jump-off without the people!
Setting the Atmosphere
Finally, it’s important to set the right tone for your party. A lot of this will depend on your theme, but there are a few essentials you’ll need at every good dance party setup:
- Good lighting
- The right dance floor
- A good sound system
- The right furniture
If you don’t have lights and sound systems, check with your friends, local rental stores or even a roller rink (some do rentals). You can also hire a party company to bring in the equipment for you (most of these include DJ’s so that’s convenient as well). Decorations will work around your theme, but make sure that there are some outside as well—the last thing you want people to do is not be able to find the party!
Finally, for a real killer dance floor party, you’re going to need to rent a dance floor. This gives the party a more “official” feel, plus allows you to provide a safe place for people to bust a move without busting their butts. Dance floors come in many different varieties so you can have a plain hardwood dance floor, a checkerboard dance floor or even a light-up dance floor that displays electronic images! You’ll also be able to choose from outdoor dance floors and indoor dance floors.
Of course, dance floor rentals are probably the most tricky item to find if you don’t know a good company. Find a reliable dance floor hire company that won’t break your bank. Then, simply let the rhythm move you and enjoy your party!
Image courtesy of supakitmod/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Author Bio – This guest article is written by David Biggers working for UK Events, one of the largest starlit dance floor hire companies in the country. Looking for stage hire, starlit dance floor hire etc for your favorite occasion? Look no further than UK events.