We’ve all been there. You’re at a party just having a good time with your friends, when a guy (not to leave you out boys, it could be a girl too!) comes over to you wanting to dance. You may have a boyfriend, or you may just not be feeling it; either way, in that split second millions of thoughts race to your head on what to say without being rude. Now, I know there are some of us out there who are fierce and blunt, thus not really caring about the end result of their words. If you’re like me though, you really don’t want to hurt their feelings. Here are some tips on how to escape this “awk” situation without being too much of an ice queen.
1) The “I have a boyfriend” excuse.
Even if you don’t have one, it’s a pretty valid excuse to use. Whether you actually do have a boyfriend or you just don’t feel like dancing with a guy, this excuse is an easy way to let someone down gently without straight up saying “I don’t want to dance with you.” Just make sure that if you use this excuse, the guy won’t be seeing you dancing with someone else later on in the night—it’ll be pretty obvious that you lied!
2) Grab one of your friends for the classic bathroom or refill trip.
Now, this one is definitely effective. I mean, who actually would have the right to question if you really need to go to the bathroom or get a drink? If you want it to be less obvious, maybe dance for a minute or two, and then ask your friend nearby or shoot her a text to come swoop in and ask you to go with her! You can also save the trouble of any dance and say it immediately. Heads up: using the bathroom or refill excuse is not useful for the whole night—when you come back, you’ll have to avoid the person for the rest of the night.
3) “I just feel like dancing with my friends tonight.”
Hey, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to just jam out with your friends at a party. Sometimes you just want to dance like a crazy weirdo, and not have to dance with someone of the opposite sex in that gross college-party typical dance style. Some college kids go to parties specifically to find someone to dance with or to hook up with; but there’s nothing wrong with just wanting a fun and carefree night out with your girlfriends! This excuse seems to be the most truthful of them all—it shows you’re not just trying to run away to get a drink or go to the bathroom.
4) Just dance with them!
Dancing at a party is really harmless. Just by saying yes to dance with someone doesn’t mean you’re signing your life away to them, or that you need to stay with them for the rest of the night. You’re not expected to kiss them, or do anything you don’t want to—it’s just dancing! It could end up being fun. Dancing for five minutes of the party will not mess up your night, and it’ll make the person happy! Dancing with them is probably the easiest option; you can dance for a couple of minutes, and then when you get away it won’t hurt the person’s feelings.
5) Say no and be done with it!
If you’re actually courageous (unlike me) you’ll just say no despite however the person reacts. You most likely won’t see this person again, so why does it matter what you say? If you don’t want to dance, you don’t have to. It’s truly your decision. If you are good at saying whatever you feel, just tell them you don’t feel like dancing.
With these tips, hopefully you can survive your next party. Whatever the situation, don’t let it stress you out. Most people will usually forget about it in a couple of minutes—or depending on their night, the next morning!