Dance Emo

Emo is all about expressing yourself by using the music as your guide. It’s a spontaneous, active and expressive mode of dancing. You can’t do it wrong. Let the energy flow through your body, and express itself outwardly. Your movements, whether they be spastic and jerky or right in tune with the tempo are all included and welcome in the realm of emo dancing.

Steps

Freestyling

1. Express yourself. Emo, which is short for “emotional” is considered a lifestyle and way of dress. It stems from emo music, a less angry version of punk rock music with emotional lyrics. Makers and listeners of this type of music use it to express their feelings. Lyrics usually convey non-metaphorical messages about happiness, sadness, depression, death, anger and despair.
   • Lovers of emo music maintain that it is difficult to define because it’s ambiguous. Popular “emo-esque” bands such as the Sex Pistols use heavy punk chords, while emo bands such as the Cure, have more melodic elements. Emo bands run the gamut with the common element being an expression of pure raw emotion. Sometimes emotions are expressed with gut-wrenching screams, yelling, crying and even sobbing. There is a bit of confusion about exactly what is classified as emo. Music with lyrics that discuss crying because of despair are labeled emo. Metaphoric lyrics and lyrics that leave the listener wondering exactly what is being expressed are not considered emo. Emo music expresses feelings straightforwardly and sometimes explicitly. Often, the lyrics are confessional. Some popular emo bands include Fugazi, Texas Is the Reason, Suicidal Tendencies, Cat Power, Further Seems Forever, The Promise Ring, Benton Falls and Army of Ponch.
   • Emo bands often can be heard live. Some bands travel here and there -- usually on a very low budget. As part of the emo culture,commercialism is highly frowned upon. Live “emo shows” are very cheap -- usually around $5 or less. Technology also is somewhat frowned upon. Recordings of emo music tend to be low budget, and copies of the music tend to be analog or sold on outdated media. True to the non-commercialism ideals emo bands sell their music very cheaply around $5 or so, and most bands do not sell t-shirts.
   • Live emo bands often play with their backs to the audience during the slow parts of the song. Then they explode by screaming and jumping around during the faster-paced parts, usually knocking things over as they go. These antics obviously have an affect on the audience as the audience responds in dance.
2. Be spontaneous. The basis of emo is that you can express yourself in whatever way you wish through dance. Really feel the music, and then move in whatever way your body wants. “Freestyling” is spontaneous by nature, so nothing needs to be well-thought out, planned, or choreographed. Just move. If you are having trouble “letting go” so that you can move spontaneously, let the music drive you. In “emo dance” quick jerky shoulder, leg and arm movements are common. So, if your movements seem off-beat or spastic, don’t worry about it.
   • Think about your frustration or angst. Stop for a moment and tune everything out but the music. Think about all you’ve endured and move your body. It’s better if you don’t let your mind get in the way and think too much.
   • You may incorporate some elements of slam dancing and moshing. What most people think of as hard-core violent slam dancing, as its name implies, doesn’t really occur in emo dancing. Some would say that slam dancing shouldn’t be violent at all. Back in the 70s and 80s when it was created, slam dancing was basically jumping around without doing any real dance moves. It was never purposely violent.
   • ”Mosh” in the pit. ”Moshing” is the new term for slam dancing, but it’s actually different. Slam dancing is jumping around. Moshing is dancing and jumping aggressively in a tightly-packed group of people at a live event. Since people are so close together, bumping into other people is inevitable. “Moshing” to emo music is generally less dramatic than at heavy metal and traditional punk rock concerts.
3. Repeat movements. Once you started dancing, repeat the movements. It’s not necessary to switch dance steps or movements. Freestyling is often awkward and repetitive. As you begin to feel the music and move, if you find yourself rocking back-and-forth or jumping on your toes -- common “emo dance” movements -- keep going. Think of your movements as an expression of your feelings. It’s kind of the way that a child might scribble on a page without staying in the lines -- back and forth. The back-and-forth movements are an expression of the child’s energy and emotions whether sad or happy. For you, your entire body is a tool to create those gestural, often rapid repetitive movements that are generated by emotion. These movements should be carefree, expressive and intense. So, keep doing it until you feel like doing something else.
   • Point your index fingers. Emo dancing often involves finger pointing -- both at yourself and others.
   • Don’t feel that you have to limit yourself to standing up or any other position. Since this is freestyle, anything goes -- even laying on the ground and shaking.
4. Move faster. Dance harder. In emo, the more you feel the music, the faster you should be moving and the harder your movements should be. So, if you’re feeling it, let those emotions transmit through the body. Bob your head faster on beat with the music -- or not. Bounce higher on your toes as the music moves you. Throw your elbows.

Doing the Emo Trembler

1. Clasp your hands together. Either you can interlock your fingers together or you can clasp them together by forming the fingers in each hand into a claw shape and then cupping them together. Traditionally, this described as a hand gesture that people make when they are nervous or anxious.
2. Lean forward and bounce on the balls of your feet. You don’t need to bounce in any particular way. Just shift your weight to the balls of your feet and bounce up and down. Do this the same way that you would tap your knee or foot when you like a certain music and your body seems to automatically respond. Same here: bounce.
   • Remember that you should be feeling the music and moving in a carefree manner as you move in true emo fashion.
3. Move your torso up and down. If you have already leaned forward, move your torso back. Then, move it forward again, and continue to repeat this motion. The movement should be done energetically and intensely -- not without emotion or feeling. Some people appear to rocking back-and-forth almost violently when they do this.

Doing the Chest Tap

1. Start to bounce to the music. Bend your knees a bit, but shift your weight to the balls of your feet. Let the energy flow from your feet and explode out as you bounce up and down. In other words, this should be an energetic bounce, not a calm and casual bounce.
2. Bend your elbows so that your arm forms an L-shape. Or, you can bend the arm even closer to the body so that the arms makes the shape of a triangle. Swing your arms with energy and gusto to the beat. This can be in tempo with your bounce, but it can also be off-beat and to its own separate tempo. In other words, the two movements don’t need to be in sync with each other. It can be wild and chaotic.
3. Point your fingers. With your index finger, start to point at yourself or point outwardly away from the body. Repeat the movement. Keep pointing as you bounce and swing your arms. Increase the pace, and point more rapidly and energetically. The more you are feeling the music, the more enthusiastic and quick-paced the pointing should be.

Tips

• Put on music like:
• Hawthorne Heights
• Dashboard Confessional
• Sunny Day Real Estate
• Embrace
• Indian Summer
• Rites of Spring
• Jawbreaker
• Glassjaw
• MCR
• If you bump or slam into other people as you're dancing, that's okay.
• Wild movements like kicking and punching are allowed.
• If you don't know what to do, just jump up and down and fist pump.
• Make sure you do it in the mosh pit, not the crowd.
• When taking a break, don't stand in the barrier or you will get hurt by a mosher.
• If you are a part of the barrier, stick out your fist at moshers and they will move away. As for barrier divers, duck and move out of their way.
• Plan a night out of it.
• Have fun.
• Listen to plenty of Black Veil Brides!!!!

Warnings

• Make sure you have enough room around you or you may hurt yourself
• Your parents may see you doing this and they may laugh at you or even think that you need to see a psychiatrist
• Take off your glasses. They will fall off.
• Go with the music and do whatever feels right for the song.
• Moshing too hard could give you a headache.
• Be yourself. It's most important.
• Watch out for moshers. Generally, they will target you for slam dancing.
• People might steer away from you

Things You'll Need

• Music
• Friends

Related Articles

• Dress Emo (for Girls)
• Make Any Outfit Look Emo
• Get Emo Hair
• Appreciate Emo Music

Sources and Citations

See also

• Dress Emo (for Girls)
• Be Emo
• Make Any Outfit Look Emo
• Be an Emo Girl in Middle School
• Write an Emo Poem
• Be Emo in Middle School
• Know the Difference Between Emo and Scene
• Look Emo
• Be a Darker Toned Emo Girl
• Dress Emo on a Hot Summer Day

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What links here

• Look Emo
• Make Any Outfit Look Emo