Every DJ wants to be the hero of the party or gig they perform. Whether it is a club, bar or wedding, the ultimate goal is to entertain the crowd and be proud of it. But hey, things don’t always go the way you want. There are times that audience does not catch the vibe or respond to your efforts by coming on the dance floor. Today, we’re going to discuss about why people wouldn’t dance at a party you DJ and how you can fix it or not.

Let’s identify possible scenarios about a dead-going party and see what we can do about it.

 

Nature Of The Event

 

Not all events you DJ are the same. It can be a corporate event, a sweet sixteen, house party or a wedding. You need to know how people are motivated about it. If it’s a late night event or a bar / club gig which alcohol is served, then you would definitely expect a decent amount of participation on the dance floor. Other than that, people may not really be in the mood of dancing, and that’s normal. No need to force the limits. In fact, there is no rule in DJ business saying people have to dance all the time. The primary purpose is making them have a good time. In such a case, you should select the appropriate tempo and genre in music to go along with the flow.

 

Wrong Music / Genre

 

I always say that DJs have to be aware of the crowd they perform to. What is the average age, demographics, etc. If you play trance to people over 40 or 50, that’s an obvious failure. You need to know who is on the floor. If nobody is dancing, look around and see who is in the room. You see younger crowd, change it to a more uptempo flow or a genre desired by that age group. Let’s say it didn’t work, switch to a different genre. Never stick with the same tempo and music all the time.

 

Right Music / Wrong Timing

 

This is important for a DJ. You definitely have to know what to play when. Just a plain example; You drop a top-10 track in the first hour of the party and people look at you like ” What the hell “. Hit and popular songs suck a lot of energy from the crowd. They need to be played at the right time, especially at the second half of the event, if possible. People like to hear and dance to music they like when they are really in mood. It happens by consuming some alcohol, of course 🙂 Start your party by non-popular but uptempo music and then go into the hot tracks after some time. A real DJ knows when that time comes.

 

Dance Floor Or Not ?

 

Where do you expect people to dance ? Between tables ? Well, if you do a real good job, why not ? You can make that happen 🙂 There generally needs to be a dance floor though, so that they can make all kinds of moves comfortably. If you have that dance floor in front of you and empty, there is a problem and you should look into the other scenarios we’re discussing about. I’ve seen many DJs playing at lounges or bars without a dance floor and still make the crowd dance all night long at the bar or around tables.

 

Lighting In The Room

 

Bright or dark ? That’s the question. More than enough light in an event space may cause a mood change for your crowd and make them not feel like dancing. Some people may even be shy, thinking that others would make fun of them while dancing. Dark is always good for you. Add DJ lights flashing around, even better. Less they are seen by others, more dancing people on the floor.

 

What About You ?

 

A DJ determines how the night goes both by his music and attitude. Are you relaxed, stressed, communicating with the crowd, how are you dressed ? All these count when it comes to a successful DJ gig. You should not isolate yourself from the dance floor and the audience. Hell, you should even dance while you play ! Never forget that you got several eyes on you all the time. They always watch you and your energy fires them up. A DJ has to enjoy it first, before expecting it from his crowd.

 

You may get an empty dance floor from time to time. That’s ok. People don’t always dance and they don’t have to. But never forget this, right music played at the right time is the key to a great DJ gig with a packed floor.

 

 

You May Also Read

 

2017 Best DJ Controllers For Beginner And Pro DJs

What Does A DJ Do On Stage ?

A Guide To Beginners’ Digital DJ Setup

How Can You Make Extra Money As A DJ ?

 

 

 

 

 

Last updated by on .

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This