Reading A Dance Floor: The Most Important DJ Skill
DJs require a variety of different skills, many of them technical. However, the most important skill every DJ must possess, regardless of their musical genre, venue, or purpose for DJing. A great DJ needs to have a skill of reading a dance floor and interact with the crowd, not just concentrate on their Dj equipment. They should be able to identify what songs will get people on the dance floor and how to adjust the mood accordingly throughout the night.
The best DJs are constantly looking for clues that could tell them what the crowd is feeling or what they might enjoy coming up. How are your audience's reactions to the tracks? Do they nod their heads? Did they run over to the dance floor? There are a number of clues DJs look for when it comes to analyzing what the audience is enjoying. The greats have a keen sense of body language that they use to their advantage.
We will explore in this article how to read the crowd and give them what they want
Reading the crowd basically means knowing what that crowd wants. When you know exactly what to play, you'll get on the same wavelength as the crowd. With the power of DJing, you will provide them with a great time and leave them wanting more.
We will now look at the most important methods for reading a dance floor while DJ-ing.
Listen to the crowd
People often talk while they dance! Whether it is hollers of joy, words of encouragement, or rude words hurled at the DJ for his sudden and uninspiring selection of music.
Most likely, you won't hear them speak, but if you look at some of them, you'll be able to tell whether what they have to say is positive or negative.
What are the disadvantages of this method? It is possible that they are not talking about you! Hence, you must be realistic when scanning for conversations that may or may not be influenced by the music you’re playing. This method of analysis works best after transitioning to a new track, see if their audible reactions line up with your expectations.
As you master this ability and become more adept at reading the crowd, you will be able to create different reactions and different moods among the crowd. By choosing different records that evoke different feelings, you can take the audience on an emotional roller-coaster.
Observing how everyone is dancing together:
While reading a crowd, you should not focus on one individual but rather scan the entire room to find out how they are responding to your music
Are they lost in the moment? Are they dancing with more energy? Are they busting out some new moves or are they getting tired and losing energy?
From looking at the crowd, you can tell whether it is thinning out or if more people are joining. When people leave, other dancers may take that as a cue to also duck this one. There is a risk that this may discourage bystanders from joining the dance floor, which could lead to people leaving the dance place all at once.! And that’s definitely not what you want.
Play the right music at the right time:
Another way to read a dance floor is that during events, the energy level changes over time. That is why what works at one time won't necessarily work at another. Similarly, the song that bombed earlier might not be a sign that something similar would do so again.
It's always important to keep an eye on the time, whether you're DJing all night or just need to know when your DJ set is, knowing the time is vital.
Consider how much energy the crowd might have left. Is the night just getting started? Or did they dance for several hours already?
In order to have your playlist be successful, you must play the right music at the right time. Many factors like alcohol, temperature, humidity inside the venue, acoustics, and even what DJs played before you contribute to your playlist's success.
Being Aware Of The Party Schedule:
Whether it is a private party or a nightclub, it is important to know what part of the evening you will be at.
At a private party, There are often interruptions, which alters the energy level in the room, like sit-down meals, speeches, and cutting the cake at weddings.
When it comes to club nights, it's useful to know what kind of energy previous DJs achieved and what kind of journeys they made.
Therefore, it's important to get a schedule of the night to find out what has already happened before your DJ-ing time, and everything that will be going on during your DJ-ing time.
Remember how the crowd responded to previous songs:
The majority of songs fall into a certain category or energy level. In the process, you'll gain an understanding of how some songs can affect the mood at a party in a positive way.
When DJing, remembering their reactions involves using all the methods above. In other words, knowing how previous songs impacted the crowd can help you predict their reactions to future songs.
Now that we have discussed the most important methods of reading a dance floor, you will be able to understand your audience better.
Feel free to check our Instagram account for more updates