Causecast

by JONATHAN HARRIS, Managing Editor

Diet and exercise. Those are the two key elements to health, right? Causecast has already given you our tips for eating locally and going vegetarian, so now we’re going to get to the fun part and show you how to stay healthy while having fun with a do-it-yourself dance party.

Part 1: Why A Dance Party?

Do you really need an excuse? Dancing is fun, active and is great for your health. Just 30 minutes of medium-to-fast dancing can burn over 200 calories.

Plus, you get to hold a party, invite all your friends, and show off your moves. Dancing impresses the ladies, gents. Just listen to them cheer!

Part 2: Setting Up Your Party

This is pretty much the only difficult thing you’ll have to do. If you really want to make the most of your dance party and stay healthy, you have to meet these two standards:

•No alcohol
•No greasy or fattening snack foods.
•Drink lots of water

These rules could be troubling for those of you who need an aperitif before shaking it on the dance floor, but the calories in a few alcoholic beverages or a bowl of potato chips will completely negate any health benefits you’ll get from a solid dancing session.

Setting up your party with water, iced tea, and fruits and vegetables as snacks will ensure a much healthier and more consistent dance party. It will also spare your lampshades from being turned into headwear and your floor from being covered with crushed beer cans.

Part 3: The Music

This is a tough one, as no two dance parties are the same. The music you choose will depend entirely on the crowd and what they like to move to.

In any given city you’ll find multiple styles of dance club, all with several merits. We analyze a few of these styles:

•The Hip-Hop Dance Club — Perhaps the first thing to enter a person’s mind at the thought of “dance party” is the hip-hop. Usher’s “Yeah,” Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and Outkast’s “Hey Ya” are mainstays in the West Hollywood club scene, and for good reason. These songs will get you moving and have consistent beats so there won’t be any downtime.

•The Rave — For our purposes, I won’t recommend that you go to an actual rave. Those tend to involve several un-advised elements for those looking to stay healthy. However, a mix-up of house and techno music will keep your heart going. Plus, there’s nothing wrong with turning the lights out and waving glow sticks.

•The Hipster Pop Electro Bash — Head over to Silver Lake in Los Angeles or Williamsburg in New York, then find the nearest taco/falafel truck and go into the building without a sign directly behind it. You are now in the hipster dance club. Here you can groove to the sounds of LCD Soundsystem, Vitalic, Daft Punk, or whatever just made Pitchfork’s Best New Music list. Only applicable with certain crowds, but if the cast of characters is into it, this dance party will burn a ton of calories (plus you can mix some Rolling Stones in there, too).

•Back To The Eighties — Ahhh…some people just never grow up. Flip on your 80s mix and get the crowd moving to Dead Or Alive, Night Ranger, The Smiths and The English Beat. Don’t stop believin’!

Part 4: The Moves

So you’ve gathered your friends, provided some healthy, nutritious snacks, flipped on those block-rocking beats, and now what? Yes…it’s time for you to actually get out on the dance floor.

Here are some visual cues to serve as examples. We’re not doing ballet or ballroom dancing, here. This is serious hair-drenching excitement.

The Pep Rally:

The Naked Hipster Dance-Off:

The Hippie (do under strict supervision only):

The Filipino Prisoners Dancing To Thriller:

You have to pretty experienced to pull this off. If your dance party is as good as this one, stop reading right now and go on a reality show.

Part 5: Make It Happen!

A few friends and a stereo is all that’s standing in the way of you and a dope dance party.

If you need a bit more inspiration, here’s a sample playlist that should have a little something for everyone. Give it a spin and see if you’re inspired. Let’s shred!

Photo by wetwebwork, flickr