Dancing at seated concerts

[doyoudanceinyourseat]

If you went to a concert where audience had to be seated, no one standing up, the band were amazing, jazzy funky with brilliant saxophonist and guitars and drums - aibu to dance, move to music while seated, or is that not the done thing?

I was with one person and there was no one in the other seat but there were people behind

Just wondered what the etiquette is!

We have a venue that has seating only and standing is an option sections. I think that is the ideal way to accommodate people who want to stand. Personally, I don’t. I physically can’t stand for the entire concert and find people who stand incredibly rude and anti-social.

I try whenever possible to get seats in the front row of a section, even if it is further back, so I don’t end looking at someone’s ass for 2 hours, but that isn’t always possible.

Loads of us got up to dance in the aisles at a seated Oysterband gig once. The band actually said it was a bit odd to be playing somewhere where people had to sit down so I think we did the right thing. You can't NOT dance to Oysterband.

If it's all seated but you choose to be on the floor then tough luck if you are short!
I am, and had to stand at a concert recently if I wanted to see as everyone stood up and danced.
The ones I go to generally have big screens too though.

@alfagirl73 @Mrsjayy I am also going to Hugh Jackman this weekend and I will definitely be dancing, if not hurling myself at the stage area

IvanaPee ... yes there were a few , but DH didn't want me to block the view for the people behind , we were about 3 - 4 rows from the back ... I just to it as a goer cos a few people in the rows ahead of me were up dancing

At a children’s concert? Sorry, I’m just trying to picture it!

And to music from The Greatest Showman?

Firstly please can I just reassure all the people who don't like people standing, I didn't stand - no one did til the last song when the band insisted we all got up!

It was tiered seating, I was sitting, I did wonder if it would annoy people to see other people even nodding head to the beat as it would have been a distraction, lol.

Back in the day I would be down in the pit, jumping up and down to the likes of Muse or even further back in time, Lemonheads, and that sort of thing. I am now older and I can still groove but I look like an old person grooving - which actually I think is fine. But anyway - it was a concert put on by dc's music school, dc were in part of it, thought it would be a bit torturous (the band, not dc) but it turned out to be fantastic. I felt a bit like Baloo when he hears the swingdance in Jungle Book and I would probably have looked a bit like him too, if i had gone down and danced at the front.

We dance around the house a lot, and dc loves dancing around, and so he went down with the other kids and danced.

Lots of people ended up dancing down the front, including all the kids, but many people in the audience were older and quite reserved, and I just wondered what the etiquette was. And I agree with a pp advice, depends on where and who is there!

Just to clarify, the band weren't kids, they were a well seasoned band about my age-ish, they had done workshops with the kids during the week and the kids sung one song with them/those who were learning sax played sax in one song, and then they did a concert.

For all those out there who are older than they were and still love to dance, here is a lovely older person dancing! The music was similar to this except a bit funkier:

I get that sitting down when watching a band/performer you love is on might be difficult but if you want to dance then buy a standing ticket. I took my dd to see her favourite singer last year and the people in front stood up to dance and as a result my dd couldn’t see, they helpfully said she could stand up too, she’s 4’6”, they were still in her way. Eventually they sat down but it did ruin the night for her as they were quite nasty about the whole thing.
And people only stood up for one song at the Hugh jackman concert I went to, most people were happy to just sit down and gawp at him....
As for moving about in your seat etc- go for it, I don’t think anyone could object

I dont think theres anything wrong at all with chair dancing, it's standing that is rude.

I was in this situation recently and got up to go and dance in the aisle as no one else was. Bouncers came a long and told me not To! Annoying!