the blog about dancing with your coworkers
For those of you following my blog, you know that I typically post on Wednesdays. But last week, I didn’t post a new blog- eeek! But! it was for good reason and part of the inspiration for my topic this week: taking time to dance (yes, dance!) with your coworkers.
Setting the scene for how dancing with your coworkers can spark joyful momentum and connection in life.
Last week, I had the joy of being with my team as we led a large-scale learning summit for one of our GTM teams, in very, VERY sunny, and a very VERY hot Scottsdale, Arizona. My team has the privilege of putting these types of large scale learning events together. We own everything from the venue selection to the agenda design to the content creation, project management, event execution, swag, party night, learning reinforcement, leadership retrospective and metrics tracking - you name it! Of course we work with several incredible leaders and teams to bring this to life, including our exceptional event partners at Olympian Meeting, but overall my team is responsible for the success of these events. I'm so proud these events receive incredible feedback year after year, not just because they drive results, but because they genuinely energize and uplift the people who attend.
Now, of course it is first and foremost a strategic summit for a GTM team focused on driving revenue, and the organizational impact and skill development are at the core of what we anchor on as the driving force for the event planning. However, a business made up of people, 100% human who need connection and bonding and a feeling of kinship to feel excited, engaged and motivated to solve hard problems. The company spends a lot of resources to bring everyone together, and we aim to maximize that ROTI (return on time invested) for the attendees. So as we design the experience for the participant, we make sure that connection, mindfulness and movement are incorporated into the event.
There is SO MUCH you can do with people in person that you can’t do over zoom. (There is still so much you CAN do over zoom to be fair…) but not everything translates. Liiiiiiike… dancing. Yes, good old fashioned dancing. From the two-step to the cha-cha to the dougie, this is best done in person with other humans dancing with you well. Sure you may have done some virtual dance parties (especially during the intense COVID years) but it’s just not the same. Typically though, many adults in American society don't have all that many opportunities to dance with other people unless they are actively involved in a dance group, class or your family or community is particularly fun! Add a splash of “corporate America” to that and the dancing opportunities for many may dwindle even further. And yet…when most people are HONEST with themselves - they LOVE dancing! And yes, naturally you’ll have the nay-sayers, the people who never want to get on the dance floor, but that often has much more to do with what society either expects of them, or they expect of themselves vs their core self and heartfelt desires.
Think of the last time you danced, without fear, without judgement, just lost yourself in the music, in the moments - how did you feel? Free? Giddy? Present? Happy and energized? That’s what I’m talking about!
Now, how does this all relate to a corporate learning event? Well, my team and I have a motto of “surprise and delight” with everything we do, and one of the most fun ways to bring this motto to life is at these events. We make sure that in addition to engaging content, powerful speakers, inspirational workshops etc. to always offer the opportunity to dance! We know that, not everyone wants to or feels comfortable, but for those who do, or for those who are curious at first and full fledged dancing converts by the end, it is almost always a highlight of the event and the memory that remains with them once the insights from the sessions have faded.
Not that the information shared or the workshops weren’t critical for our business- they are! But so is the dancing, the community building, the glee. It’s so easy to forget that the people we work with are in fact, PEOPLE - just like us! With hopes and dreams and fear and loss. With incredible successes and horrific tragedies. That they are doing their best and are messy all at the same time.
Dancing with our co-workers lets us see a different side of them: the playful, light, fun, uninhibited and creative side! Watching one of my coworkers belt out all of the lyrics to “No Diggity” by Blackstreet and Dr. Dre, while dressed in a “Space Cowboy” outfit (the theme of the party) is something I will cherish for many years to come. Or laughing hysterically as members of my team jumped in the inevitable “dance circle” to show off their best moves with inflatable aliens and cowboy-lassos is a team-bonding moment that I will always remember. (There is some photographic evidence of us in our costumes at the party below for those who are curious).
If you’re still not bought into the idea of dancing with the same people who need to create that executive report with, I did a little research on the benefits of dancing with your co-workers and all of these track for me. See what dancing with colleagues can do:
🧑🤝🧑 Boost Morale & Teamwork
Shared, non-verbal collaboration builds trust, camaraderie, and a sense of fun.
🧠 Support Mental & Physical Health
Reduces stress, increases energy, and gets people out of their heads and into their bodies.
💪 Build Confidence
Movement + music = a powerful combo to help people express themselves and feel great.
👥 Foster Connection
Dancing strengthens community, whether you’re in sync or just sharing a laugh.
🤝 Encourage Collaboration
Group choreography and partner styles invite teamwork in a playful way.
🌍 Promote Inclusion
Dance crosses cultural and language barriers, everyone can participate.
🧘♀️ Encourage Mindfulness in Motion
Dancing demands presence, synced breath, rhythm, and movement = flow state.
🩰 Build Body Awareness
Helps people feel more grounded, confident, and comfortable in their own skin.
There are so many reasons to try this, to this, but most of all, you might just have a little fun!
So my tiny dancing actions for you today are…
DANCE TODAY: Just for 1 mins, ideally with one other person, but you can start just by yourself!
DANCE AT AN UPCOMING PERSONAL EVENT: Think about an upcoming event: family, friends etc. see if there’s a way to incorporate dancing into it. Family picnic? Bring a wireless speaker and see who wants to move their body after eating. Graduation celebration? Plan a celebration dance for the graduate. Dinner party? Plan a short dance break before dessert!
DANCE AT YOUR NEXT PROFESSIONAL EVENT: Finally, think about your place of work or other places/organizations where you spend a lof of time. What upcoming events are you having? Ask the organizer (if it’s not you) if there’s a way to incorporate some dancing into it.
I’ll be back next week with more little things… but I’d love to hear from you! How have you incorporated dancing into your life? Did you try it with your coworkers? How did it go?
Grateful for these brilliant teammates and fearless dance floor companions!
P.S. None of this is sponsored, these are just products or organizations that I like. Not endorsing them for you, just saying they worked for me!
