For those who were there last Thursday, you know most of the details. For those who were not, here are the ones you need to know:

• The toe nail of a dancer was partially lifted.
• There was, as a result, blood on the dance floor.
• The toe nail was lifted after a collision with the foot of the partner.
• The partner was not wearing dance shoes, but rubber soled runners with a tread pattern.
• The dancer who sustained the injury was wearing open toed dance shoes.
• The dance was quickstep.

These injuries can happen in dance. But we would still like to minimise the frequency and severity.

One way to minimise both is to ensure that you dance as instructed. Ballroom is, despite what many might assume, the most dangerous of partner dances - if lifts and dips are excluded. That is why, in class, we talk so much about the right frame to ensure that people dance with the right alignment and connection. 

Therefore, please, when you are next in dance class, focus on ensuring you always dance with the right embrace. Never, let the figure compromise the embrace. If you can't do the figure without compromising the embrace, then do not dance the figure.

The same goes for your partner. If you feel unsafe dancing with them, then ask (if following) or say (if leading) that only simple figures will be done.

You are entitled to choose not to dance with someone if you feel unsafe with them or if you feel they are not safe for themselves. 

Another way to minimise both the frequency and severity of an injury to the foot is to wear proper footwear.

Closed toe shoes (ballroom ladies shoes are closed toe - while Latin ladies shoes may be open toed) will prevent your toe nail from catching on another shoe.

Suede soles (in the case of leads especially) lack the grip and geometry to catch a toe nail should it be exposed. Also, the soft soles allow less pressure to be placed on a partners foot should you stand on in. And the thinner sole gives a person a better sensation of what is underfoot so your instinct to lift your foot - and prevent injury to another if you apply pressure to their foot - can be better utilised.

Therefore, if you have been dancing for some time, then you should have proper dance shoes and dance with a proper frame. And, regardless of how long you have been dancing for, ensure you are dancing within your and and your partner's ability.

Thank you for reading this and now choosing to take action to ensure your own and other dancers' safety.

Traditional
If you can find the way the dance was danced in its home country and at the time it was conceived, then surely that must be the proper way to dance it. This is an approach that is often used in the less formalised dances such as swing and street Latin. However, it is often hard to determine the period in history that would be considered the time the dance was proper. Further, even if you go to the originating country, you will find that people there would dance it differently depending upon the part of that country they are from. Even different parts of Buenos Aires exhibit different styles of tango so travelling to Argentina will not allow you to be certain you are dancing proper tango.
Standardised dances
Dances such as Waltz, Samba, cha cha, Foxtrot, Jive and quickstep have been codified by international dance organisations. This standardisation and agreement by the respective committees lends some authority to the standardisation. One could consider these to be proper. However, these dances are the standardisation of other dances that had already been developed by other communities. Further, sometimes the standardisation would be performed by people who were unfamiliar with the culture that originated the dance. The end effect was that the dance that came about was a corruption of the original. It is hard to argue that this is proper.
Dance sport
Dance sport dance has much in common with the standardised dances. It is often those standards that are used for judging. However, dance sport does allow for evolution. If you watch videos from dance sport competitions from decades in the past, then you will see a marked difference in the nature of the dance. This continued evolution of better dance in the crucible of competition would produce a better dance that would at least be getting close to something one could call proper. The thing is that dance sport had its origins within the working-class dancers who wanted to be evaluated and compared to each other. The dancers of aristocracy danced for pleasure and to show civility. You could possibly imagine how an aristocrat might respond to the notion of being judged by another on how well they danced and compared to others: not well! These are two competing views of dance and both seem valid (one to dance to the best of precision and be the best there it and the other to dance for the cultural, social and pleasurable benefits that come with it). It is thus hard to argue that we have found an avenue to proper dance.

What do we know about dance? The following is probably hard to argue with:

• It is created as opposed to discovered; humans have invented dance
• It is still possible to discover ways to dance better; as we practice we will find improvements
• Dance is an art; we know what we like, others will like something different and it is not a science in itself
• In partner dance you need to know how to lead and follow; without that, you just can’t dance
• You need to get the music; otherwise you just aren’t dancing
• You need to dance in a manner similar to those you are dancing with; otherwise it’s like talking with someone who speaks a different language

Based on the above, there are many ways to dance correctly (or properly). However, there are infinitely more ways to dance incorrectly. Thus, a student should not be looking for a studio that teaches proper dance. Instead, they should be looking for a studio that posses a wide range of knowledge about dance in it’s different forms. Such a studio can help you find the type of dance you like and help you master that.