Pulling Off A Virtual Dance Party Is Way Easier Than You Think

As social distancing guidelines remain in tact, people are amping up their efforts to find fun things to do online. Because people are missing interactions with friends, this often involves video calling on apps like Zoom. Well, you can add one more item to your long list of things you can do on the video conferencing app: dance parties. If you've missed hitting the club with your friends, you can throw a Zoom dance party.

When you're on Zoom, you're likely sitting at a desk or even in bed or on your couch. Aside from any at-home workouts or walks to the grocery store, you're probably not moving around much. This is where Zoom dance parties can come into play. Not only will you be able to enjoy time with your friends, but you'll also find an excuse to move around more.

To throw a Zoom dance party, you want to come up with a great playlist first. Whether you use Apple Music or Spotify, ask your friends for song suggestions and then compile all of them onto a playlist. This is so you don't spend a lot of time thinking of what songs to play next when your dance party is actually happening.

Once your playlist is set, plan a date and time for your dance party. Even with not many places to go, it's important to check in with your friends to see when they'll be available. After getting everyone to agree on a date and time, you can schedule a meeting on Zoom. Go to the Meetings tab located on the left side of your screen of your desktop or on the home screen of your smartphone app. Here, choose Schedule A Meeting and then set up the details of the meeting, including the date, time, and attendees. When you insert your friends' emails, they'll each get invitations to the meeting which can be a fun way of making it feel like they're going to an actual party.

When the date of your dance party rolls around, all everyone has to do is join the meeting. Your friends can do this by checking their emailed invitation. The invitation will have a link that they can click on and join. They also have the option of copying and pasting the Meeting ID written in the email onto the tab to Join A Meeting in the Meeting menu. Once everyone has signed on, you can play the playlist from your computer, and everyone on the call will be able to hear it (just make sure you're unmuted). The only thing left to do is hit the dance floor.

In the mood for an ambiance closer to that of a club? You can change your Zoom virtual background to a picture of a lounge or a bunch of disco balls by going into your Settings on the Menu tab and selecting Virtual Backgrounds. Here, you can upload Googled images of your own or choose from some of Zoom's own backdrops of landscapes and landmarks. Party wherever you feel like it!