By Christina Strong

My Savvy Auntie knows how to do the electric slide. Her Savvy Auntie knew how to do the Macarena, and her Savvy Auntie could do the hustle.
 
Now you can be a Savvy Auntie of the 21st century and, along with your nieces and nephews, can choreograph your own moves in a dance-a-thon!

To run a dance-a-thon, simply have your nieces or nephews choose 10-20 songs they like to listen to. Make sure you set up the music system in a room with ample space, like a living room or basement.

The whole objective of the dance-a-thon is to see who lasts the longest on the dance floor, and who has the most creative moves. After you make your song selections, crank up the tunes and just dance!

The first place winner is the person who remains on the dance floor, dancing, the longest. The second place winner is the person with the most creative dance moves. In order to judge the most creative person, videotape the dance-a-thon and then have another family member (perhaps an uncle or cousin) cast his or her vote. The person who received the first place award is not eligible for the creativity prize. If there are only two people, then the second person is the automatic second place winner. The runner-up is the one who just participated, but neither danced the longest nor was voted the most creative. There can be more than one runner-up.

There should be an award at each level. For first place, plan a private trip to a fun place that your nieces and nephews like to go; maybe their favorite restaurant or park. A small cash reward may be a good second place prize, and a runner-up might receive a box of their favorite candy. Use your judgment; you know your niece and nephew best!

Published: January 16, 2012