# How to Dance

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For other uses, see [Dance (disambiguation)](/source/Dance_(disambiguation)).

"**How to Dance**" is a song by Austrian [house music](/source/House_music) trio [Bingoboys](/source/Bingoboys) from their debut studio album, *The Best of Bingoboys* (1991). The song features American female [rapper](/source/Rap_music) [Princessa](/source/Princessa_(singer)) and was first released in the United States in 1990, then was given a European and Australian release in March 1991.

"How to Dance" peaked at number two in Austria and reached the top 10 in Australia, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands. In the US, it climbed to number 25 on the [*Billboard* Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) and topped the *Billboard* [Dance Club Play](/source/Dance_Club_Play) chart for one week in March 1991. The music video for the song was nominated for an [MTV](/source/MTV) [Video Music Award](/source/1991_MTV_Video_Music_Awards) in the category of "Best Dance Video", losing to "[Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)](/source/Gonna_Make_You_Sweat_(Everybody_Dance_Now))" by the [C+C Music Factory](/source/C%2BC_Music_Factory).

## Composition

The song borrows heavily from a number of earlier recordings, including "[Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)](/source/Dance,_Dance,_Dance_(Yowsah,_Yowsah,_Yowsah))" by the band [Chic](/source/Chic_(band)), "[Dance (Disco Heat)](/source/Dance_(Disco_Heat))" by the disco singer [Sylvester](/source/Sylvester_James), "[Kiss](/source/Kiss_(Prince_song)#The_Art_of_Noise_featuring_Tom_Jones_version)" by [Art of Noise](/source/Art_of_Noise) feat. [Tom Jones](/source/Tom_Jones_(singer)), the popular [James Brown](/source/James_Brown) "[Yeah! Woo!](/source/Yeah!_Woo!)" sample loop, the bassline [motif](/source/Motif_(music)) from [Mantronix](/source/Mantronix)'s single "[Got to Have Your Love](/source/Got_to_Have_Your_Love)", and a [synth](/source/Synth) motif from [The Whispers](/source/The_Whispers)' "[And the Beat Goes On](/source/And_the_Beat_Goes_On_(The_Whispers_song))". In addition, the song contains audio samples from an instructional recording from the 1970s that attempted to teach people "how to dance" (for example, *Step left, around, and together with the right*).

## Charts

### Weekly charts

Chart (1991) Peak position Denmark (IFPI)[2] 8 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[3] 24 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[4] 4 UK Airplay (Music Week)[5] 59 US Billboard Hot 100[6] 25 US 12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard)[7] 4 US Dance Club Play (Billboard)[8] 1

### Year-end charts

Chart (1991) Position Australia (ARIA)[9] 53 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 17 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[11] 18 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 84 US 12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard)[13] 31 US Dance Club Play (Billboard)[13] 29

## Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref. United States 1990 12-inch vinyl · cassette Atlantic United Kingdom 11 March 1991 7-inch vinyl · 12-inch vinyl · CD · cassette [14] Australia 25 March 1991 12-inch vinyl · cassette [15] 22 April 1991 CD [16]

## See also

- [List of number-one dance singles of 1991 (U.S.)](/source/List_of_number-one_dance_singles_of_1991_(U.S.))

## References

1. Breihan, Tom (8 January 2021). ["The Number Ones: Janet Jackson's 'When I Think Of You'"](https://www.stereogum.com/2112251/the-number-ones-janet-jacksons-when-i-think-of-you/columns/the-number-ones/). *[Stereogum](/source/Stereogum)*. Retrieved 30 September 2023. The Austrian dance group Bingo Boys sampled 'When I Think Of You' on the breakdown of their extremely entertaining 1991 hip-house single 'How To Dance'...

1. ["Top 10 Sales in Europe"](https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-08-10.pdf). *[Music & Media](/source/Music_%26_Media)*. Vol. 8, no. 32. 10 August 1991. p. 19. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

1. ["Eurochart Hot 100 Singles"](https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1991/MM-1991-06-08.pdf). *Music & Media*. Vol. 8, no. 23. 8 June 1991. p. 21. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

1. Nyman, Jake (2005). *Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja* (in Finnish). 1st ed. Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.

1. ["Playlist Chart"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1991/MW-1991-04-20.pdf). *[Music Week](/source/Music_Week)*. 20 April 1991. p. 18. Retrieved 15 October 2025.

1. ["Billboard Hot 100"](https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1991-04-13/). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. 13 April 1991. Retrieved 16 September 2023.

1. ["Dance Singles Sales"](https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-dance-singles-sales/1991-03-30/). *Billboard*. 30 March 1991. Retrieved 16 September 2023.

1. ["Dance Club Songs"](https://www.billboard.com/charts/dance-club-play-songs/1991-03-30/). *Billboard*. 30 March 1991. Retrieved 16 September 2023.

1. Ryan, Gavin (2011). *Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010*. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.

1. ["Jahreshitparade Singles 1991"](https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=s&id=1991) (in German). Retrieved 8 April 2020.

1. ["RPM Dance Tracks of 1991"](https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.1704&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.1704.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.1704). *[RPM](/source/RPM_(magazine))*. Retrieved 8 April 2020. – via [Library and Archives Canada](/source/Library_and_Archives_Canada)

1. ["Jaaroverzichten – Single 1991"](https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1991&cat=s) (in Dutch). [MegaCharts](/source/Dutch_Charts). Retrieved 8 April 2020.

1. "The Year in Music 1991". *Billboard*. Vol. 103, no. 51. 21 December 1991. p. YE-32.

1. "New Releases: Singles". *[Music Week](/source/Music_Week)*. 9 March 1991. p. 19.

1. "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 25/03/91: Singles". *[The ARIA Report](/source/The_ARIA_Report)*. No. 61. 24 March 1991. p. 19.

1. "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 22/04/91: Singles". *The ARIA Report*. No. 65. 21 April 1991. p. 20.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [How to Dance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Dance) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Dance?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.