Shake Your Booty at the Baby Shower Dance Party

Let's face it, women love to dance, even if only in front of a mirror in a locked room in the dark, with an iPod providing the music. Let the mommy-to-be hang loose and celebrate at the baby shower dance party.

Choose what kind of music you want to base your baby shower dance party on. Does the mommy-to-be love the 70s? Or maybe the 80s are more her thing. Maybe it's more on hip-hop or jazz. Whatever it is, cue the guests to the type of party by using that as the basis of the invitation. An 80s dance party would probably have a punk theme or maybe use the cover of an old Madonna album on the front. This would be a great time to ask the guests to come in costume or at least in clothes that are comfortable for dancing.

Create a real dance club theme at the party area. Hang streamers of gold and silver from the ceiling so they just about brush the floor. Blow up gold and silver giant balloons and scatter them on the floor. Rent a smoke machine if you can to add to the ambiance. Change the light bulbs to a mix of colors – red, blue, green, and yellow. And speaking of lights, find a strobe machine if you can to add to the fun!

Don't have regular tables; instead set cocktail tables around and swath them with gold and silver fabric. Cinch them under the top to make a “waist” with gold and silver ribbons. Scatter amber and clear glass pebbles on the tables to catch the sparks of light. You can forgo any centerpieces on these tables, aside from being rather small, all the dancing around could make one of the tables fall.

Set the buffet table like at your prom! Cover it with a white cloth and top it with a crumpled piece of fabric in either white or black. Serve all the food on clear acrylic platters; you want to prevent any accidents here. You could add more of the amber and clear glass pebbles to highlight the platters. To add interest, suspend CDs over the buffet table. When the turn, they'll catch the light and throw sparks around the room.

Serve traditional dance party food – have a large bowl filled with fruit punch, and serve finger food like miniature pizzas, pretzels and trail mix, popcorn, and more substantial food like lasagna and chicken wings. You could have cookies and brownies for dessert, ice cream optional.

A cake is a great highlight for the buffet table. If you're making one, incorporate the metallic touches in it by using a CD as a topper, and silver and gold Christmas balls as separators for the tiers. Smother the cake in silver and gold dragees and make it sparkle with sanding sugar.

For a fun activity, hire a dance instructor to come over and teach you a dance step or two. Inform the instructor beforehand of the theme of the party so he or she can prepare the appropriate steps. Gather yourselves together and have at it! Have a prize ready for the best dancer, the dancer with the funniest moves, and the surprise of the day.

For the favors, create a CD with twenty of the top twenty dance hits of the era. What a way to tell your friends that they're free to let loose anytime they want!