Dance or you die

A Washington Post article about excessively expensive and overly-planned Bar (and Bat) Mitzvah parties contains the following snippet about "the" party-planner du jour:

James got his start in the '80s, working as a "motivator" for a party-planning company, a job which required him to dragoon guests onto dance floors.

dragoon
verb
1. To subjugate or persecute by the imposition of troops.
2. To compel by violent measures or threats; coerce.
[French dragon, carbine, dragoon, from Old French, dragon.]

Nice party!